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Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Football's coming home?

It’s probably not escaped your notice but the World Cup is upon us once again. That can mean only one thing. The office sweepstake. That time when you give someone a couple of quid, pick some no hoper like Angola and realise that the money would have been better spent down the bookies. Still, it’s all a bit of fun, isn’t it?

As ever I signed up, despite suspecting it was a futile exercise. As I went to pay my money, my name went on the list of participants. A list with 32 places, with my name added with those that had already paid, next to the number (can see where this is going?) 23. My heart jumped. That's got to be a good omen. This could be my year. Now to find out if my theory still holds and pick out a team.We gathered together to draw out the teams. Brazil went early, much to everyone’s annoyance but as I waited, a lot of the bad teams got picked out. Most of the big guns were still there and I nervously waited for my turn.

Tentatively, I dipped my hand into the bag. I pulled out my piece of paper and as I unfolded it I could see the word ‘land’.

‘Poland?’ I thought, ‘Hmm not that good after all.’

Then I realised.

I had the golden ticket.

England.

So now the hopes of the nation don’t just rely on Rooney’s metatarsals but also on me and my unfounded belief in the power of a prime number.

6 comments:

Jon, not Antifrog said...

Ha ha ha ha. After last night's conversation, too. Nice one!

MonkeyTypes said...

Well, I was going to back Argentina but now I've got £50 to gain from England winning, I might become a little more patriotic.

Jon, not Antifrog said...

I got Ivory Coast. Do I win?

Alex just drew out Argentina and said, 'Oh. Are they any good?'

MonkeyTypes said...

Ivory Coast could do well. One of the teams with an outside chance and being tipped by everyone as the surprise package (not much of a surprise if we're all predicting it).

Their biggest problem is that they are in the 'group of death' with Holland and Argentina, who would be favourites to advance.

Still Holland have a habit of self-destructing so Ivory Coast might go through.

Decided what to do for the England game? Ocean Rooms still sounds good to me ;)

MonkeyTypes said...

Oh dear.

"BBC expert pundit Mark Lawrenson has predicted that Argentina will win the World Cup, Holland will go further than expected and the Ivory Coast will be the surprise team to cause the upsets."

There's just one fatal flaw in that prediction. Can you spot it?

Jon, not Antifrog said...

Wassa matter, someone tip pebbles in your shoes or something?