Congratulations to Italy for winning the World Cup.  They narrowly beat France on Penalties, edging it 5-4, after Zinedine Zidane had been sent off.  It was not a classic by any stretch of the imagination.  What a way to end an international career!  The first player to be sent off in two World Cup finals.

The World Cup has been brilliantly organised and the Germans deserve a lot of credit for that.  Having been to Frankfurt myself and seen it first hand they did a great job and deserve a lot of praise.  The stadia was impressive, the organisation slick and their seems to have been little trouble that has marred other tournaments.

Yet the football has been poor.  I think people will sadly remember this World Cup more for the number of yellows and reds (Holland v Portugal), the diving and conning of the referee (Cristiano Ronaldo would have won Olympic Gold for some of his efforts), the number of goaless draws and the general lack of invention (starting with England but France too showed little adventure).

How sad that Argentina, Germany and Spain who all played adventurous and attacking football did not progress further.  The African teams deserve a special mention however, especially Ghana and Ivory Coast who were not diturbed by the opposition they faced and their spirit to ‘go for it’ from the off.

For England they will have to wait another 4 years.  The same old story.  Sven is gone, Becks is no longer captain and Steve McClaren is now manager.  44 years of hurt never stopped me dreaming…