10 things to do during Euro 2008

Watching Euro 2008 unfold in Austria and Switzerland has suddenly lost its appeal to fans of the home nations. So what else will there be to do next June?

At 9.31pm on Wednesday, June 2008 looked pretty sorted for England football fans.

Barbecues, pub time, nights in front of the telly watching the Three Lions lose on penalties. Maybe a trip to Austria and catch a couple of games before the miserable, dispiriting exit.

But then Mladen Petric fired in Croatia’s winner from 25 yards and those three summer weeks suddenly screamed “VACANT”.

It’s the same for the rest of the British Isles, which is providing no team at a major football tournament for the first time since 1984.

As this sad news sinks in, many fans will think the summer is cancelled, but don’t lose heart.

1. See England players perform with passion, skill and tactical nous by watching their clubs’ 2007-8 videos, while Scottish and Northern Irish fans reflect on spirited campaigns.

2. Salute Steve McClaren – the Daily Mail-christened “Wally with the Brolly” – by showing off your umbrella at a rain-soaked, Murray-laden Wimbledon.

3. Join the former England boss on a summer tour promoting his autobiography, Mac the Life. The final chapter details his astonishing transformation from FA reject to the saviour of Derby County, taking them from the bottom at Christmas to their first Premiership title as champions.

4. Go to Austria and Switzerland anyway on an alpine yodelling trip or Sound of Music tour. The home of Maria and the Von Trapps will surely be a better place without England fans playing Dam Busters in the street. And if the football happens to be on telly in a bar, cheer a Premiership club. They’re well represented, except for Spurs, which has practised the misguided policy of buying English.

5. Bask in the glow of Eurovision Song Contest glory. With no football to distract the nation, it’s the chance to unite behind the British entry in Belgrade at the end of May. Terry Venables has got nothing on and he owes England fans, so maybe he could reprise his famous England Crazy, that reached number 46 in 2002. Or I Did It His Way?

6. Witness the great migration of the Wildebeest across the Serengeti. England fans will be well used to seeing hairy lumps lumbering across bumpy terrain after Wednesday’s static display on an uneven Wembley pitch.

7. Watch other sports. Who needs Euro 2008 when there’s Lewis Hamilton storming through his second Formula One season, a Rugby League World Cup and an England Test series against New Zealand? The Olympics in Beijing will be just round the corner, starting with football on 6 August, and the squash world championships in Manchester in October will showcase top British talent such as Nick Matthew and Tania Bailey. (And 2009 is the big year for sport anyway, with the Ashes series at home, the Twenty20 World Cup and a Lions tour to South Africa.)

8. Get in touch with your inner self in the Lost Vagueness field at Glastonbury. It has a reputation as the most anarchic and warped place at the festival, so any references to the Euro 2008 final happening the same weekend will be few and far between. Stay there long enough and one could be convinced that Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland/England (delete as applicable) has won the thing.

9. Follow the selection process for the new England manager. It will still be unfolding eight months from now and remains a fine spectator sport. One by one the best candidates will drop out as their involvement in FA talks is leaked while they’re trying to win 2008.

10. See a European tournament that matters. There’s the European Brass Band Championships in Norway, the Euro 2008 handball champs, also in Norway, the European figure skating championships in Croatia and the European Kendo Championships in Finland.

Story from BBC NEWS

Published: 2007/11/23 10:11:35 GMT

© BBC MMVII

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