This will be the 11th World Cup I have actively followed. By far the most painful for me were those in which England were non-combatants. I like the look of this 2006 team, although I acknowledge the injury to Rooney will be a problem. Still, the withdrawal of Jimmy Greaves in 1966 caused many a head to drop, and that turned out OK ...

I like the fact that it's in Germany, a sensible nation that doesn't go in for feigned injury. I hope it's a good tournament, a grand spectacle, an unmitigated success as a beacon of good international relations and that England wins it. The odds are against the latter, but so long as it doesn't come down to penalty kicks, you never know ... ;o)