World Cup 2010

It is the eve of the World Cup and I'm finally starting to get into the swing of things. The wallchart is up, the fridge is well stocked with German beer and the remote control for the TV is well and truly hidden. In fact, the last bit is actually an over-statement as my wife actually enjoys the big football tournaments. In part, this is because she is German and Germany gets to the final more often than not; but also she finds that there is more point to the big events. There is a beginning, a middle and an end; there are very few dead-rubber matches; and qualification for the team has nothing to do with the fattest chequebook and everything to do with being the best player in your own country.

However, Scotland haven't qualified - again. In the 70's and 80's, Scottish qualification was a formality but it is now 12 years since Scotland last played at a major finals. In fact, I had the afternoon off work to watch it. The opening game of France 1998 was Brazil vs. Scotland and, rather than have a somewhat drunken workforce crawling back to the office and causing mayhem, my employers sent us off early (I think the bosses wanted to watch in peace as well). The game I remember most fondly of that competition was Scotland vs. Norway. I had told my wife that I would watch the game with a few workmates. We all went down to a pub on Sauchiehall Street to watch it on a big screen. The game ended 1-1 but we had such a great time that we went on to a restaurant afterwards and, spirits being high, found our way into several bars on a slow trek back to Queen Street station. I arrived home just before midnight to find my wife waiting for me at the station. I thought this was rather nice of her but it turned out that she had locked herself out of the house. My God, she was livid!

But Scotland aren't there and it leaves the vexed question for many in Scotland as to who to support. Those with family connections find it easy enough to attach themselves to another team. Italian-Scots will happily follow the Azzurri and as I work for an international company there are plenty of French and Dutch fans around the office. As a family we have obvious links to Germany, England and the United States and, pushing a little further, France, New Zealand and Australia. Some of the other Scots around the office at least take comfort that they can just sit back and "enjoy the football".

However, it's nice to cheer on a particular side and many will go for one of the following:

a) The national side of your favourite club players.
b) The "diddies" - a small and unlikely nation who have qualified.
c) A country with an attractive style of football.
d) Whoever happens to be playing England.

In the last World Cup there was a runaway favourite for Scots: Trinidad and Tobago. They had many members of their squad based in Scotland - and not just at the big clubs but smaller outfits like Falkirk and St Johnstone who would rarely, if ever, have had a player at the World Cup finals. They even had a player called Jason Scotland - so we could say that Scotland was at the World Cup finals. Trinidad and Tobago were also the embodiment of diddiness when it came to World Football - short of the Faeroe Islands qualifying. The fact that they were drawn in England's group was neither here nor there - well, maybe to some.

This time, it's not so clear-cut. The obvious diddies are New Zealand but there are few qualifying internationals playing in Scotland to make a particular case for any one team, although, for the style of play, Portugal and The Netherlands seem popular with my workmates. Then there is whoever is playing England. Very few of my friends seem to have any time for this. It's old. It's boring. It's last year's catchphrase, done to death and stripped of any ironic value it had left. Moreover, there doesn't seem to be that much expectation of how well England will do in the papers. There is hope, certainly, but there isn't that sense of entitlement in the national media that really rubs up Scotland fans the wrong way. And as one of my friends said, why would he cheer on Wayne Rooney or Frank Lampard in EPL and Champions' League games and then wish them misfortune in the biggest games of their careers? For that matter, why would you not want good fortune for players as likeable as Peter Crouch or David James? Maybe this will change when the media goes into full-on jingoism mode?

Anyway, I've filled out the World Cup predictor competition at work and I was quite surprised at who I thought would do well. I have Spain beating Brazil in the final but the 3rd/4th play-off will have Germany beating England on penalties. I'm quite surprised at that as I don't regard either of these two as being particularly strong but, if teams go to form, England have a remarkably fortunate draw until they get to Brazil in the semis. Anyway, we'll be supporting Germany and England (which makes this weekend's evening entertainment a bonus) and I will be keeping an eye out for Spain and The Netherlands who I found hugely entertaining at Euro 2008. I'll just make sure that my wife remembers her keys.