This month's sports news.

Premier League January Fixtures

Monday, 02 January 2006 West Brom v Aston Villa, 19:00 STAR West Ham v Chelsea, 19:45 ESPN Birmingham v Wigan, 22:00 Bolton v Liverpool, 22:00 ESPN Everton v Charlton, 22:00 Fulham v Sunderland, 22:00 Newcastle v Middlesbrough, 22:00 STAR Tuesday, 03 January 2006 Blackburn v Portsmouth, 02:35

Wednesday, 04 January 2006 Arsenal v Man Utd, 03:00 ESPN

Thursday, 05 January 2006 Man City v Tottenham, 03:00 ESPN

Saturday, 14 January 2006 Man City v Man Utd, 19:45 ESPN Arsenal v Middlesbrough, 22:00 ESPN Aston Villa v West Ham, 22:00 Charlton v Birmingham, 22:00 Fulham v Newcastle, 22:00 Liverpool v Tottenham, 22:00 STAR Portsmouth v Everton, 22:00

Sunday, 15 January 2006 Blackburn v Bolton, 00:15 ESPN Wigan v West Brom, 20:30 ESPN Sunderland v Chelsea, 23:00 ESPN

Saturday, 21 January 2006 Everton v Arsenal, 19:45 ESPN Birmingham v Portsmouth, 22:00 Bolton v Man City, 22:00 STAR Middlesbrough v Wigan, 22:00 Newcastle v Blackburn, 22:00 Tottenham v Aston Villa, 22:00 ESPN

Sunday, 22 January 2006 West Brom v Sunderland, 00:15 ESPN Chelsea v Charlton, 20:30 ESPN Man Utd v Liverpool, 23:00 ESPN

Tuesday, 24 January 2006 West Ham v Fulham, 03:00 ESPN

Wednesday, 1 February 2006 Charlton v West Brom, 02:45 Liverpool v Birmingham, 02:45 Portsmouth v Bolton, 02:45 Sunderland v Middlesbrough, 02:45 Wigan v Everton, 02:45 Fulham v Tottenham, 03:00

FA Cup 3 rd Round

Saturday, 07 January 2006

Hull v Aston Villa, 19:30

Arsenal v Cardiff, 20:00

Wigan v Leeds, 20:00

Barnsley v Walsall, 22:00

Blackburn v QPR, 22:00

Brighton v Coventry, 22:00

Chelsea v Huddersfield, 22:00

Cheltenham v Chester, 22:00

Crystal Palace v Northampton, 22:00

Derby v Burnley, 22:00

Ipswich v Portsmouth, 22:00

Man City v Scunthorpe, 22:00

Millwall v Everton, 22:00

Newcastle v Mansfield, 22:00

Norwich v West Ham, 22:00

Nuneaton Borough v Middlesbrough, 22:00

Port Vale v Doncaster, 22:00

Preston v Crewe, 22:00

Sheff Utd v Colchester, 22:00

Sheff Wed v Charlton, 22:00

Southampton v Milton Keynes Dons, 22:00

Stockport v Brentford, 22:00

Stoke v Tamworth, 22:00

Torquay v Birmingham, 22:00

Watford v Bolton, 22:00

West Brom v Reading, 22:00

Wolverhampton v Plymouth, 22:00

Sunday, 08 January 2006

Luton v Liverpool, 00:30 STAR

Burton Albion v Man Utd, 23:00

Fulham v Leyton Orient

Sunderland v Northwich Victoria

Monday, 09 January 2006

Leicester v Tottenham, 01:30

Matches marked ‘ESPN' or ‘STAR' are being shown live on those channels in Thailand, and are correct at time of going to press. FA Cup and the last round of Premier League matches will be shown live but had not all been announced at time of going to press.

Hua Hin Pool League

The regular season finished with a flourish just before going to press with a dramatic finish in League B. Octopus's overtook Sugar Cane with their win over Billy's, while Sugar Cane suffered an untimely loss at the hands of last season's champions Nid's Place. In League A there was an equally dramatic race for the runners up spot, with Rose Bar just pipping Lips Bar with a win over the already crowned U-Turn. By the time this issue of the Observer is available the only matches remaining will be the Overall Winner Final and the Third place playoff – to get to this point the winners of League A will play the runners up of League B and vice versa. The wooden spoons go to Banana and Lazy Daze respectively, but a big well done to them and all the other new teams for contributing to a great season, as well as the established teams for welcoming them aboard. Special mention must go to Billy's Babes who stepped in to take the place of Valhalla and played all their matches in a much shorter space of time, finishing in a creditable 6 th place.

The individuals playoffs also take place just after press time and the results will be included in the season summary next month. The new season is scheduled to start on Wednesday 18 th January 2006, so a fixture list and a guide to any changes will be published in the February issue. Any changes that are made will be discussed and decided at a Captain's meeting on 3 rd January 2006 at Sugar Cane. One (and only one!) representative, preferably the captain or bar owner, is invited; any teams that are not represented will have to accept whatever is agreed on.

