• Seats in Category 1 are generally located alongside the pitch.
• Seats in Category 2 are generally located adjacent to Category 1.
• Seats in Category 3 are generally located behind the goals or on the corners.
• Seats in Category 4 are generally located behind the goals or on the corners.

Please note that the diagram is for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect either the exact layout of the stadiums or the precise location in each stadium of the four ticket category types.

OC establishes ombudsman service for ticket portal

Each body will have one seat and one vote within the ombudsman service, with operational matters being conducted by the OC. "In the case of disputes, the delicate balancing act is to help genuine fans without opening the flood gates to the black market. It will still not be possible to transfer tickets without good grounds. This is why we were keen to arrive at an agreement that is in the interests of true fans in this highly sensitive matter," added Schmidt.

There were 52,653 requests for transfers and 10,919 tickets offered for resale as of midnight (CEST) on 9 April, the end of the first phase during which the online ticket portal was open at www.FIFAworldcup.com. Since 27 March, it has been possible to return match tickets or transfer them to other people. "At the outset, we forecast that the fans would use the tickets themselves and do anything they could to get into the stadium and that has been shown to be the case. When one considers the fact that 2.7 million tickets have been sold and that around 15 million fans applied for tickets on the Internet, the proportion of those prepared to give up their tickets is only in the region of two percent," explained OC 1st Vice President Schmidt.

One particularly simple method of disposing of a ticket without the need to indicate reasons has been the "Resale" portal. "The tickets made available via this channel in the publicly accessible ticket shop were sold within a matter of minutes in all but a few cases, no matter what game they were for," said Schmidt. As soon as the ticket has been successfully sold, the original ticket price is returned to the seller. Reasons for each ticket transfer must be provided to the OC, as Horst R. Schmidt explains: "This is simply a matter of fairness. After all, anyone benefiting from a transfer is jumping ahead of those waiting in the virtual queue on the Internet." Around 25,000 requests for transfer, almost half, were on the grounds of "within the family". 18,000 requests cited individual cases of "hardship", while "illness" was reported in around 8500 further cases. The remaining 1150 or so requests were divided between four reasons generally recognised by the OC, namely "no visa", "no exit visa", "Act of God" and "death".

In cases where requests are denied, any individual who feels he or she has been treated unfairly can refer the case to the ombudsman service without the need to fill out a form. Reference should be made to the reply received from the OC when contacting the ombudsman service. The ombudsman service can be contacted with immediate effect by e-mail at ombudsstelle@ok2006.de.

The second phase of the ticket portal begins on 1 May. It will remain open until two days before each respective game.

McDowell keen to regain top form

McDowell has struggled in his debut season in the USA and is happy to be back on familiar ground at the Belfry for the Quinn Direct British Masters.

"It has been a tough start to the season. The American tour is brutal," said the Northern Ireland golfer.

"Missing the cut week in week out has been frustrating. I was struggling."

McDowell was at Shandon Park in Belfast on Monday to help launch the North of Ireland Amateur Championship.

Despite the baptism of fire in the US, he felt his game was recovering.

"I was not hitting the ball well and you start to doubt your ability," added McDowell.

"There is no room for error there. That is what I have found so difficult - you do not have to do a lot wrong to be heading home on a Friday night.

"But you learn more form the downs than the ups.

"I am excited to be back in Europe for the next few months. I feel I have brought my game with me.

"I have thrived for the last three or four years and now I am just missing a bit of confidence."

Ryder Cup stars in Cup final plan

The trio have tickets for the FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham on Saturday and hope to book a helicopter to get them to the match in Cardiff.

The third round of the event has been scheduled to finish at 1430 BST so fans can watch the game on a giant screen.

And the players hope the tee-off times will let them get to the game in time.

West Ham fan McGinley said: "We can't make a decision until Friday night when we see who is playing early and who is playing late.

"We have tickets, we're planning on going but we'll just have to see how the week pans out.

"We'd like to go but the major thing is the golf. There's a lot of money at stake and that's the first priority - the match is very much secondary."

