The start of the football season. World version. July 28, 2006

Following on the World Cup, I will not only be looking out for how all manner of teams are doing in England, plus Gretna in Scotland, I will be interested in the Italian league given the relegation and ‘promotion’ again of several top teams. COME ON JUVE, avoid the drop a further time!! In France I will be looking to see if Metz can bounce back – and what about Clermont in the lower divisions?!

Following a great time in Kaiserslautern I will be seeing if they can remain ‘great’ in the German second division and not shrivel up inside their cauldron of a stadium. And I will be supporting neighbours Pirmasens too since they were so nice to me.

In Spain I will be rooting for Basque teams Real Sociedad of San Sebastian who hung on to the top League (just) and Alaves who did not. In Mexico I will be rooting for UAG of Gudalajara and, something of a desert team Monacas of Morelia. No one team catches my fancy in Portugal.

Then there is Trinidad & Tobago. And the womens League of nearby Dominica. The list is endless. What a world of football !!