In the Toby Charnaud Memorial Cup the final between Octopus's and Lips, and the Shield final between Sugar Cane and Nid's Place will have taken place – the results of these and all the end of season information will be published in the February issue, plus (hopefully) some pictures and a report on the trophy presentations, being held upstairs in Crawfords on Wednesday 11 th January 2006.

Here is a list of the remaining key dates and venues:

Tue 3-Jan-06 Captain's meeting at Sugar Cane    

Wed 4-Jan-06 Overall winner final at Johnnie Walker's; Third Place final at Sugar Cane

Wed 11-Jan-06 Presentation Upstairs at Crawford's  

Wed18-Jan-06 Start of new season. First round of the Toby Charnaud Cup

Hua Hin Darts

Week 6 Cup Results

Johnny Walker beat Jungle Juice

Road Hole beat Dicks Office

Jaew Bar beat Thai Life Insurance

Billy's at home V Bamboo Grove – game still to be played

Congratulations to Johnny Walker, Road Hole & Jaew who will play in the semi finals on 24th January.

League Table – Week 6

Team P W D L PF-PA Points

Road Hole 5 4 0 1 32-18 8

Bamboo Grove 5 3 1 1 29-21 7

Thai Life Insurance 5 3 0 2 27-23 6

Jaew Bar 5 2 1 2 24-26 5

Johnnie Walkers 5 1 2 2 21-29 4

Billy's Bar 4 2 0 2 21-19 4

Dick's Office 4 1 1 2 17-24 3

Jungle Juice 5 0 1 4 19-31 1

The match between Billy's Bar and Dick's Office needs to be re-scheduled.

The updated individuals table will be published in the February issue.

January fixtures

Week 9 – 10th January 2006

Dick's Office v Road Hole

Bamboo Grove v Johnnie Walker

Billy's v Thai Life Insurance

Jaew v Jungle Juice

Week 10 – 17th January 2006

Johnnie Walker v Dick's Office

Thai Life Insurance v Bamboo Grove

Jungle Juice v Billy's

Road Hole v Jaew

Week 11 – 24th January 2006

Cup Semi-Finals

Week 12 – 31st January 2006

Billy's v Johnnie Walker

Jaew v Thai Life Insurance

Dick's Office v Jungle Juice

Bamboo Grove v Road Hole

Hua Hin Hash House Harriers

This was a hard mountain Hash, steep climbs with beautiful scenery. Normally we see monkeys (long tailed mackeques) but we suspect that Ballbanger, who was Hare, probably scared them all away - not an easy thing to do but Ballbanger scares the hell out of me (69 forever) so I'm sure it's the same for the monkeys.

There were 3 Hash virgins, two young ladies who were far too pretty to be virgins, and a large Belgium gentleman who worked hard but didn't quite make it to the highest point of the run - I hope we didn't scare him away for good. There were others who didn't make it to the finish - Ice Pussy (my wife and don't I know it) and daughter Never Run - who should have done better - but the majority finished in fine style and the Down Down was very well attended and enjoyed. There were about 30 of us in all and I received a well-deserved and abusive Down Down for failing to share Hare duties with Ballbanger who has a nasty habit of starting the trail at about 5 AM when normal people are still sleeping.

After the Hash we repaired to the Chicken Coop who provided an excellent meal for us all at very short notice, On On

Hua Hin Bridge Club

Hua Hin International Bridge Club welcomes new players of all nationalities. We play every Sunday and start 4.Pm. The address is Amnuyasin Road next to Robert's Bakery. New players have joined every year since we started five years ago. Which is clearly a good sign for the future of bridge in Hua Hin. For novice players we have a special beginners room.

For more information call Arne Mobile 01-010 2327

The World Cup - The Longshots

ANGOLA

A one-stop guide to all you need to know about Angola ahead of the 2006 World Cup. How did they get to Germany : Sprang a major surprise by finishing top of a tough group containing Nigeria and Zimbabwe . They finished level on points with Nigeria but went through on having a better record in the head-to-head games.

Qualifying star: Fabrice Akwa. Scored some crucial goals, including the winner against Nigeria and the only strike

against Rwanda that clinched their qualification. Manager: The hugely popular Luis Oliveira Goncalves.

Achieved great success with the Under-20 side by leading them to the African Youth Championship and was put in

charge of the senior side in 2003.

Captain: Akwa. A veteran of the national side who leads from the front and is highly respected. Not as quick as he

once was but has a knack for being in the right place.

World Cup pedigree: Have never qualified for a finals before and rarely looked like doing so. Their goal is usually

to make the African Cup of Nations.

Present star man: Benfica striker Pedro Mantorras has yet to achieve his potential, partly due to a knee injury, but has the ability to take over from Akwa as the focal point of the side.

Strengths: Goncalves has moulded the team into a very efficient defensive unit and they will be looking to cause a

major shock in Germany .

Weaknesses: The team lacks a playmaker of international class and they can sometimes struggle for goals.