Liverpool fan Clarke feels he has more chance of making the Cup final than the others, after what he called a "terrible" round in the pro-am.

"I don't think there's much chance of me making the cut. I'll definitely be at the cup final," he said.

McGinley and Clarke are among nine members of Europe's victorious 2004 Ryder Cup team who will play at this week's Masters.

The European Tour event, the first to be held in Britain this year, also features Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie and David Howell.

European Ryder Cup captain and two-time winner Ian Woosnam will also take part.

World number 12 Henrik Stenson, who currently lies second behind Order of Merit leader Howell, and 2005 winner Bjorn will also be competing.

Howell has not played for a month because of a back problem and says he is still only about 85% fit.

He said: "I hit nothing more than a seven-iron for a month, so I don't expect to compete with the boys who are healthy and have been competing.

"My goal here is to put four scores on the board and come through in better shape. I've no expectations."

The 30-year-old Stenson, who is likely to figure prominently in Woosnam's team at the K Club later this year, has fond memories of the Belfry, the venue of his first European Tour victory in the 2001 Benson & Hedges International.

Bjorn held off the challenge of Howell and Brian Davis in a play-off to win the title 12 months ago.

The Dane will be joined by US Open champion Michael Campbell, who was fourth in last year's event.

Top guns heed Woosnam's warning

By Rob Hodgetts BBC Sport at The Belfry

Woosnam has hinted he may reward loyalty to the European Tour over world-ranking places when he makes his two captain's picks for the K Club.

"I understand Ian Woosnam's concern over the players he wants to play in Europe," Montgomerie said.

"I am glad to see the guys that have played a lot in America back here."

With the likes of US Tour regulars Padraig Harrington, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood outside the 10 automatic qualifying spots, Woosnam could end up disappointing some big names.

And ahead of this week's British Masters at The Belfry, Montgomerie said: "You want them in your side. They will be playing in Europe from now on and they should make it.

"They are all world-class players. There are no concerns at all. None. We have a fabulous set-up and a fabulous team."

Places for Europe's 12-man team will come via the top five on a world points table, the top five in the European Order of Merit list (excluding those already in via the world list) as well as two captain's picks.

Going into the Masters, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, yet to play in a Ryder Cup, led the automatic qualifying list from Spain's six-time Ryder Cup veteran Jose Maria Olazabal.

They are followed by Sergio Garcia (3 caps), Montgomerie (7), Luke Donald (1), David Howell (1), Paul McGinley (2), Paul Broadhurst (1), Nick Dougherty (0) and Paul Casey (1).

"I think our team is shaping up extremely strongly already," said Ireland's McGinley, who holed the winning putt at The Belfry in 2002.

McGinley is seventh in the standings and would love to compete in a Ryder Cup in his homeland but he is under no illusion that his seat to Dublin is already booked.

"I have a lot of work to do this summer to make it because there are a lot of players who are very well capable of making the team," he said.

In contrast, England's Lee Westwood, is confident he will be able to make inroads in the automatic qualification process as the British and Irish legs of the European season gather pace.

But he is unrepentant about spending the early-season months in America.

"A lot happens through the summer and a lot can change," he said. "I have plenty of opportunities to qualify.

"Looking at [the points table] somebody is going to miss out and I'm not confident it won't be me."

"I am not prepared to change my schedule for the sake of playing one week's golf.

"I love playing in the Ryder Cup and it is a very proud moment when you tee it up.

"But I am doing this for a living and I have years of future to plan for. I set out my stall last year to give it a few years in America and I am going to stick to that.

"If you have great players struggling to make the team you must have great players in there already."

BBC World Cup coverage

Whether you watch on TV and via your red button at home or on big screens, listen to the radio, log on to the internet, or catch up through your mobile phone, we'll be the place to do it when it comes to the World Cup.

With star pundits, technological innovation and other exciting features and programmes, BBC Sport will bring you the very best coverage.

World Cup winners Leonardo (victorious with Brazil in 1994) and Marcel Desailly (France in 1998) join our team of pundits, as does Celtic manager Gordon Strachan.

