Football and Cricket. This countries national sports, both basically invented by us. As my reader will know, I’m not a football fan, for all the usual reasons: overpaid, over here, cheating, pansy footballers, but cricket is definitely our national sport.

The way some parts of the media have portrayed our lack of success (especially footy) recently anyone would think it was akin to the decline of the western world. The world cup next year in Brazil is all but lost because of the other teams in the group, as if I care. We only won the ’66 world cup because England got a bye to the first round proper, and only got to the final because we avoided our Nemesis: Germany. So that’s a waste of time going there then. As for the cricket, even though England are 2-0 down, they have won the last 4 series in what is the unofficial world cup (in test terms) between Australia and England. So although it would hurt to lose this Ashes series (especially 5-0), the Aussies lost the last one 3-0, so its not so bad. I’ve a feeling that England will come back on this one though. But at least the cricketers have had some success (except in the short games), but what have the English football team won since 1966? Nada, zilch, nix, nowt, zero. At least we won the rugby union world cup in 2003 and were losing finalists in 2007; not a bad record. When I talk to a group of football fans and ask them when did we last win the world cup, and they say 1966, I disagree and say no, 2003, which confuses them somewhat, until I explain. I just wish the media and commentators would get our national sports in perspective: its not all about football. I expect the biased BBC sports personality of the year on Sunday will have a lot of football, but hopefully Andy Murray will win it.