Did you know? Angola almost got knocked out at the preliminary qualification stage. They lost 3-1 to African

minnows Chad in their first leg, which led to the sacking of Brazilian coach Ismael Kurtz, before winning the second leg 2-0 to go through on away goals.

World ranking: 62 Odds: 400/1

Local view: “ Angola will be a very, very strong underdog. We have a lot of ground to gain to compete with these powerful nations. They will play a collective game with strong emphasis on defence and try to spring a few surprises on the counter-attack.” Jose Cunha, LAC radio station.

Our verdict: An unknown quantity, but they are likely to find the step up to the international stage a tough one.

COSTA RICA

A one-stop guide to all you need to know about Costa Rica ahead of the 2006 World Cup.

How did they get to Germany : Seriously struggled until coach Alexandre Guimaraes, who had guided the Ticos to

the last World Cup, was re-appointed and turned the team around.

Qualifying star: Paulo Wanchope became his country's all-time top scorer during qualification - he has notched 43 goals in 67 international matches.

Manager: Brazilian-born Guimaraes is an adept tactician who preaches team ethics in preference to the individual and is bound to have a well-planned strategy. Played in the famous Tico side of 1990.

Captain: Jafet Soto is a veteran midfielder who has a cultured right foot to go with his vast experience.

World Cup pedigree: Two appearances in the World Cup finals. Accredited themselves well, playing with flair,

creativity and an infectious enthusiasm.

World Cup high: Italia 90, when in their first-ever finals the Ticos reached the last 16 after victories over Scotland and Sweden . Guimaraes says it set “the benchmark for subsequent Costa Rican sides to follow”. World Cup low: More of a disappointment than a humiliation, Costa Rica missed out on 2002's knockout stages by Turkey 's

superior goal difference.

World Cup legend: No-one has reached legendary status as yet, but Juan Arnaldo Cayasso was certainly adored in England after scoring the winner against the Scots in 1990.

Present star man: Former Manchester City and Derby striker Wanchope. Now starting to feel the years in his legs,

he will retire from internationals after the finals but will be desperate to sign off in style.

Strengths: Having the sound tactics of their manager and the discipline to carry them out, allied to no little flair, the

Ticos could cause one or two upsets.

Weaknesses: Need to tighten up defensively if they are to compete with better sides in Germany . Did you know? Costa Rica nearly fell at the first hurdle en route to Germany , scraping past Cuba in the first-round qualifier on the away goals rule.

World ranking: 21 Odds: 500/1

Local view: “There is every chance that the team could go on to fulfil the dreams of every Tico by reaching the second round and emulating the success of their heroes from Italia 90,” Antonio Alfaro (Al Dia).

Our verdict: Can prove a tricky opponent and may nick a surprise victory in the group stage but unlikely to make a

bigger impact than that.

GHANA

A one-stop guide to all you need to know about Ghana ahead of the 2006 World Cup. How did they get to Germany : Topped African Group Two ahead of rivals South Africa , who lost both home and away to the Ghanaians. But the road was not so smooth from the onset, having lost 1-0 to Burkina Faso in the opening

weekend of the qualifiers.

Qualifying star: It was a team effort but the trio of Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari, mainly because they play for top European sides, had a big influence.

Manager: Ratomir Dujkovic. A Serbian with a track record of coaching in Africa having led Rwanda to their maiden

Nations Cup finals in 2004. The 59-year-old took over in December 2004 from Portuguese coach Mariano Barreto

who quit four months earlier.

Captain: Stephen Appiah. Plays for Turkish side Fenerbahce after eight seasons in Italy with Udinese, Parma , Brescia and Juventus. Nicknamed Tornado, the left-footed midfielder combines ball-winning ability with vision.

World Cup pedigree: None. This will be the Black Stars' first appearance on the biggest stage of them all. A force in African football from the 1960s and until the early 1980s, the World Cup was never treated seriously. Poor management both on and off the pitch derailed their efforts to reach the last three World Cups.

Present star man: Essien will need no introduction at the World Cup. The 22-year-old became the most expensive

African when he moved from Lyon to Chelsea for £24.4m.

Strengths: An unfancied team with few stars has been gelled under Dujkovic, they showed in their qualifying group they are capable of upsets.

Weaknesses: Lack of consistency in defence and poor finishing could cost them, while the team may lack confidence against the more experienced international nations.

Did you know? Arthur Wharton, born in Ghana in 1865, was the first black professional footballer to play in England . A world-class athlete and professional cricketer, he set a world record of 10 seconds for the 100-yards at Stamford Bridge in 1886. Racial prejudice ensured he never played for England .

World ranking: 50 Odds: 250/1

Local view: “A favourable draw will help Ghana go beyond the group stage. They will not win the World Cup, but

if they are in the same group with Poland , Sweden and Trinidad and Tobago , Ghana can qualify. I can't see them

beyond the second round.” Durosimi Thomas, African football journalist.

Our verdict: Qualifying from their group will be a real success.

