FIFA branded Sony Ericsson W995 handset to give away

Like a disgruntled ex-partner arriving at your home with 14-inch two-handed pruning shears and designs on your thumbs, life can sometimes take you by surprise.

Take this week. One minute I’m writing a 200-word rant on why The Socceroos is a rubbish nickname; the next I’m giving a phone away.

That’s right, some marketing bod contacted me to offer a FIFA branded Sony Ericsson W995 handset to one lucky World Cup Bafana Bafana 2010 visitor.

You could win the phone for FREE by answering this simple question and leaving your name and address in the Comments box below this post:

Excluding penalties, how many goals did England score in the last World Cup finals?

You have until August 23rd to submit your answer and contact details.

The winner will be announced here on August 24th. Good luck!

If you win the phone, enter your details at www.WinTheTickets.co.uk, including the IMEI number, and you will automatically be entered into a prize draw:

Daily Prizes: 1 x Sony BRAVIA TV

Every day a stylish 40-inch Sony BRAVIA TV is up for grabs.

Weekly Prizes: 2 x pairs of tickets to the 2010 FIFA World Cup

Win two pairs of tickets to a 2010 FIFA World Cup match. Flights and three nights in 4-star accommodation are included.

Grand Prize: 1 x 2010 FIFA World Cup Golden Ticket

This golden ticket entitles the winner to a pair of tickets to every game their country plays – including the final. This once in a lifetime prize includes flights and 4-star accommodation.

PS. If anyone from Sony Ericsson is reading this, I’ve got my eye on your X1 and World Cup finals tickets / accommodation. Just thought you might like to know that.

Early qualifiers for next year Pt 5

Australia

Let’s cut to the chase. Anyone who connives in the use of ridiculous footballing nicknames deserves all the bile they get.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Blue Samurai (Japan) is great, if a little pseudo-pornographic.

In the absence of a witty way to say hallucinogenic cake munching quarter final fodder, Oranjes does for the Dutch.

And who could fail to be impressed by the mighty Les Eperviers (The Sparrowhawks) of Togo? Not me.

However, I draw the line at The Socceroos. If ever a nickname was so false and calculated to make even simpletons puke into a bucket, this surely is it.

First, there are plenty of other animals in Australia which could be appended to the word “soccer”. Koalas spring to mind, as do the grey-headed flying fox and the Sugar Glider (a small arboreal possum which, as its name suggests, can glide between trees).

But my real problem is this. The game we are talking about is “football”, not “soccer”. Get that right and I might take a passing interest in the Flying Footy Foxes next summer.