Match of the Day presenter and former England captain Gary Lineker will host coverage live from Germany.

He will be accompanied in the studio by Alan Hansen and former England internationals Alan Shearer, Ian Wright and Lee Dixon.

Match commentators are John Motson, Jonathan Pearce, Steve Wilson, Simon Brotherton and Guy Mowbray, with co-commentary from Mark Lawrenson, Mick McCarthy, Gavin Peacock and Mark Bright.

Ray Stubbs will be the BBC's other main presenter while Adrian Chiles will front the highlights shows.

On Saturdays, Manish Bhasin will present Football Focus. Manish will also host some of our interactive forums, along with Adrian and Gary.

Garth Crooks will be our man inside the England camp while Celina Hinchcliffe reports from the host cities outside of Berlin. Our three roving reporters will be Ivan Gaskell, Damian Johnson and Rebecca Lowe.

Tournament soundtrack

The BBC's theme tune for the 2006 World Cup is 'Sports Prepare' by celebrated composer Carl Davis.

Adapted from George Handel's "See the Conquering Hero Comes", Davis conducted this modern rendition with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Singers.

The original was written by Handel, the 18th century German composer who lived most of his adult life in Great Britain.

In the early 20th century, the piece was often used as victorious football teams returned home - local bands and choirs would perform it as a salute to their team.

Innovation

This World Cup will also be the the first football tournament to be broadcast in the UK on High Definition (HD).

HD is a new kind of television which delivers more detailed pictures and sharper shots of fast-moving action than conventional 'standard definition'.

Meanwhile, viewers with digital TV will have access to a number of extra interactive options.

Available on all digital TV platforms around the clock, pressing your red button will offer two main services - Live Match and Replay.

Viewers will have the audio choice of BBC match commentary, Five Live's commentary, the real-time noise from the stadium - or the fascinating option of listening to commentary from foreign broadcasters.

And live match coverage on interactive will be extended beyond BBC ONE transmission to allow for extra post-match analysis.

Viewers will also be able to replay in full earlier matches via the red button.

And between BBC match broadcasts, there will be 15-minute match edits; an England channel, with interviews and news conferences; and a round-up of the best goals.

BBC Radio Five Live and its digital sister station Five Live Sports Extra will have live match commentaries and analysis.

Programmes across the daily schedule, including Breakfast, Derbyshire, Mayo and Drive, will come from Germany.

Mark Pougatch and Mark Saggers will present coverage of the games with Five Live's award-winning commentators guiding listeners through each match.

A top team of analysts includes Paul Jewell, Martin Jol and Graham Taylor - look out for their video diaries on the station's website.

The Five Live and BBC Sport websites team up for the online quiz Goalfinger, which will give fans a chance to test their World Cup knowledge and win tickets to every round of next season's FA Cup.

And supporters can play the scores prediction game, World Cup Lawro, competing against Mark Lawrenson and other pundits.

There will be several new exciting features on our dedicated website for the tournament, as well as comprehensive news and live coverage and enhanced statistics.

Website and mobile phone users along with TV viewers will be able to give their own Player ratings for each match, while the very popular Mini Motty, the desktop news pop-up of John Motson, returns.

Also returning, but improved for 2006, is Virtual Replay, the 3D-style recreations of key moments from every match.

Users will be able to watch animations of all shots and goals from each of the World Cup matches after they happen, as well as different camera angles and an 'as live' experience while the match is being played.

Public participation also extends to a World Cup blog which will invite you to experience the tournament through the eyes of our BBC reporters at the tournament, two of whom will be driving around Germany in a camper van.

Fans will also be able to send in their World Cup-related photos from around the world.

You can win a top prize by taking part in World Cup Daq, the virtual shares market based on the tournament's stars.

And many other features and services will also be added to the site in the coming weeks, so bookmark it now!

There will also be a dedicated site on our WAP service for mobile phone users, and up-to-the-minute news and information on Ceefax and digital TV text.

The BBC will show the games it is covering at big screens across the United Kingdom, with venues including Birmingham, Hull, Leeds and Manchester.

