Football (or soccer) – the French national game. The only sport (apart from cycling) with more or less everyone seems to follow, or at least seems to be away of. In just under an hour, France will grind to a halt to watch the French national soccer team in their World Cup quarter final match against Germany.

Making it to the quarter finals is already quite achievement, when you consider the Frenc team’s dismal performance in the 2010 World Cup and this current team’s lack of experience. However, this quarter final is against the old enemy, Germany. France haven’t played Germany in the World Cup since a notorious and acrimonious semi-final match back in 1982 during the World Cup in Spain. The match was badly refereed and the French team took numerous knocks from their Teutonic foes. The French oct the match and were knocked out of the World Cup. This evening’s encounter is being billed in the media as the “Revenge for 82”, and it comes with even more “piquant” in this anniversary year of D Day and the outbreak of WW1 – yes the historic parallel has not been lost on the French media.

So, off I go, like the millions of other French men and women – to camp in front of my TV for the next three hours or so. Pundits forecast a 2 – 1 win for Germany.I’m not a betting man, but this would seems fair bet.

For any foreign powers looking to invade France or anyone wishing to commit a major bank robbery or other similar activities – now is the perfect time. There will be no one about.

Allez les Bleus