IRAN

A one-stop guide to all you need to know about Iran ahead of the 2006 World Cup.

How did they get to Germany : Iran produced a strong performance and qualified with little trouble, booking their

berth with a game to go.

Qualifying star: Playmaker Ali Karimi's dazzling performances won him the 2004 Asian Footballer of the Year award as well as a move to Bayern Munich.

Manager: Croatian Branko Ivankovic earned plaudits for rebuilding the squad after a disappointing defeat to the

Republic of Ireland in a 2002 World Cup qualifying playoff.

Captain: Ali Daei, who scored nine goals in qualifying for the World Cup finals.

World Cup pedigree: World Cups come every 20 years for Iran - or at least they used to. They made their debut in 1978 and a second appearance in 1998, but bucked the trend with qualification for Germany 2006.

World Cup high: In six matches they have tasted victory just once - but that 2-1 win over the USA in 1998 was sweet.

World Cup low: After the high of beating the USA came a heartbreaking 2-0 defeat to Germany in the very next

game, a result which saw them miss out on a qualifying spot for the knockout phase.

World Cup legend: Six matches, one win, one draw and four losses - hardly the sort of statistics from which

legends are made. However, Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia deserve a mention for those goals against the Americans.

Present star man: Ali Karimi followed Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian in opting to sign for Bayern at the start of the season.

Strengths: They can boast some good quality in their forward line.

Weaknesses: The squad has a lack of top-level experience.

Did you know? Iran had the biggest attendance for any game in the qualifying for the World Cup finals when Japan

visited Tehran in March 2005 and were watched by a crowd of 110,000.

World ranking: 19 Odds: 500/1

Local view: “If they enjoy good morale and self-confidence, they might qualify for the second round.” Behnam Saremi , Iran Daily.

Our verdict: Winning teams need more than morale to make a mark and luck will be Iran 's crucial bed-fellow if they are to make any sort of impact in Germany .

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO

A one-stop guide to all you need to know about Trinidad & Tobago ahead of the 2006 World Cup.

How did they get to Germany : Fortuitously. Beat the likes of St Kitts & Nevis to get into a group of six with the USA , Mexico , Costa Rica , Guatemala and Panama . Came fourth, then beat Bahrain 2-1 over a two-legged play-off.

Qualifying star: The Wrexham defender Dennis Lawrence became a legend the moment his powerful header hit the Bahrain net in Manama to book Trinidad a finals place.

Manager: Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker took over after a poor start to the group and organised and moulded an

inexperienced squad into World Cup finalists.

Captain: Dwight Yorke. The country's greatest ever footballer came out of international retirement in 2005 to

inspire his team from a central midfield role.

World Cup pedigree: Non-existent. First time qualifiers.

Present star man: Can only be Yorke. The 33- year-old ended his career in England with a whimper but he has genuine top-level experience and when his heart is in it is still a class performer.

Strengths: The tactically astute Beenhakker gets the best out of a limited group of players and Yorke and Stern John both know where the back of the net is.

Weaknesses: Most of the players play at a low standard for their clubs and the leap to performing on the biggest stage of all could prove difficult to bridge.

Did you know: Trinidad is the smallest country at the 2006 World Cup finals, with a population of just 1.3 million.

World ranking: 51 Odds: 1000/1

Local view: “Trinidad & Tobago will light up Germany like no country ever has or ever will. We shall make Fifa and

this nation proud.” Jack Warner, Trinidad & Tobago Football Federation special adviser.

Our verdict: A fine achievement just to be there. If they could emulate Jamaica 's 1998 effort and win one of their

games the country would go into meltdown.

SAUDI ARABIA

A one-stop guide to all you need to know about Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2006 World Cup.

How did they get to Germany : Convincing qualifiers in going unbeaten and conceding only one goal in six games

on the way to topping their group ahead of South Korea .

Qualifying star: Mabrouk Zayed, who is regarded as the number one goalkeeper in Asia . Successor to the legendary Al Deayea, who played in the 1994, 1998 and 2002 finals for Saudi Arabia , Al-Ittihad stopper Zayed is keen to win a move to Europe .

Manager: Former Argentina international Gabriel Calderon replaced Gerard van der Lem after a poor showing at the 2004 Asian Cup.

Captain: Sami Al Jaber, who spent a short loan spell in English football with Wolverhampton Wanderers, is a Saudi footballing superstar and has played for his country for half his life having made his debut as a 17-year-old.

World Cup pedigree: The Saudis have now qualified for four tournaments in a row having made their first appearance in 1994, a tournament in which they reached the second round.

World Cup high: That debut. Well not the first game defeat, but thereafter they beat Morocco and Belgium to qualify for the knockout phase where they came up short against Sweden, who went on to finish third.

World Cup low: Pretty much everything since, which amounts to one draw - against South Africa in 1998 - and

five defeats. The worst of those was an 8-0 drubbing against Germany in Japan four years ago - a three-match campaign in which they failed to score.