Radio Five Live will also operate a number of mobile, truck-mounted screens travelling to a wide range of locations and communities.

Programmes with special World Cup features include Blue Peter, which is running a competition for a new Fair Play slogan for England in association with the FA; plus a guide to refereeing with Graham Poll.

Other shows include:

England scouting review

Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has named his 23-man England squad for the World Cup finals.

In the build-up to naming his squad, BBC Sport conducted a series of scouting missions to check on the form and fitness of some of the players who were hoping to participate in football's showpiece event.

Date: 18 March, 2006
Club: Crystal Palace
Position: Striker
Venue: Selhurst Park

Date: 19 March, 2006
Club: Newcastle
Position: Central midfielder
Venue: St James' Park

Date: 23 March, 2006
Club: Middlesbrough
Position: Left wing
Venue: The Valley, Charlton

Date: 25 March, 2006
Club: Everton
Position: Striker
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool

Date: 25 March, 2006
Club: Manchester City
Position: Striker
Venue: Stamford Bridge, Chelsea

Date: 1 April, 2006
Club: Fulham
Position: Left-back
Venue: Craven Cottage

Date: 4 April, 2006
Club: Bolton Wanderers
Position: Centre midfield
Venue: St Andrews, Birmingham

Date: 8 April, 2006
Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Centre midfield
Venue: White Hart Lane, London

Date: 8 April, 2006
Club: Everton
Position: Left-back
Venue: The Valley, London

Date: 15 April, 2006
Club: Charlton
Position: Striker
Venue: Craven Cottage, London

Date: 17 April, 2006
Club: Newcastle
Position: Winger
Venue: Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Date: 30 April, 2006
Club: Tottenham
Position: Centre midfield
Venue: White Hart Lane, London

Date: 4 May, 2006
Club: Arsenal
Position: Left-back
Venue: The City of Manchester Stadium

Date: 7 May, 2006
Club: Liverpool
Position: Striker
Venue: Fratton Park, Portsmouth

Coming soon:
Scouting reports on Sol Campbell, Michael Owen and Theo Walcott.

Walcott unfazed by World Cup call

Walcott, 17, has not played a competitive game since joining Arsenal from Southampton in January.

But the striker told BBC Sport: "At Southampton I was 15 going on 16 (when he played in the first team) and dealt with a lot of pressure.

"I'm a bit more mature now, so I think I'll find it easy (to cope) really."

He added: "I've improved by training with world-class players and have been doing really well lately.

"I feel fresh - I haven't played for a while. I just want to get a couple of games under my belt now.

"When I moved here (to Arsenal) I was very nervous - my hero was here, Thierry Henry - but now I've settled in fine."

Walcott was an unused substitute when Arsenal won 1-0 away at Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first leg and says it was a valuable experience for him.

"I did go to the Bernebeu and was itching to get on and there were 80,000 there - you can't get bigger than that really," he said.

"I've also played in front of big crowds for Southampton's first team."

Walcott was the surprise name in Sven-Goran Eriksson's 23-man England squad.

And the striker says he was as shocked as anyone by his inclusion.

"I woke up this morning (Tuesday) still shocked. You should have seen me yesterday though, I was so surprised and shocked.

"I would have thought maybe I would be on the standby list, but not in the squad.

"I've only been playing football for about six, seven years now, and didn't think I would come this far.

"Watching the 2002 World Cup, I didn't think I'd be here now."

Wednesday's gossip column

Chelsea have rejected AC Milan's £4m bid for William Gallas. (The Sun)

Manchester United's hopes of landing Mahamadou Diarra have been boosted after Real Madrid pulled out of the race to sign the Lyon star. (The Sun)

Dutchman Edgar Davids is set to quit Tottenham and return to former club Ajax. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will offer Hernan Crespo in part exchange for £40m striker Andriy Shevchenko. (Daily Mirror)

Alan Shearer says Newcastle and England striker Michael Owen is "embarrassed" by his injury nightmare. (Daily Mirror)

West Ham boss Alan Pardew is ready to make Sunderland star Julio Arca his first buy. (The Sun)

