Articles and Speeches

World Cup Fever
23-Jun-06, Windsor Express Article.

World Cup Fever has taken the country by storm as expected.

Everywhere I look there are banners, St Georges flags and assorted paraphernalia displayed to will our team to victory.

My delight is the small investment in my inflatable England chair to watch matches in the ultimate comfort – when I find the time to do so!

Not everyone enjoys the football. So it’s reassuring that whether watching tennis, rugby, cricket or our Olympic athletes, national sporting events always seem to lift our mood - especially when accompanied by good weather. And it’s reassuring to learn that the German authorities have declared England fans as some of the best behaved.

The World Cup may even be doing the economy some good. Retailers, who have gone through a lean patch of late, are reporting that sales of World Cup merchandise have pushed their sales figures to their highest level since early 2005.

At the time of writing, England have one group match left to play against Sweden. I certainly hope to continue to make good use of my inflatable chair for several more weeks yet – so come on England, don’t let me down!