I’ve just finished uploading my photos from my trip to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That was my third major sporting tournament I’ve attended and will probably be the last I travel abroad to.

London has the Olympic Games in 2012, maybe England will get the World Cup in 2018. Apart from that, I’m done. It’s not that I am no longer enjoying myself, it’s there are lots of other things I want to do.

There major football tournaments on three different continents in eight years is enough for me.

new friend

So what next? I can’t afford to be a space tourist. So maybe a couple of months in China or India, perhaps a cruise around the Adriatic or Caribbean. There are lots of places I have yet to visit in Europe. I have never visited Paris, Berlin or any other major capital city. I tend to stay off the beaten track.

A couple of years to think about it yet, and I need to get off my ass and find some more work to pay for it all.

Once I have a new plan I have incentive.

I was in South Africa as long as the English team was. South Africa is a country of great contrasts. Each day was like a different holiday.

As well as the football, I went by cable car to the top of Table Mountain, played football in a township, night clubbed in Cape Town, wine tasted in the Cape Winelands, I went on safari, visited Robben Island and generally played the tourist.

I met lots of great people and made loads of new friends.

bafana bafana

I’ve uploaded some of my photos from South Africa. They capture the many different aspects of this trip.

The most moving day (apart from watching England get stuffed by Germany) was the trip to Robben Island. Here Nelson Mandela spent a good part of his life as a prisoner for resistance to apartheid. Now it is a museum.

We were taken a tour of the prison by en ex-political prisoner. This man was only a couple of years older than me. We would have been at University at the same time. Whilst he was organizing against apartheid on his campus, we were doing similar things in London.

great view

He spent three years in Robben Island for his ‘crimes’, I went down the pub afterwards. How different our lives have been. It makes me realise just how easy things have been for me.

South Africa has come a long way since the end of apartheid. But it still has many problems to face. The FIFA World Cup 2010 has changed the image of South Africa for me. I expect it is similar for the many that ignored the scare mongering and followed their teams.

I suspect it will have changed South Africa as well.

thank you south africa

England won 3-1. A good result, but they missed the Chelsea players who were being rested. This made it difficult to see how the team is progressing. The World cup is only two weeks away now.

During the match, I took part in a record making event. With the exception of the Mexican part of the stadium, every seat in Wembley had a free t-shirt draped on it before the game. These were either red or white.

When everyone put them on, it made two huge England flags. With 80,000 people taking part this was a record. It must have cost at least £100,000.

the record

Almost Ready to Go

I’m getting ready to go to South Africa. Every day I do another job that brings the tournament that much closer. This week I have:

• Bought travel insurance
• Ordered travel money
• Bought an adaptor to fit South African power outlets
• Bored everyone I know with how soon I will be going away

We have been planning this since England qualified last October. This time in two weeks I will be in Cape Town watching the opening game. I am finding it hard to concentrate on anything.

I went to The Offside Bar in Islington with Garry last night. Another London England Fan meet.

It was great to mix with other people who are going to South Africa this summer. I know no one locally who is. Comparing itineraries is fun.

We were talking to someone who knows Cape Town well. He told us there is a great night club near to our hotel by the beach. It looks like we have found our temporary home for the trip.

Each meeting has a theme. This one focused on personal security in South Africa. There was a panel comprising of the FA, the police, the Foreign Office and some others. It was interesting.

All the speakers had the same message:

Yes, crime is a problem in South Africa, but there will be lots of extra police on duty for the World Cup. Be sensible, as you would in any city such as London, and you should be OK.

There was a consensus that possible problems had been exaggerated by the British press.

Normally before the World Cup the British press are busy exaggerating the possibility of trouble from England fans. This time they print scare stories about trouble FOR England fans.

That’s progress of sorts. But they have to peddle fear and loathing of someone, it sells newspapers.

As for some of the comments about SA President Jacob Zuma on his recent visited to the UK. What was the point?

You have to wonder if there is an agenda.

I bought the new home and away tops. More accurately, my parents bought them for me. I refuse to buy the latest team kit, as I think the whole thing is a complete rip off.

But my mother said, “You can’t go all the way to South Africa and not have the latest shirts.” I sure can, but she insisted, so I bought them.

I like this latest strip. I think the retro look is smart.

home and away england shirts

I wore the home shirt to see England v Egypt on Wednesday. It was a good match. England played well, against some good opposition. They won 3-1, after going behind 0-1 in the first half. They showed character, missing before.

Are the good enough to go all the way in South Africa?

If they do, I’ll not be there. My money runs out after the last 16 game. I’ll be watching the later stages back home in England. Which is not such a bad thing, there whole country parties when England gets a good run in the world cup.

Less than 100 days until the tournament starts. More importantly, 15 days until I have to pay the balance for my flight and hotel in Cape Town.

I am trying not to wish my life away at the moment.

I went to watch the draw for the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa. It was a great evening organised by London England Fans. They normally have a Christmas party in the Offside Bar.

Garry Napper was there. He’d come up from the south coast for the day. I met Gary in Japan in 2002 and have been going to England games with him since. We have an apartment booked in Cape Town for the 2010 tournament.

Springbok

There was South African Gum-boot dancing and South African Food. I had to try the Springbok. It was different and tasty.

The event featured on Sky Sports News and the national press.

The draw looks good for England. We kick off on June 12 against the USA. Then on June the 18th England face Algeria. The final game of the group will be England v Slovenia on Wednesday 23 June.

I am happy with the draw. The match against Algeria is in Cape Town near where where I’m staying. England face Slovenia in Port Elizabeth. Which I’m told is an hour’s drive from Cape Town.

Only the game against the USA will be difficult to get to. It’ll be in Rustenburg on the second day of the tournament.

There’s still lots to sort out.

I am a big England fan. So far, I have seen all England’s matches at the New Wembley.

pre-match

This was England’s last qualifying game for next year’s World Cup in South Africa. England had already qualified and Belarus could not qualify so the atmosphere was a little flat.

But with England winning 3-0, there are no complaints here.

England kept a clean sheet which I was pleased about. They have one of the worse defensive records of the teams that have qualified. Keeping a clean sheet was an important thing.

Belarus played well. They played a fast, short passing game on attack and broke through the England mid-field on several occasions. But they rarely looked like scoring. England deserved to win, although 3-0 result was a flattering result.

David Beckham was awarded man of the match, even though he only played for 32 minutes. Beckham is a favourite with the crowd, but I don’t think he deserved to be MOM. I would have given it to Shaun Wright-Phillips, who had an excellent game. Fabio Capello, the England coach, likened award to Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

I bumped into Sandra, David Beckham’s mother, on the way into stadium.  I met Sandra in Japan at the 2002 World cup when she nearly got me a ticket for the Argentina game.

But that’s a story for another day.