Storming finish hits tv viewers

THE electrical finish to last night’s semi-final was signposted well in advance by a dramatic thunder storm in Basle, interrupting tv coverage all over Europe.

The interference meant that when broadcasters RTÉ and BBC finally managed to get pictures back up and running, Germany had taken the (temporary) lead through Miroslav Klose in the 79th minute.

While RTÉ had the questionable luxury of returning to Donnybrook where Bill O’Herlihy et al filled for the benefit of pubs and homes up and down the country, the whole BBC operation suffered for having based itself in the eye of the storm.