World Cup legend: Al Jaber scored his first national goal on his debut in 1990 and the 2006 finals will be his fourth

World Cup tournament. In 1994 he also scored against Morocco in a 1-0 win to secure the nation's first ever victory in the World Cup finals.

Present star man: That man Al Jaber again. The 34-year-old came out of international retirement to guide his country to the finals with two goals against Uzbekistan . His experience will be vital.

Strengths: A mean defence marshalled by central defender Hamad Al Montashari, Saudi Arabia conceded just one goal in six World Cup qualifiers with Zayed starring in between the sticks.

Weaknesses: Handicapped by a lack of players who have experience in the world's top leagues. Only Al Jaber

(Wolves) and Fahd Al Ghashayan's (AZ Alkmaar) have played in Europe in the history of Saudia Arabian football.

Did you know? The Saudi Arabian royal family banned football in the kingdom until 1951.

World ranking: 32 Odds: 750/1

Local view: “We are delighted that the best four teams in Asia have qualified. And of course qualification is the easiest part of the World Cup process. They will have to seriously start preparing for the World Cup.” Peter Velappan, Asian Football Confederation chief.

Our verdict: The Al Sogour - or Falcons - will be flying home before the business end of the tournament.

TOGO

A one-stop guide to all you need to know about Togo ahead of the 2006 World Cup.

How did they get to Germany : Entered qualifying as underdogs and overcame a poor start to finish top of Group

One, which included Senegal , Mali and Zambia .

Qualifying star: Emmanuel Adebayor was the top scorer in the African section of qualifying. He boasts very quick feet and is the scorer of some sublime goals.

Manager: The side struggled until the arrival of Nigerian coach Stephen Keshi, who took over a home loss to Zambia to lead them to Germany .

Captain: Abalo Dosseh is the veteran of the team and the backbone of their defence.

Present star man: The 24-year-old Adebayor, who plays his club football in France with AS Monaco, has the sort of pace and ability that could provide trouble for any defence.

World Cup pedigree: This will be their first appearance in the finals. Togo has been one of the whipping boys in

African football with a reputation for the occasional giant killing.

Strengths: They have a very young and talented squad with plenty of pace up front. Goalkeeper Kossi Agassa is also highly rated, earning the nickname “Magic Hands”.

Weaknesses: Togo have been known to be very slow starters in games. While they were able to recover against their African opponents they may find that a tougher prospect in Germany .

Did you know? Togo was a German colony until the First World War.

World ranking: 56 Odds: 400/1

Local view: “People say they are only young boys with little exposure but that is not true as many of them play in Europe and alongside the world's leading players. They may spring a surprise - I think the boys are the new generation of African soccer stars.” Ebow Godwin, BBC World Service.

Our verdict: It is likely that Togo will go home early.

World Cup - Venues

Berlin - Olympiastadion

The venue for the 1936 Olympics has been renovated at

a cost of £165m and, 80 years on, will host another global

sporting spectacular on 9 July. After five games, one a

quarterfinal, it will host the World Cup final. Hertha Berlin

played the first match at their new-look, 76,000-capacity

Olympiastadion in July 2004. The national team have

played there once since - a 1-1 draw against Brazil - and

will be hoping to return in July for another World Cup win

on home turf.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Tue 13 June (20:00): Brazil v Croatia (Gp F)

Thu 15 June (20:00): Sweden v Paraguay (Gp B)

Tue 20 June (15:00): Ecuador v Germany (Gp A)

Fri 23 June (20:00): Ukraine v Tunisia (Gp H)

Fri 30 June (16:00): Quarterfinal

Sun 9 July (19:00): Final

Cologne - RheinEnergieStadion

The RheinEnergieStadion has been rebuilt stand-by-stand

in time for the World Cup and the finished article is a

compact, 46,000 capacity arena. The stands are almost on

top of the pitch and a far cry from the former incarnation,

which had a running track. The rebuilding process cost

£75m over the course of two years until the ground opened

its doors in March 2004. A further two years on, FC Koln's

ground will host four group matches and one second-round

knockout meeting.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Sun 11 June (20:00): Angola v Portugal (Gp D)

Sat 17 June (20:00): Czech Republic v Ghana (Gp E)

Tue 20 June (20:00): Sweden v England (Gp B)

Fri 23 June (15:00): Togo v France (Gp G)

Mon 26 June (20:00): 2nd round (1st Gp G v 2nd Gp H)

Dortmund - Westfalenstadion

The Westfalenstadion - aka Bundesliga's Opera House - is

a site to behold during Borussia Dortmund matches and

averaged gates of 77,000 in 2004/05. It was the highest figure

in Europe and due in no small part to the huge terraced area

in the Sudtribuhne. The 82,500 capacity drops to 67,000

for internationals, which are all-seated. The ground, which

hosts the first semi-final, was initially built for the 1974

World Cup and has been changed since with the corners

being filled in. In 1998 an unexploded 1,000-pound bomb

was found beneath the playing surface. Second World War

bombs have also been unearthed during work at the stadia

in Berlin and Munich .

