World Cup 2002 Competition
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This little page was reserved for Breaking News and Comment on the competition as and when my enthusiasm came:

2nd April: Web Site opened for Beta Testing.

4th April: First Celebrity Feedback received, some posted up.

8th April: First Writ received.

8th April & 2 seconds: Celebrity Comment from Richard Branson removed.

9th April: Further Celebrity Feedback received and posted up.

17th April: Yet more Celebrity Feedback received and posted up.

21st April: Cock-ups corrected, Fixture Lists added.

23rd April: Formal Competition Launch.

25th April: Deluge of interest (ie 1 entry received).

9th May: Sven announces his squad. Tony Adams cancels his holiday in case of late injury to Michael Owen.

10th May: Even more Celebrity feedback received.

16th May: On the spot reporter manages to get in on the England squad bar-bill in Dubai.

21st May: Dodgy draw gained against South Korean heavyweights in the phoney war. 14 competition entries received to date, er, obviously a late deluge is coming.

26th May: Dodgy draw against Cameroonian heavyweights. Oh dear, the writing's on the wall.

30th May: Competition Entries posted up!

31st May: We're off! Senegal's humbling of France places the Worldcup Cat firmly amongst the Worldcup Pigeons. Terry Bennett's inspired break from the herd was justly rewarded - with 2 points. If only he'd had the courage of his convictions. My link with the footballing action was solely via my PC's "Mini Motty". Clacking away like a grasshopper on heat he was (the un-initiated on this should refer to the BBC sport (or nature) web site).

1st June: Early dominance from Euro 2000 cash winner Mike Walshe; seismic activity detected in the vicinity of the Woodland household.

2nd June: What briefly threatened to be an appalling start to their World Cup campaign finally came good for Sven-Goran Taylor's men who professionally achieved the objective of not peaking too soon in the competition. Contrast this with the tactically naive display yesterday by the Germans, who've clearly blown any chance. Our sole Southern Hemisphere competition entrant Matt Micale takes the competition lead.

3rd June: Competition newcomer (has he no tact?) Colin Burlinson makes a break for it at the top of the table to defend the honour of the entire Northern Hemisphere. Tectonic plate movement clearly felt in Woking.

4th June: Colin Burlinson takes the hint and catches a crab, enabling Chris Staples, a competition thoroughbred of proven pedigree to take the lead, courtesy of another jammy flyer, this time on Japan-Belgium. Also note an impressive run from the hitherto perennial competition make-weight Dominic Shepherd, and the opening up of clear blue water in the Battle of the Sleaths by Tom. In a world of change it's good to see that Mr Spock "everybody's second score to check" Sargent seems to be well and truly over his early nose bleed and back to form, although it has to be said there are still many worried brows in the Leatherhead area.

5th June: Robbie Keane's last minute slam-dunk produces a high scoring day with many 10 pointers put in from all over the table. So many in fact that there's now only one person left who hasn't scored a 10 yet, funny that. Mr Shepherd takes no doubt temporary custodianship of the top spot while Wally West's 20 points enable her to rise from the wooden spoon spot she appeared to have made home.

6th June: France continue to defy the form books enabling Gary Oswald to steal a march, now in a Sleath-sandwich just off the pace. Good work over the last three days has enabled Terry Bennett to rise from 36th to 18th place; the statutory urine sample has been requested. Matt Thacker enters the fray late following the organiser's recovery from IMS (Inbox Myopia Syndrome). Unless you covet 30th position don't be unduly concerned at the moment.

7th June: We're at the half-way stage now and a tremendous 26 points out of 30 on the day enables Ian Maylin to close on the big boys at the top, where the spinning bottle stops on Mike Walshe. The steady progress of Julie Perkins over recent days continues, there'll be tears at bedtime in Wilmslow if this goes on much longer, and the children won't be happy either. At the serious end of the table Mr Spock finally breaks his 10 point duck courtesy of Sweden-Nigeria (celebrating his success with five back flips and a double somersault), and in fact rises to that coveted 30th position, together with Harvey-Boy West. Amateur enthusiast Mark Burgess is added to the fray, completely failing to take the opportunity to cheat prior to faxing in his "lost" entry form - or did he?

18th June: The competition is over! Victory goes to Mike Walshe (again), second is Chris Staples (another man with previous form) and in third is newcomer Colin Burlinson. But the real turn up was the performance of Spocky who almost made the top half this year.

“Tell you what Clive, the Dutch are going to be a real force to be reckoned with in this World Cup”
Rong Atkinson, Coventry