2010 World Cup

This is not a football blog and as I have said before, I am not a football fan but I think I will watch tonight's game, one of the semi-finals between Holland and Uruguay. The World Cup is such an enormous part of South African life at the moment and it has had a huge effect, a very positive effect on everyday South Africans which we sincerely hope will continue after everything is over and all of the visitors have gone home.

The event has gone down so well, it has been so well organised that even those who doubted our ability to handle it have been forced to admit that it has been an absolute success and a wonderful marketing opportunity for South Africa.

I have to admit that I was one who said that I was not going anywhere near Capetown during the World Cup but now I regret not being able to because the "Fan Walk" from the Grand Parade, through town to the stadium is apparently one amazing "Jol"* which we won't get to experience again, at least not with more than 100,000 people all joling* together.

Here you see part of the crowd at a recent game moving through the Fan Walk, it is a sea of happy people waving their country's flags and blowing the infamous vuvuzela and just generally having a great time. According to fans interviewed it has been one of the best parties ever and people who arrived here with some trepidation have now only good things to say about the country and it's people.

This character on the Fan Walk was listed as "A Dutch Supporter", you may recognise him as my biker-scum buddy Dick! Actually he is a Dutch supporter being of Dutch descent - "Hup Holland, Hup!"
They were all on their way to the brand new, very expensive stadium in Green Point which can seat 68,000 people, let's just hope that it gets used afterwards!

As to tonight's game, we are supporting Holland to win as, I am sure is pretty much the whole of South Africa after Uruguay knocked us out of the competiton. They have such an actor in the side, what's his name? Luis something or other who took three dives in that game, the last of which caused our goal keeper to be sent off! What an idiot, Holland will have to watch out for his antics tonight.

If there were to be a trophy for the best supporters it would have to be awarded to the Dutch, they have shown amazing spirit; firstly because many of them used the opportunity to take a holiday and drove down from Europe, though Africa! They have been driving around the country in a huge bus followed by all sorts of vehicles, all painted Orange, camping in the various towns following their team to every venue! Apparently their vehicle convoy was at times up to 6kms long! With such support the Dutch team deserves to win the World Cup.

Let's see what happens tonight, good luck Dick and Holland!

* "Jol" - pronounced "Jawl", a South African/Afrikaans word meaning a party or an extremely good time, "Joling" is what everyone does at a Jol.