Jumpers for goalposts

In years gone by the opening of a major football tournament like the World Cup has seen us issue a (laughably inaccurate) prediction of the eventual winners, but this time round I’m boycotting the whole thing, in solidarity with the many, many citizens of Brazil who are deeply unhappy with the event.

It’s not that I believe in some sepia-toned past when the beautiful game was free of sordid commercial pressures, but the yawning gap between the vision of a universal celebration of sport and the reality of the poor being dispossessed so the rich can better enjoy the spectacle is just too much to ignore.

So no drinking beer in front of the TV for me this summer. I’ll see if anyone wants to have a kick-about in the park…