And so it ends...

Yep, England's World Cup dream is over in typical fashion. An average start, Wayne Rooney skillfully running past three defenders in a moment of brilliance, shortly before being sent off. Half of the second half and extra time spent defiantly holding on while a man down, and then losing on penalties. England through and through, eh? No-one ever said that watching England play was easy... Still, Doctor Who was on aferwards and we had cybermen and daleks in the same episode. :-)

Let's put things in perspective though. It's only a game, however much we were all swept up in it. July 1st was also the anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme (1916). The blooidest day in the history of the British Army. 20,000 men killed in a single morning as they went "over the top". My grandfather was almost one of them, as he was shot as well. In fact, when he staggered back to the starting trenches, he had to hold his bloodied hands high above his head so that the Military Police would see he actually *was* wounded, and not shoot him out of hand for cowardice. (He went on to be shot twice more in the war, but survived into a grand old age, passing away in the mid/late seventies, a few years after I was born). Getting knocked out of the World Cup or fighting in the Battle of the Somme? I know which I'd pick.