Matt's World Cup Diary


Day 4 – England v Sweden - Cologne

An hours trip down to Cologne to watch the England game. We only have 4 tickets but a couple of others make the journey down with us and we are joined by our German friends Danny and Anja. Danny is wearing an England top with a Germany flag and is far from the only one. Strangely there are a huge amount of Germans supporting England, and not just offering vocal encouragement but with shirts on and everything.

We arrive in the Cathedral Square outside the station to find it mobbed with English fans, with various groups singing, the media of course choose to focus on the muppets singing ‘10 German bombers’. With the City full of German fans ready to watch their game with Ecuador, we don’t even try to watch it on the screen but head for a bar with a big tele (which every bar in Germany now has). The atmosphere is boisterous and everyone German and English is agreed we don’t want to play each other in the next round. Germans do their bit and win easily – so now it’s just down to England.

On leaving the bar, the atmosphere is a bit more aggressive than usual around town, so we decide to head upto the ground early, which proves to be a good move as this time the tram in front crashes into a car – forcing us to get off and walk again. Aside from the odd muppet trying to start ‘No Surrender’ on the tram (and being largely ignored) the atmosphere at the ground is much better than in the City, with fans actually trying to support the team rather than provoke a fight.

The first half is pretty good from an England point of view with Cole’s goal being a highpoint (and in hindsight the moment of the entire tournament from England’s point of view). We’re in the weird situation that we find out about Owen’s injury from Wiggy sitting in a pub in Newbury, as it didn’t look that serious from where we are. The second half is peering through your fingers stuff, and a Swedish equaliser appears inevitable before duly arriving. We’re getting the same feeling of dread you get watching Gregan and Butler at the back together when Gerrard puts us back ahead, but we blow it at the end. Still mission accomplished – we’re not playing Germany next.

England fans – noisiest and most fun to be surrounded by in the ground, but equally most obnoxious and least fun to be surrounded by when not in the ground.

Rooney looking for someone to tread on