Football craze reaches a high

Sandeep was a picture of dejection as ruthless Germans shot four goals into the English net in the pre-quarter encounter in the World Cup Football in South Africa.

If the defeat of his favourite English team was not enough, Sandeep, who works in Kuwait, had to deal with his roommates back in the Gulf, who are die-hard Argentinean fans and by effect anti-England. Signs of what he would have to cope with came soon after the final whistle was blown, sealing the fate of the English.

His cell phone started to get flooded with messages from the roommates taunting him on the ouster of his favourite team. �No support for England any more. From now onwards its only Manchester United, Mr. Sandeep said burying his head in his hands, ruing the decision to wear his allegiance on his sleeve. Having come down from Kuwait at his own expense to celebrate the World Cup, he had chosen an expensive sports bar in a city hotel to cheer his team on Sunday.

With the World Cup reaching the knockout stage, emotions are running high among fans in the city. E.M. Mujeeb, an official with the irrigation department at the district collectorate, is still seething over the perceived injustice meted out to England by the referee in denying the goal by English midfielder Frank Lampard. �England was making a magnificent comeback at that time. Had that goal been allowed it would have changed the entire complexion of the game,� he says.