Football: World Cup: Diary

WITH GERMANY nothing is left to chance. Meticulously organised as ever, the coach Berti Vogts hands every player a daily schedule detailing their every move. Asked on Saturday to outline the scheduling for a 24- hour period which saw his squad vacate their training camp in the south to fly to Paris for their opening game against the United States, Vogts began: "9.30 am: wake-up time - we've already done that. 10.15: leave for airport - don't forget brown shoes, light suit and flip-flops. 11.10: take-off. 12.30: arrival - God willing."etc etc. Asked if he had a copy of the schedule for the day of the final, Vogts joked: "For the 12th of July? That's in my other pocket."

A SUPERMARKET plan to lift World Cup misery for thousands of football widows has been scrapped because of a jealous wife. An ASDA store in Swansea had booked Steve James, a body-builder, to flex his muscles for women shoppers at the checkout every time England and Scotland were in action, only for him to cry off when his better half got to hear of it. Tony Williams, the store manager, said yesterday: "It seems he hadn't told his wife about the job and she was less than happy at the thought of him posing for thousands of other women."

IT SHOULD have surprised no one that the Netherlands v Belgium game ended goalless and with criticism of Belgium's negative tactics. After all, the Belgian mascot glories under the name of `Diabolix'.

A STREET called `Football' and situated in the Yorkshire village of West Yeadon lays claim to the game's most fervent supporters. There's a Moore at number 28, a Little at 5, an Allan at 18, Anderson lives at 36 and for Scottish interest there's Law at number 50. Recently transferred from the street to other locations have been a Robson (9), Lee (25) and Lawton at 27. Houses are called Offside, Left Back and Hat Trick and a 14-foot high black and white football is painted onto the end house wall. The street is so named because it is built on the site of an old pitch.

A pounds 2m bonus awaits Sol Campbell if he helps England win the World Cup - and it will come out of German pockets. The Tottenham defender signed a three-year deal worth pounds 1m with the German boot manufacturers Uhlsport, with a massive reward, trebling the initial payment, written in should England lift the game's biggest prize, his booty made up of royalties from an exclusive `Sol' line of clothing and football equipment. Uhlsport's managing director, David Spensley, said: "This is a colossal deal for a colossus of a player. It is probably the only occasion when the Germans want an Englishman to win the World Cup."

TREVOR HAYLETT