England Out

I got the feeling that both the fans and the players were not too surprised that England will not now be in the final of the World Cup. Better luck next time seems to be the resigned belief of some fans leaving the stadium last night. Others thought the team needed some refreshing by including new blood. Whatever the regrets, it was all good fun watching on TV although the viewing figures came out at 19 million. Morecambe and Wise used to get about 25 million so the match did not grip everyone! Also the tournament has been something of a revelation in that sportmanship seems to have taken a back seat to brinksmanship and "chances" in not getting caught by the referee. Apparently the current thinking is it's OK to get away with it if you can, including head-butting, stamping on limbs and giving a groin a good kicking instead of the ball!

David Beckham did the right thing in resigning, not because he should have done, but because England will want a new feel about the team when the next internationals take place. Which starts all over again in September with the Euro 2008 matches starting with a fancied one against Andorra!

One of the good things to come out of the World Cup in Germany has been the way the English fans have behaved. By most accounts they have been friendly, chatty with their German hosts, and showing the world that they can enjoy football and conduct themselves properly. Well done!

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