Stockport have offered Jim Gannon a two-year contract to stay on as manager. (The Sun)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp will not take up the option to buy Norway striker Azar Karadas from Benfica. (Daily Express)

Reading manager Steve Coppell is lining up a £1m move for Hearts midfielder Mirsad Beslija. (The Sun)

Liverpool and Tottenham are fighting for the signature of 16-year-old Gareth Bale of Southampton. (Daily Mirror)

Birmingham's Kenny Cunningham has been told his contract will not be renewed. (Daily Star)

Dundee United are planning to move for Celtic keeper David Marshall and Rangers stopper Bob Malcolm. (Daily Record).

Transfers - May 2006

Most clubs are now finalising their retained lists for next season, and deciding which players to offer contracts to - and which to release.

The majority of players' contracts expire at the end of June, and although some transfer deals have been announced, they may not be formalised until 1 July.

However, some players who are free agents have also agreed deals for next season.

The transfer window system does not apply to clubs below Conference National level.

9 May 2006

Anthony Elding [unattached - Boston]
Dave Rainford [Bishop's Stortford - Dagenham & Redbridge] Undisclosed

8 May 2006

Middlesbrough 0-4 Sevilla

Luis Fabiano headed Sevilla in front after 26 minutes and they added three more in a desperate last 12 minutes.

Mark Viduka saw Boro's best chance brilliantly saved by Andres Palop.

Enzo Maresca scored from close range after 78 minutes and added a third from 20 yards six minutes later, leaving Fredi Kanoute to complete the rout.

Sevilla dominated the first half, and they were almost ahead inside two minutes when Daniel Alves sent a rising drive inches wide.

Middlesbrough's response was a powerful free-kick from Fabio Rochemback, which was struck straight at Palop.

But Sevilla were in the ascendancy, and twice it took interventions from Chris Riggott and fit-again goalkeeper Mark Scharzer to deny Adriano Correia and Fabiano.

The La Liga side deserved to be ahead, and they opened the scoring after 26 minutes when Fabiano rose above Riggott to direct a header past the stranded Schwarzer from Alves' cross.

Adriano shot narrowly over three minutes later as Middlesbrough failed to get to grips with a fluent Sevilla side.

Both sides made half-time changes, with Massimo Maccarone coming on for James Morrison and former Spurs striker Kanoute coming on for Javier Saviola.

He also curled a shot just off target after 49 minutes - before Viduka had Middlesbrough's best chance two minutes later.

Riggott headed Rochemback's free-kick into the Australian's path, and his shot was somehow blocked by Palop at point-blank range.

McClaren went for broke after 69 minutes, when the injured Franck Queudrue was replaced by Yakubu.

But Sevilla remained a threat, and Schwarzer was forced to save well from Alves at his near post.

Viduka was involved twice as Middlesbrough pushed forward in search of an equaliser.

He failed to hit the target when well-placed, then saw penalty appeals waved away when he went down under challenge from Javi Navarro after 76 minutes.

It was a pivotal moment as Sevilla swept to the other end to double their advantage with 12 minutes left.

Jesus Navas played in Kanoute, and when Schwarzer parried his shot, Maresca swept home a simple finish.

And as Middlesbrough wilted, Maresca shot low past Schwarzer from 20 yards - before Kanoute added a fourth two minutes later as Sevilla threatened to end McClaren's reign in embarrassment.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Riggott, Southgate, Queudrue (Yakubu 70), Morrison (Maccarone 45), Rochemback, Boateng, Downing, Viduka (Cattermole 85), Hasselbaink.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Ehiogu, Parlour, Bates.

Booked: Rochemback.

Sevilla: Palop, Daniel, Javi Navarro, Escude, David, Navas, Marti, Maresca, Adriano Correia (Puerta 85), Luis Fabiano (Renato 73), Saviola (Kanoute 45).
Subs Not Used: Notario, Aitor Ocio, Sales, Kepa.

Booked: Daniel, Escude, Maresca.

Goals: Luis Fabiano 26, Maresca 78, 84, Kanoute 89.

