20 Days to Departure......

As previously suspected, time now seems to be gathering moss! With 5 weeks to go I couldn't believe how seamless the wait was for the World Cup... oh how that has changed. Excitement now reigns supreme, as even the office staff (some of which are sadly Man Utd fans) begin the murmurings of "how hot is Harry" and "how long until you go?". It appears World Cup fever is emerging all around me, and I simply can't do enough to make the time pass more quickly!

On the weekend past, the Travelling Committee gathered on the Gold Coast to discuss the finite details and logistics for our upcoming departure. "Have you bought your new jersey?"..."Have you got spare batteries for the electronics?..."What time does the HQ Durban bar open?"...The topic that I found the most amusing was the girls advising that they would keep their luggage to an absolute minimum. Immediately my mind wondered to a picture of the mandatory wardrobe in the suitcase routine and the two of us guys standing on the lid of the case to make sure it will close..."Excess baggage? Who me? No Way?!"

I must admit that the luggage issue may not quite be isolated to the female travelling partners. Along with the release of all the merchandise you can think of by retail outlets in Green and Gold colours, comes the obligatory spend to ensure that you have at least one of each of those items....regardless of whether it will ever get worn! My mate it seems has bought himself so many items in green and gold, that I am seriously starting to think that full body painting might have been a much cheaper option to provide our support to the Socceroos.

Speaking of which, tomorrow morning announces the beginning of the official training camp for our beloved elite. I have read through the week how impressed Pim has been with his squad and how he sees this group as the most professional group of players he has worked with. Ok, so Pim hasn't reached the great heights of others such as "Aussie Guus", but it certainly is a great compliment to the players and also our nation as a whole...we all well know that if sport was the solution for world hunger we would be the Global Leader! If anyone doubts the hunger of this player group to succeed, then you must be living in Mordor. (Harry Kewell was so excited he injured his groin in the rush to try and get here.) Several players arrived in over the weekend to commence training, and it appears that almost the whole of the 31 players are now on deck and working, even though the official date for commencement is tomorrow. I personally get sick of the ney sayers...they are not as good as the 2006 squad...blah blah blah. Being honest, in all the excitement I personally wouldn't care if the Wiggles took the park, as long as Geoff stays awake!

At Least the Wiggles have remained fit at most...poor old Germany have awoken to the news that their captain and midfielder Michael Ballack has torn ligaments in his ankle and will be unable to take his place in the German squad. I feel sorry for anyone that is forced out of the greatest show on earth by injury...except Michael Ballack! Sorry Michael, but lets face it, anything that may assist us in reaching the final rounds is a bonus in my eyes. Maybe you can join us at HQ Durban to provide your outlook on the first game?

For those of you who thought they would like to have gone to South Africa to support the Roos, you may well still have a chance? I notice that Nova is holding a competition for one lucky winner and his mate to "Pitch a Tent" in South Africa with the Fanatics. I can assure you it is worth a look if you are keen to make the final effort to obtain a free trip to the greatest spectacle on earth with your fellow aussie supporters.

20 days, 1 hour, 10 minutes and 59 secs....20 days, 1 hour, 10 minutes and 58 secs....