Is it just me, or is anyone else fed up to the back teeth of all of the pre World Cup hype? I know it sells papers, but it's still 12 days away and it's wall to wall, telly, radio, press, magazines, ads, etc., etc., etc. It's getting on my tits, especially the celebs., girlies (apologies to all of our female contributors), non-sport journo's and the rest who have suddenly discovered football, or more like discovered Becks and Owen, et al. I don't want to see another 'will he or won't he make it' interview with Dyer, or an interview with Owen where he says precisely bugger all, or a discussion between newscasters on the first games starting line up. In fact, I just want to watch the footy, and to hell with the rest, it's all media induced crap. And if I'm honest, I think that the WC's purpose (no pun here guys) is to act as a filler until the Toon pre-season friendlies kick off. Rant over, but seriously, am I a totally alone misery, and are you all loving every minute of it, or do I have like minded souls out there?

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

Answers

A Personal view, or one shared by many?

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

I'm with you Terry. When it starts I'll get into it and despite not really caring about England I'll get pissed and cheer for them.... but until then... BORING

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

Agreed Terry. I just can't be bothered with it at all. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz - can somebody wake me up when the games actually start.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

It's no coincidence that my wife knows more about the fixture list and times than I do. The World Cup does capture the imagination of people who might watch a bit of football, but on a much less committed basis. In a way it's the hype that they like. I don't mind on the whole - I would much rather a buzz created rather than it being flat and lifeless. ie I don't listen to much of the hype myself, and like Terry only really get into it once it's underway, but don't mind a bit of atmosphere creation.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

I'm avoiding the hype like bubonic whatsit. I'll only focus on it once the Opening Cermony is out of the way, and my expectations for England have been positioned deliberately low so as to avoid disappointment.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

I'm more sick of all of the football hooligan programs that are on at the minute. The only reason these are on is because the of the World Cup.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

There's virtually nothing on over here. I'm feeling like a kid at Christmas waiting for the tournament to start. A month of free footy on my telly!!! :-D Only thing I wish is that I could have the BBC/ITV commentary during the games.

It was interesting listening to the commentators during yesterday's US v Holland match. World Cup is the best opportunity to sell the sport (and MLS) to Americans, so they often referred to just how big the game is around the world and how important MLS has been in improving the US players. My favorite bit, however, was how they kept calling Jaap Stam, "Fearless Leader" as he apparently resembles the character in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.

Still wish we would sign Stam, btw, if he'd come to us and the price wasn't ridiculous.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

The hooligan thing is starting to piss me off. Every day in one newspaper or another is a story about English hooligans, articles on the Japanese police preparing for English hooligans. I saw one newspaper last week that had the headline "HOOLIGANS" and then listed Englands games. They say nothing about the Germans etc. By announcing that 1000 people have been banned from attending the world cup, whilst obviously a huge step in the right direction, we alert the world to the fact that we have/had a problem.

I have friends asking me where there will be trouble and where should they go and see it. I was eating noodles a few weeks ago and some Japanese guy asked if I was English and asked if I liked football. When I said yes he said I must be a hooligan. I couldn't believe it and I hope the surgeons haven't been able to remove the chopsticks......

Anyway, it's still relatively cool at the moment, not humid at all and pretty good conditions for football. The temperature today is about 19 C and 60% humid. Sadly by the time we play Nigeria the temp will probably be about 25 degrees and 80% humidity. Also, it would appear that England are popular with the Japanese as I have seen a number of England shirts in the last few weeks.

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

This is what I mean

TOKYO — As Japan's law-enforcement authorities brace for an assault of soccer hooligans during the World Cup finals, Japanese bar associations too are gearing to help violent fans caught on the wrong side of the law.

In Hyogo Prefecture, where England are holding their training camp, the Hyogo bar association has already set up "hooligan teams" to handle any legal trouble that might arise among England fans, a major source of the most notorious hooligans.

Officials at the Hyogo bar association say they have organized 20 lawyers from its criminal defense center into four teams working in shifts beginning this Sunday, when England will play Cameroon in a pretournament friendly.

"It will be shame on Japan if we are caught unprepared when we are needed to defend hooligans," one lawyer involved in the hooligan defense project says.

Lawyers at the Hyogo criminal defense center say they do not expect to be involved with every single trouble-maker, figuring that most hooligans would be expelled from Japan instead of facing trial.

They say they will be ready, however, to defend those who would be charged with a criminal offense.

In Sapporo, where England will face Argentina on June 7 in a potentially explosive match, the Sapporo bar association says 28 lawyers would be on hand that day to cope with any violence.

In Tokyo, the three local bar associations too are making preparations to cope with trouble-making by hooligans, urging lawyers to register for emergency service.

Although Tokyo does not host any World Cup game, lawyers say soccer fans might run amok after a binge in Roppongi and other Tokyo night spots.

"To Japanese criminal lawyers, the World Cup may very well become a challenge of unprecedented scale," one Tokyo lawyer said. (Kyodo News)

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

Kegsy, I always thought that (no) haircut of yours and the "DBAB" tattoo on your forehead would be a dead giveaway - even in Japan!

Just 'cos Spice Boy can get away with wearing a kimono with his Mohican doesn't mean you can with your 'skin' and DMs ;-)

;7)

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002

Finally some none English hoologan news

HIRONO, Fukushima -- Fears of police overreaction have been raised again Tuesday after two Argentinean fans walking along a Hirono street were overwhelmed and grilled simply because locals thought they were hooligans.

Several Hirono residents telephoned the police emergency number to say their town was swamped by soccer hooligans after they saw the two men clad in Argentinean shirts walking along the street carrying sleeping bags.

A force of eight riot police and four police patrol cars was sent out to collar the two men, who turned out to be in Hirono only because the Argentinean team was practicing there.

Police released the men after checking their passports and confirming that they had hotel accommodation for the duration of the World Cup. (Mainichi Shimbun, May 21, 2002)

Not sure whether to laugh or cry myself.

Bud you cheeky bugger.....

-- Anonymous, May 20, 2002