Att: 36,500

Schumacher's Ferrari tracked Alonso's Renault from the start but was unable to pass until the final pit stops.

Alonso stopped three laps earlier than the German, giving Schumacher enough time to build up a big enough margin to rejoin in the lead after his stop.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa was third while Jenson Button's Honda retired with engine failure after a low-key race.

Button's car stopped with 31 laps to go having never been a threat to the front-runners.

The Englishman made up two places from his sixth-place grid position on the first lap.

But after an early intervention by the safety car he struggled to get heat into his front tyres and lost a place to McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen, who passed him at the chicane on lap four.

By the time Button stopped on the pit straight with smoke pouring from his car, he was well behind the McLaren but appeared to be heading for fifth.

Instead that position was taken by his team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who looked much more like his old self following his difficult start to the season.

The Brazilian qualified ahead of Button for the first time this year in fourth place, and despite losing three places at the start he stuck at it for his best race by far since joining Honda from Ferrari at the start of the season.

Like Barrichello, his former team had a slow start to the season, but after two consecutive victories - both in a straight fight with world champion Alonso - Ferrari now appear to have the quickest package in F1.

Schumacher and Ferrari seemed to have an edge on Renault throughout the weekend at the Nurburgring, and believed that Alonso had only snatched pole position by running light on fuel.

Alonso held on as long as he could but the Ferrari was quicker

But the Renault was never able to shake off the Ferrari and Schumacher was able to make his extra pace count during the extra laps he had at the end of his second stint.

That enabled him to come out of the pits with a comfortable advantage over Alonso, who spent the last part of the race more concerned about Massa's Ferrari behind him.

The two formed the front of a three-car train in the closing laps, with Raikkonen's McLaren finishing strongly in its most competitive showing of the season.

Schumacher said his 86th career win was a battle of wits and tactics.

"It is no suprise that this was a difficult race as we were driving competitively," said Schumacher.

Second place here is a fantastic result for us Fernando Alonso

"In the beginning, it was hard driving behind Alonso in his slipstream and the wind was tricky.

"The main thing was just getting out of the pit lane in front, I thought I could do it the first time but I pushed too hard on my in-lap and almost lost it.

"Fernando was pushing very hard and we could luckily match his pace."

Despite conceding to Schumacher, Alonso was also satisfied with his performance in Germany where he notched up his 11th consecutive podium spot.

"Second place here is a fantastic result for us," said the Spaniard.

"We were a little bit down compared to Ferrari and also our tyres were not working perfectly. It was nearly impossible to keep them behind.

"We needed something more to win. It was a question of time before they passed us. To get eight points means we are OK and we should win again."

Behind the leaders, the midfield battle was close. Ralf Schumacher was holding sixth place before his Toyota's engine failed with six laps to go, handing the position to Alonso's team-mate Fisichella.

The Italian battled hard throughout the race after starting 11th.

He was stuck behind Jacques Villeneuve's BMW Sauber for some time, and was closing in on the Toyota before its retirement.

Seventh place went to the impressive rookie Nico Rosberg, who fought through from the back of the grid in his Williams, and spent the last few laps shadowing Barrichello and Fisichella.

Villeneuve took the final points position in eighth place.

ARGENTINA - Frankfurt
Its central location in the heart of Germany makes Frankfurt an intercultural melting pot. Not only England and Holland fans are expected to swamp the city, but the organisers also expect a lot of South Korean and Argentinean visitors. Over 4,000 Gauchos have already booked their accomodation in "Main-hattan", while a strong South Korean community will stage special festivities for their fellow countrymen. On June 21, Frankfurt will host what many consider the most exciting encounter of the group stages: Holland vs. Argentina. However, should Germany prove its doubters wrong and win the tournament, Frankfurt will be covered in black-red-gold as the national team usually celebrates its titles on the famed Roemerberg (the place in front of the city hall).

