world cup

As I may have said before, the World Cup (so sure of itself that it doesn't, unlike other sports, need to specify which) knocks spots off the Olympic Games, for me, in terms of enjoyment. A month of almost daily footy easily eclipses a month of most of the sports I have heard of, some I haven't and a few events I'm really interested in. The white van men and plenty of private motorists and householders have done their quadrennial patriotic thing, we are being told how many pints of beer, pizzas and packets of crisps are likely to be consumed in the next few weeks, and my newspaper's World Cup booklet arrived this morning, with the promise of a chart in tomorrow's sister paper. I haven't bought a sticker booklet, hoping in vain that one of my grandsons might do so and save me the teasing, but on the whole I think I've displayed my little-boy-who-never-grew-up side quite successfully. 'Saddo,' comments my wife, but she smiles approvingly and adds, 'Actually I think it's quite fun.' Since she will watch at least as much as I shall, and is sufficiently devoted to football to scan websites far more often than I do, there will be no rows over the use of the remote, except possibly when Switzerland v Honduras has to fight for attention against Wimbledon, so we shall be a football couple, as we are throughout the domestic season.

Neither of us is particularly sanguine about the possibility of forty-four 'years of hurt' being ended by Stevie G, or whoever is captain that day, lifting the non-cup, but that doesn't matter. The pleasure of watching two good footballing nations such as Portugal and Brazil vying for supremacy must not be underestimated. The fact that Theo Walcott wasn't chosen for the final squad of twenty-three doesn't bother me, as I don't feel that he justified selection. Besides, now he and Arshavin can take a rest and be fresh for next season. I think Capello is a good manager, but just how good remains to be seen as England's already less than frightening squad is affected by injuries, doubts over fitness and inexperience in key positions. There are the usual fears and concerns: security, fans' behaviour, unsold or exorbitantly priced tickets, and the rumoured sanitizing of the routes to the stadiums/stadia by the removal of all that might present the wrong image, but despite these reservations I'm looking forward to enjoying myself, especially as South Africa is in a very favourable time zone for British viewers to see at least the evening matches. I wouldn't be surprised to see Spain or Brazil win, but just hope we don't go out on a missed penalty.