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  Queenstown, New Zealand
Sunday, June 11, 2006

The atmosphere around here has been anything but what I've been used to during a World Cup. There's no chaos, no abuse, no broken glass. There's no blood or vomit. Considering there are a good few Europeans and South Americans dotted around Queenstown, the general footy atmosphere is not at all like how it is in England during a World Cup. It's all very 'diet coke' here. Put a game of rugby on however and it's a very different story!

So to continue with the hooligan theme of late, and as there are still a few of us pommies kicking about, tonight was spent in with the boys and the beers, plus - a 'big screening' of the first England match of the World Cup. It was also my first night off work, so the happy days were merely beginning.

To top it all off well in advance, Jez was thoughtful enough to ensure that we all got to experience another Harris Classic. By 4pm I'd slept off my final shift and had got comfortable at the kitchen table with a mound of scrambled and a cuppa. It was then that I got the phone call off the little skinhead. He was sitting in the Pig with Mase, supping. In an animated tone he explained how he'd just sorted a telly for the World Cup and asked if I could bring the van down. Half an hour later saw the three of us panting and grunting up three twisting flights of stairs and into our living room with a monstrous 52 inch cinema painfully etched into our shoulders. It was ridiculous. We were only halfway up when young Jon innocently stepped out of his room to see what the hell all the fuss was about. I can only imagine what he fears he's let himself in for. He's only been here five minutes and already there's been two Harris classics and a world of pandemonium.



It took a good hour of tuning and tweaking before the night finally got started. But it was a good one, and when some genius got the clippers out and suggested a group haircut just for the hell of it, we dutifully stepped up to the chair. Even spiky Jon gave the nod and willingly lost his mane.

England 1 Paraguay 0