Frankfurt: Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight

ENGLAND - Everywhere
England supporters are widely recognized as the most passionate fans in the world. No less than 100,000 will flock to Germany during the course of the tournament. While Eriksson's troops reside in the beautiful city of Baden-Baden near the Black Forest, thousands of fans are expected to gather at the respective match venues on the days before and after the games. "The fans know the team is in Baden-Baden to focus on football so we guess they will travel through the country to the three venues," Andy Battson, the British Embassy's World Cup Attaché, told ESPN. "It is very difficult to give stats. We expect 30,000 or 40,000 fans to be in the cities for the matches. And all bets are off if we reach the final. Lots of fans will come over just to say, 'I was in Berlin for the final'."

Battson vowed England fans could not be put down as stereotypes. "Some will stay in campers, some will see other matches, some might stay in bordering countries like Holland and some might sleep in a five-star hotel," he added. "After all, the World Cup is not just about the 90 minutes."

There will be a variety of fan events ahead of each England match. The English FA is backing their supporters, who have developed strong ties with their German counterparts, in their efforts to stage numerous events in the respective venue cities. Prior to England's Group B clash with Trinidad and Tobago, there will be a cricket match between the fans as well as a Caribbean-style Carnival event. It is part of the Alltogethernow 2006 campaign, which was launched to enhance the image of English fans being passionate supporters rather than anti-social hooligans. At "Colossal in Cologne", English and German fans will organise a five-a-side soccer tournament involving 32 teams and have a charity auction.

The German organisers do not expect the English fans to pose a special security threat after successfully cooperating with the FA and British authorities during the build-up of the tournament. Ever since travel bans were imposed on violent fans after Euro 2000, hooliganism has not been a problem. Some fear there might be riots at public viewing places, but "in every bigger city, you will always have one or two people who have one or two drinks too many," claims Organising Committee vice-president Wolfgang Niersbach. "We will be all set and hope everything goes off in good spirits," he added.

UNITED STATES - Hamburg/Kaiserslautern
Bruce Arena has picked Hamburg, the northernmost host city, as his base. However, with Team USA playing matches in Gelsenkirchen, Kaiserslautern and Nuremburg, the self-proclaimed party and entertainment capital is unlikely to be a permanent base for American fans. Around 5,000 are expected to spend at least one or two days in the city. It's definitely worth it: Great public viewing location (50,000 fans), the best entertainment and nightlife, a beautiful city center plus the harbor. Children can watch games in the evangelical St. Pauli Church -- drinking and smoking prohibited, of course. Shame on you if you were to visit the nearby red light district, the famous Reeperbahn, while sending your children to church.

There will also be a big American presence in Kaiserslautern because, well, there is a big American presence in Kaiserslautern, in the form of 40,000 military personnel at the Ramstein air force base which is close to "K-Town".

Hamburg: Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight
Kaiserslautern: Plan Trip | Hotel | Flight

BRAZIL - Cologne
Cologne is famous for its carnival. As is Brazil. Looks (and sounds!) like a natural fit. The party link certainly helped the vibrant Dome city to lure their carnival counterparts into town. "Rio will be at the Rhine," says Josef Sommer, CEO of Cologne Tourism. "Cologne is just a way of life which fits well with the Brazilians." It won't be before the knockout stages that the five-time World Cup winners move their base to neighboring Bergisch-Gladbach, and even though they will be playing in Berlin, Munich and Dortmund, Cologne is the place to gather. Over 6,000 Brazilians have already booked hotel rooms for an extended stay, and thousands more are to follow. "We will be the meeting point for Brazilian fans from all over the world, which will also attract lots of German fans," added Sommer. So it will be samba all over the city, with huge TV screens set in front of the Dome and also at several other locations. The organisers will also have a giant La Ola wave swapping through the downtown area.

Some 10,000 fans are also expected to visit Koenigstein, near Frankfurt, where the Brazilian team will reside during the group stages. The 16,000 inhabitants have already flooded their city counsel with hundreds of suggestions as how to greet the Selecao. A local school will even hold their graduates' end-of-the-year exams one week early for them to fully enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience. While all public training sessions will be held in the Bundesliga stadium of FSV Mainz 05, "Koenigstein will certainly make itself a name in Brazil," a local organiser predicted.