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Sat 10 June (17:00): Trinidad & Tobago v Sweden (Gp B)

Wed 14 June (20:00): Germany v Poland (Gp A)

Mon 19 June (14:00): Togo v Switzerland (Gp G)

Thu 22 June (20:00): Japan v Brazil (Gp F)

Tue 27 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st Gp F v 2nd Gp E)

Tue 4 July (20:00): Semi-final

Frankfurt - Commerzbank Arena

Work began on upgrading Eintracht Frankfurt's famous

Waldstadion in 2002 and lasted three years. The result is

the stunning, light and airy Commerzbank Arena, which

features a see-through, retractable roof supported by a

webbed grid of steel wires. The ground was given a dry run

for the World Cup at the 2005 Confederations Cup when

it was chosen as the venue for the final between Brazil and

Argentina . The “new” Waldstadion will host five matches,

including a quarterfinal.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Sat 10 June (14:00): England v Paraguay (Gp B)

Tue 13 June (20:00): South Korea v Togo (Gp G)

Sat 17 June (14:00): Portugal v Iran (Gp D)

Wed 21 June (15:00): Holland v Argentina (Gp C)

Sat 1 July (20:00): Quarterfinal

Gelsenkirchen - AufSchalke Arena

The AufSchalke Arena opened in August 2001 and within

three years hosted a Champions League final, with Porto

winners over Monaco in May 2004. Now a World Cup

awaits and the crowning moment will be a quarterfinal. The

52,000-capacity ground is at the cutting edge of stadium

technology, incorporating electronic admission, a removable

pitch and retractable roof.

Schalke 04's home is now known as the Veltins-Arena after

the naming rights were sold to the German brewery. The

ground incorporates a 5km beer pipeline to keep punters

well lubricated during football matches, concerts or whatever

else the highly adaptable venue is used for.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Fri 9 June (20:00): Poland v Ecuador (Gp A)

Mon 12 June (17:00): USA v Czech Republic (Gp E)

Fri 16 June (14:00): Argentina v Serbia & Montenegro (Gp

C)

Wed 21 June (20:00): Portugal v Mexico (Gp D)

Sat 1 July (16:00): Quarterfinal

Hamburg - AOL Arena

West Germany famously lost in Hamburg during the 1974

World Cup finals to their cross-border rivals East Germany .

The venue for the 1-0 defeat - the Volksparkstadion - is no

more, having been replaced by the AOL Arena. The old

ground was raised in four stages and the pitch rotated in a

two-year project completed in 2000. The 55,000 capacity

for Hamburg SV home games will be reduced due to

standing restrictions for the five scheduled games, including

one quarterfinal.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Sat 10 June (20:00): Argentina v Ivory Coast (Gp C)

Thu 15 June (14:00): Ecuador v Costa Rica (Gp A)

Mon 19 June (20:00): Saudi Arabia v Ukraine (Gp H)

Thu 22 June (15:00): Czech Republic v Italy (Gp E)

Fri 30 June (20:00): Quarterfinal

Hanover - AWD Arena

The AWD Arena, formerly known as the Niedersachsenstadion,

will host four group games and a second-round match.

Hannover 96's home since 1959, having opened five years

earlier, the venue has been renovated for the World Cup at a

cost of £43m. The relic of the old, bowled ground has been

built up to an even level on all sides with an overhanging

roof put on. The capacity for Bundesliga matches is 50,000,

but that will be reduced to 39,000 during the World Cup.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Mon 12 June (14:00): Italy v Ghana (Gp E)

Fri 16 June (20:00): Mexico v Angola (Gp D)

Tue 20 June (15:00): Costa Rica v Poland (Gp A)

Fri 23 June (15:00): Switzerland v South Korea (Gp G)

Tue 27 June (20:00): 2nd round (1st Gp H v 2nd Gp G)

Kaiserslautern - Fritz-Walter-Stadion

The Fritz-Walter-Stadion has been upgraded in preparation

for the World Cup, but unlike the other 11 venues it has

something of the old about it. Capacity for the tournament

is 43,000 in a stadium that has built upon existing, steeply

banked stands over time since first opening in 1920. FC

Kaiseslautern's home is also known as Betzenberg due to

being located on Betzenberg Mountain .

