Paul the octopus was about the only part of the World Cup that cheered me up. And now he's dead. His keepers put out the following statement;

'Paul appears to have passed away peacefully during the night, of natural causes, and we are consoled by the knowledge that he enjoyed a good life here,' said Mr Porwoll.

'We may decide to give Paul his own small burial plot within our grounds and erect a modest permanent shrine.'

Paul will live on meanwhile in the form of a range of commercial enterprises ranging from special clothing lines to mobile phone applications.'

Of course, he could be like Michael Jackson or Jade and make a post-mortem fortune for whoever owns his rights.