As we have now watched the sun set over the Maracana stadium and witnessed the new champions lifting up the World Cup, we can look back at a truly special tournament 
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The football has been positive, the goals have been explosive, and Thierry Henry sporting immaculate cardigans while on BBC pundit duty was most welcome. Yet, it’s the very global nature in which we can react and consume the thrills and sighs that has made this a World Cup to relish. There were more than <a href="https://blog.twitter.com/2014/the-twitter-worldcup-group-stage-recap">300m tweets</a> related to this World Cup during the group stages, and the fact that we can gauge the reactions from fans in Algeria to Australia, and can see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/worldcup/map/">where in the world</a> footballers such as Özil and Neymar are trending is incredible. 
Granted, reaction on social media sometimes looked like this:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en" data-cards="hidden">TL be like <a href="http://t.co/DDTR93Yd5L">pic.twitter.com/DDTR93Yd5L</a> 
— Teju Cole (@tejucole) <a href="https://twitter.com/tejucole/statuses/478659774025072640">June 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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But throughout the tournament we’ve been treated to a feast of creative gifs, vines and lol-some memes that never failed to make me chuckle. Here are the top ten: 
1. The flying dutchman  
Robin van Persie’s spectacular acrobatic header against Spain is a contender for goal of the tournament. It was sheer brilliance. Yet what made it all the more delicious were the ridiculous memes and the #persieing trend online, which involved people posting photos of themselves landing face down in the grass. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Robin van Persie: The Flying Dutchman <a href="http://t.co/EpuV9F2dY9">pic.twitter.com/EpuV9F2dY9</a> 
— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/statuses/477542758752985088">June 13, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">OK Internet, here&#8217;s my contribution to the Robin van Persie meme: <a href="http://t.co/W3K5YXO7EG">http://t.co/W3K5YXO7EG</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ned?src=hash">#ned</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vanpersie?src=hash">#vanpersie</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/KICKTV">@kicktv</a> <a href="http://t.co/hL2vq5uJv4">pic.twitter.com/hL2vq5uJv4</a> 
— Daniel Boniface (@danielboniface) <a href="https://twitter.com/danielboniface/statuses/477669167429332992">June 14, 2014</a></blockquote>
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2. Why always me? 
Who else would fill in the entire Italian side in the World Cup sticker album with stickers of himself? Mario Balotelli of course, who posted this hilarious photo on his Facebook wall.
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3. Biting Suarez 
Suarez taking a bite out of the Apple logo, Suarez as Jaws and Suarez as Hannibal Lecter, were just some of the memes reacting to the 27-year-old Uruguayan striker biting Italian player Giorgio Chiellini. But this Suarez’s birthday gif is the best one – it’s absurd and doesn’t even make any sense. 
<img loading="lazy" alt="" src="http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SuarezBirthday.gif" width="300" height="183" /> 
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4. World Cup of beards 
Long gone are the Robbie Savage-esque curling locks and Alice bands that footballers used to wear. This has been a tournament of hipster sleeve-tatoos, military haircuts and full beardage. It wasn’t just team Algeria who had beards to be proud of – fellow internet commentators observed that USA goalkeeper, Tim Howard, had a proper salafi beard.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Rais M&#8217;Bolhi is in superb form for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ALG?src=hash">#ALG</a> against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GER?src=hash">#GER</a> and is making a big case to be the ultimate Beard of Brazil! <a href="http://t.co/O0nfKHjvDJ">pic.twitter.com/O0nfKHjvDJ</a> 
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/statuses/483731037726715905">June 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
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5. Louis van Gaal walking into the dressing room 
After the reigning champions, Spain, were utterly humiliated by the Netherlands’ 5-1 win, we could truly appreciate the tactical genius of the Dutch coach Louis van Gaal. But then, the slow realisation came that he would be just as smug when managing Manchester United next season. Fans of all other Premier League teams are holding their breath.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">BREAKING: Louis Van Gaal walking into the dressing room. <a href="http://t.co/1reK7yKjSP">pic.twitter.com/1reK7yKjSP</a> 
— BBC Sporf (@BBCSporf) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCSporf/statuses/477555549488570368">June 13, 2014</a></blockquote>
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6. Giant locust 
Everyone freaked out when a giant locust of Amazonian proportions perched on the arm of Columbian striker, James Rodriguez, just as he was about to take his penalty against Brazil. As the 22-year old cooly shot the ball into the back of the net, he celebrated by kissing his wrist – while everyone spotted that there was a ginormous insect on him, which eventually flew away, beating its pterodactyl-like wings. 
<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://vine.co/v/MUjhXWqxlUF/embed/simple" height="350" width="350" frameborder="0"></iframe><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" async=""></script> 
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7. Watermelon Man 
The atmosphere in the Brazilian stadiums looked extraordinary from the average humble living-room in London, and that&#8217;s down to the fans. From the way the Brazilian fans belted out the second chorus of their national anthem each game, to the way they chanted olé when their hapless team was obliterated by Germany. But special homage goes to Watermelon Man here: 
   
