I like football. I like football very much - but football does not like me at all, it finds ways to disappoint me on a regular basis. I am an Arsenal fan, with enduring hope which carried me through the late-Graham, Houston and Rioch years into the Wenger-age.
I look forward to every game/collection of games, desperately hoping that the players, managers and fans don't let me down. I really want the World Cup to be the exhibition of positive, attacking football that it should be. But, having seen the selection of almost every major nation, I have a singular sense of disappointment - there has been an overspill of pragmatism flowing from the results of recent World Cups where mitigation of loss has prevailed over footballing idealism.
I have never attended a World Cup - I have however, been to the Euros, seeing a grown, tattooed, hulk of a man balling his eyes out after losing to Germany in '96 on penalties was a real eye-opener - the C18 tattoos did not look so hard when obscured by his mates soggy hanky.
Every Euro or WC I make a bet with a popular online bookmakers on an outright winner of the tournament, in exchange for a free Football shirt, something of a tradition. At this point it seems pertinent to say that no one who reads this should ever follow any gambling advice I give - in 2008 I avoided my traditional Spain bet on the grounds that they were 'bottlers' who had lost me too much money already, at 12-1! 12-1!
The best way to watch the WC is at someone's house, with beers, rubbish snack food and without any emotional investment in the game. If its England - shut your eyes, hope for the best, but expect the worst.
I have been somewhat oblivious to the sponsorship that surrounds the World Cup - I don't watch TV and ignore Internet adverts, so it all passes me by.
This is a better preview of a World Cup that I could ever do, probably should have just posted this and left it at that - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVxf0YjyjdI
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