It will welcome four group games before hosting the fifth

second-round match. Fritz Walter, after whom the stadium is

named, was West Germany 's World Cup winning-captain in

1954 and played for Kaiserslautern throughout his career.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Mon 12 June (14:00): Australia v Japan (Gp F)

Sat 17 June (17:00): Italy v USA (Gp E)

Tue 20 June (20:00): Paraguay v Trinidad & Tobago (Gp B)

Fri 23 June (20:00): Saudi Arabia v Spain (Gp H)

Mon 26 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st Gp E v 2nd Gp F)

Leipzig - Zentralstadion

Zentralstadion has been dubbed the “stadium within a

stadium” as the new ground was built within the walls of

the city's old 100,000 capacity venue. The original arena,

built in 1956, had fallen into disrepair in the 1990s. While

facilities have improved beyond recognition, the seating has

diminished and it is one of the World Cup's smaller venues,

holding just 38,000. It is also the cheapest of the five new

tournament stadia, built at £60m. Zentralstadion is the only

World Cup stadium in the former East Germany as well as

being the sole venue without a team in the top-flight of the

Bundesliga. FC Sachsen Leipzig , who were founded in 1990,

are in the third tier of German football.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Sun 11 June (14:00): Serbia & Montenegro v Holland

(Gp C)

Wed 14 June (14:00): Spain v Ukraine (Gp H)

Sun 18 June (20:00): France v South Korea (Gp G)

Wed 21 June (14:00): Iran v Angola (Gp D)

Sat 24 June (20:00): 2nd round (1st Gp C v 2nd Gp D)

Munich - Allianz Arena

One of five new stadia built for the World Cup, the 59,000

capacity Allianz Arena cost the most at £190m. The threetiered

ground north of Munich will host the tournament's

first match. It is quite a sight, both inside and out where a

spectacular translucent facade, made up of 2,874 panels, is

lit up at night in a variety of colours. Munich 's rival teams

- Bayern and TSV 1860 - share the stadium. But it was

Englishman Owen Hargreaves who scored the ground's first

Bundesliga goal.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Fri 9 June (17:00): Germany v Costa Rica (Gp A)

Wed 14 June (17:00): Tunisia v Saudi Arabia (Gp H)

Sun 18 June (17:00): Brazil v Australia (Gp F)

Wed 21 June (15:00): Ivory Coast v Serbia & Montenegro

(Gp C)

Sat 24 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st Gp A v 2nd Gp B)

Wed 5 July (20:00): Semi-final

Nuremberg - Franken-Stadion

The Franken-Stadion has had a number of facelifts down

the years, the most recent costing £38m in readiness for

participation at the World Cup. The tournament's smallest

venue first opened in 1928 and was a marching area for

the Hitler Youth in the 1930s. It had an overhaul in 1963

and changed name from the Urban Stadium in another

redevelopment between 1987 and 1991.

The 36,000-capacity stadium's latest changes coincided with

tenants 1 FC Nurnberg returning to the top-flight. It may not

look the most modern of grounds, but it has embraced 21st

century, environmentally-friendly thinking as all rainwater

is recycled for use elsewhere in the stadium.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Sun 11 June (17:00): Mexico v Iran (Gp D)

Thu 15 June (17:00): England v Trinidad & Tobago (Gp B)

Sun 18 June (17:00): Japan v Croatia (Gp F)

Thu 22 June (20:00): Ghana v USA (Gp E)

Sun 25 June (20:00): 2nd round (1st Gp D v 2nd Gp C)

Stuttgart - Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion

Stuttgart 's Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion will host six matches,

including the penultimate game for third place. The

ground, which used to be called the Neckar-Stadion, hosted

Germany 's first match after the Second World War. It also

witnessed the country's first international as a reunified

country in 1990 and the international retirement of present

coach Jurgen Klinsmann. VfB Stuttgart's 47,000-capacity

ground was also the venue for the 1993 athletics World

Championships.

FIXTURES (all times British Summer Time)

Tue 13 June (17:00): France v Switzerland (Gp G)

Fri 16 June (17:00): Holland v Ivory Coast (Gp C)

Mon 19 June (17:00): Spain v Tunisia (Gp H)

Thu 22 June (20:00): Croatia v Australia (Gp F)

Sun 25 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st Gp B v 2nd Gp A)

Sat 8 July (20:00): 3rd/4th place play-off

World Cup Finals draw in full

After all the play offs were completed, the draw was made in Leipzig , and was favourable to most of the big teams. No real ‘Group Of Death', as has been seen in recent finals, but Groups C and E look tricky for the seeded teams Argentina and Italy . Group D is without question the weakest group, but this could lead to one of the unfancied teams, Iran or Angola , progressing. Holders Brazil won't have it easy in Group F but should progress to the next round, while hosts Germany should have no trouble at all. England face Sweden again and will hope to break that hoodoo. All in all an interesting draw which should lead to a thrilling Finals.

GROUP A

Germany

Costa Rica

Poland

Ecuador

GROUP B

England

Paraguay

Trinidad & Tobago

Sweden

GROUP C

Argentina

Ivory Coast

Serbia & Montenegro

Holland

GROUP D

Mexico

Iran

Angola

Portugal

GROUP E

Italy

Ghana

USA

Czech Republic

GROUP F

Brazil

Croatia

Australia

Japan

GROUP G

France

Switzerland

South Korea

Togo

GROUP H

Spain

Ukraine

Tunisia

Saudi Arabia

Below you will find the full fixture list, details of all the venues being used around Germany ,

and the first of five rundowns on the competing teams chances; this month we have a look at the longshots, who

have very little chance of progressing beyond the first stage, let alone winning the competition.