 <iframe loading="lazy" src="https://vine.co/v/MUjmHLMjaO1/embed/simple" height="350" width="350" frameborder="0"></iframe><script charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript" src="//platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js" async=""></script> 
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8. 1-7 (seven) 
How was that a semi-final score? When Brazil lost 2-1 on home soil to Uruguay in 1950, the country was left in traumatic silence. They cast-off their white strip after the Maracanazo and the goalkeeper, Moacir Barbosa, was <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/apr/13/guardianobituaries.alexbellos">left destitute</a>. Perhaps it is highly unlikely that the current Brazil team will bury the iconic canary yellow strips they currently wear, but it may cause these reactions:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Christ the Redeemer right now. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BRA?src=hash">#BRA</a> <a href="http://t.co/2cS5Mk6o8G">pic.twitter.com/2cS5Mk6o8G</a> 
— FutbolBible (@FutbolBible) <a href="https://twitter.com/FutbolBible/statuses/486612179911983105">July 8, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">FACT: Pele as of last night. <a href="http://t.co/y49XBzbgxG">pic.twitter.com/y49XBzbgxG</a> 
— BBC Sporf (@BBCSporf) <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCSporf/statuses/486911019596656641">July 9, 2014</a></blockquote>
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9. Arm-folding 
Gone are the days of a simple mugshot. As the line-up for the match was announced, each player was introduced on the screen by turning towards the camera and simultaneously folding their arms. It seems as though the most innocuous of tasks <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_spot/2014/07/03/world_cup_player_introductions_a_deep_analysis_of_how_soccer_players_fold.html">such as arm-folding</a> can actually be quite tough to nail. Do you tuck your hands in, or clasp your biceps? Do you smile, raise an eyebrow or just nod? And what about the timing? 
<img loading="lazy" alt="" src="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/blogs/the_spot/2014/07/03/armfolding/GIF6.gif" width="350" height="438" /> 
10. The referee’s magic spray 
In 50 years&#8217; time we’ll be telling our grandchildren that the World Cup was great and all, but nobody was more excited than when the referee used his <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blatter-spray-mark-free-kicks-world-cup-154106204--spt.html">magic spray</a>. 
<a href="http://www.the-platform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/foam_1011.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="alignleft wp-image-10536" alt="foam_101" src="http://www.the-platform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/foam_1011.jpg" width="350" height="200" /></a> 
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And much to the disdain of some players: 
<iframe loading="lazy" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/7W5Xtb9EzM0" height="200" width="350" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0"></iframe>

The Copa das Copas of World Cup Memes

As the London Metropolitan University moves to ban the sale of alcohol on campus, the motives of the officials in charge and the debate surrounding the issue come into question 
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There has been outrage this week as the Vice-Chancellor of a London university has considered <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17701963">banning the sale of alcohol</a> in some areas of the campus as it has become a “culturally sensitive” issue. 
<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/9199759/London-Metropolitan-University-mulls-alcohol-ban-for-conservative-Muslim-students.html">Professor Malcolm Gillies</a> said that with one fifth of the students at London Metropolitan University being Muslim, a “high percentage” of students find drinking “a negative experience – in fact an immoral experience.” 
He added, “given that around our campus you have at least half a dozen pubs within two hundred meters, I can’t see there is such a pressing reason to be cross-subsiding a student activity which is essentially the selling of alcohol.” 
However, what struck me in this report by the Times Higher Education, is that Professor Gillies went on to say that most London Metropolitan Muslim students were female, many of whom “can only really go to university within four miles of home and have to be delivered and picked up by a close male relative.” I don’t go to London Met, but this seems to me like an absurd generalisation. I feel offended that anyone might think that I, a Muslim woman, need to be chaperoned anywhere. 
The President of the London Metropolitan Student’s Union has <a href="http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=419642">called for the vice-chancellor to apologise</a> for his comments, saying that London Met’s Muslim students were “respectful of other people’s cultures.”  Claire Locke said that he had “offended” Muslim students by generalising about their beliefs, adding it was not true that Muslim students do not drink, as in the previous academic year three out of four Muslim student’s union officers had drunk alcohol. Give me a break. 
But interestingly, Claire said that the university was shutting down a building called the Hub, which contains a bar, adding “Is he just generalising [about] the Muslim community in order to justify cuts to student services?” 
As would be expected, there has been backlash and a torrent of abuse against the vice-chancellor and ‘conservative’ Muslim students.  There is a cacophony of voices shouting, “political correctness gone mad” in the online comments threads. 
The first thing that crossed my mind when I heard this story was whether the Muslim students had actually asked the vice-chancellor to speak on their behalf? 
Secondly, if you must make cuts to services, don’t blame it on Muslim students.  Furthermore, what does it say about the state of our Higher Education system when this is the most pertinent question, especially at a time when UCAS reports that applications have fallen by 15 percent this year and when fees have trebled? 
Yet, it is true that a mature discussion on the increasing binge-drinking amongst students needs to be raised.  Starting at a new university last autumn afresh as a post-graduate student, I thought I was an old hack in my expectations of how much alcohol the students around me consume. 
But I have to say, it was on another level. 
As deadlines approached, sometimes it felt as though everyone around me was chain-smoking, chain-swearing alcoholics. But why does it have to be this way? 
There are differing opinions on this issue, but I chose to miss out on alcoholic-beverage related socials.  So, I organised a dinner at a Halal restaurant in Tooting. There may have been no tiger beer and the curry may have been a bit too hot for some, but it was definitely a change from the usual Thursday night pilgrimage to The Peasant with everyone agreeing that it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening. 
The real question is why can’t there be more variety in student clubs and societies? Does the venue always have to be the same?  Does the meeting have to be in the pub again – what’s wrong with the coffee-shop? Integration is a two-way process, after all. 
And by the same token, why don’t Muslim students get more involved in the many areas of university student life, because that’s the way to make a difference.  As a sub-editor of the university newspaper while an undergraduate, I remember my first meeting was to be held in a bar.  But when I recommended that it would be better if it was held in the canteen the floor below, the editor agreed. It was as simple as that. 
So banning bars at university misses the point completely: it won’t make campuses or society more inclusive. Especially if you cause a storm in the media that nobody asked for.
<pre>Image from: http://www.dcsu.co.uk/content/432913/welfare/healthy_living/</pre>

Aisha Gani