We all, of course, remember the Dads Army tone of Euro 96 with the Spanish and the Germans particularly coming in for stick. Anything to keep the masses occupied and the cash flowing in. When companies refer to football as the modern equivalent of religion they might care to remember what Marx had to say about that subject. This year's World Cup will once again concentrate on the tried and trusted methods of raising cash. Everywhere you turn there are advertisements and TV commercials carrying the officially authorised symbols of the competition.
Shops are full of appropriately logoed merchandise.
To this can be added the official souvenir goodies of the various national associations. Players are popping up all over the place advertising all manner of rubbish. Not surprisingly the powers to be were so concerned about sorting out the commercial arrangements that they quite forgot to notice that there might be a problem about ticket arrangements. The French authorities had decided to severely limit the number of tickets for the event which would go abroad. After all they would have their own tickets already sorted.