FIXTURES

(in chronological order; all dates and times for Thailand )

Fri 9 June (23:00): Germany v Costa Rica (A) Munich

Sat 10 June (02:00): Poland v Ecuador (A) Gelsenkirchen

Sat 10 June (20:00): England v Paraguay (B) Frankfurt

Sat 10 June (23:00): Trinidad & Tobago v Sweden (B) Dortmund

Sun 11 June (02:00): Argentina v Ivory Coast (C) Hamburg

Sun 11 June (20:00): Serbia & Montenegro v Holland (C) Leipzig

Sun 11 June (23:00): Mexico v Iran (D) Nuremberg

Mon 12 June (02:00): Angola v Portugal (D) Cologne

Mon 12 June (20:00): Australia v Japan (F) Kaiserslautern

Mon 12 June (20:00): Italy v Ghana (E) Hanover

Mon 12 June (23:00): USA v Czech Republic (E) Gelsenkirchen

Tue 13 June (23:00): France v Switzerland (G) Stuttgart

Wed 14 June (02:00): South Korea v Togo (G) Frankfurt

Wed 14 June (02:00): Brazil v Croatia (F) Berlin

Wed 14 June (20:00): Spain v Ukraine (H) Leipzig

Wed 14 June (23:00): Tunisia v Saudi Arabia (H) Munich

Wed 14 June (02:00): Germany v Poland (A) Dortmund

Thu 15 June (20:00): Ecuador v Costa Rica (A) Hamburg

Thu 15 June (23:00): England v Trinidad & Tobago (B) Nuremberg

Fri 16 June (02:00): Sweden v Paraguay (B) Berlin

Fri 16 June (20:00): Argentina v Serbia & Montenegro (C) Gelsenkirchen

Fri 16 June (23:00): Holland v Ivory Coast (C) Stuttgart

Fri 16 June (02:00): Mexico v Angola (D) Hanover

Sat 17 June (20:00): Portugal v Iran (D) Frankfurt

Sat 17 June (23:00): Italy v USA (E) Kaiserslautern

Sun 18 June (02:00): Czech Republic v Ghana (E) Cologne

Sun 18 June (23:00): Japan v Croatia (F) Nuremberg

Sun 18 June (23:00): Brazil v Australia (F) Munich

Mon 19 June (02:00): France v South Korea (G) Leipzig

Mon 19 June (20:00): Togo v Switzerland (G) Dortmund

Mon 19 June (23:00): Spain v Tunisia (H) Stuttgart

Tue 20 June (02:00): Saudi Arabia v Ukraine (H) Hamburg

Tue 20 June (21:00): Costa Rica v Poland (A) Hanover

Tue 20 June (21:00): Ecuador v Germany (A) Berlin

Wed 21 June (02:00): Paraguay v Trinidad & Tobago (B) Kaiserslautern

Wed 21 June (02:00): Sweden v England (B) Cologne

Wed 21 June (20:00): Iran v Angola (D) Leipzig

Wed 21 June (21:00): Ivory Coast v Serbia & Montenegro (C) Munich

Wed 21 June (21:00): Holland v Argentina (C) Frankfurt

Thu 22 June (02:00): Portugal v Mexico (D) Gelsenkirchen

Thu 22 June (21:00): Czech Republic v Italy (E) Hamburg

Fri 23 June (02:00): Ghana v USA (E) Nuremberg

Fri 23 June (02:00): Croatia v Australia (F) Stuttgart

Fri 23 June (02:00): Japan v Brazil (F) Dortmund

Fri 23 June (21:00): Switzerland v South Korea (G) Hanover

Fri 23 June (21:00): Togo v France (G) Cologne

Sat 24 June (02:00): Saudi Arabia v Spain (H) Kaiserslautern

Sat 24 June (02:00): Ukraine v Tunisia (H) Berlin

Sat 24 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st A v 2nd B) Munich

Sun 25 June (02:00): 2nd round (1st C v 2nd D) Leipzig

Sun 25 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st B v 2nd A) Stuttgart

Mon 26 June (02:00): 2nd round (1st D v 2nd C) Nuremberg

Mon 26 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st E v 2nd F) Kaiserslautern

Tue 27 June (02:00): 2nd round (1st G v 2nd H) Cologne

Tue 27 June (16:00): 2nd round (1st F v 2nd E) Dortmund

Wed 28 June (02:00): 2nd round (1st H v 2nd G) Hanover

Fri 30 June (16:00): Quarterfinal Berlin

Sat 1 July (02:00): Quarterfinal Hamburg

Sat 1 July (16:00): Quarterfinal Gelsenkirchen

Sun 2 July (02:00): Quarterfinal Frankfurt

Wed 5 July (02:00): Semi-final Dortmund

Thu 6 July (02:00): Semi-final Munich

Sun 9 July (02:00): 3rd/4th place play-off Stuttgart

Mon 10 July (01:00): Final Berlin

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