England land the prize draw

THERE remain 182 days to the start of the 2006 World Cup finals and, following last night’s draw in Leipzig, the countdown has now begun in earnest.

In front of a cast of footballing thousands inside the Messe Convention Centre, and an estimated worldwide television audience of around 350 million, the final 32 countries now know what they have to do to make the last 16, and hopefully beyond, next summer in Germany.

Hosted by German supermodel Heidi Klum, there was at least a touch of glamour to proceedings which were handled with typical efficiency, but given its nature, there was also an underlying modicum of tedium.