Fed up with endless football? Take heart! There are many reasons why even Football widows should be celebrating as the tournament kicks off. Here's just a few...
1. Cinemas will be empty. Now's your chance to get a gang together and dress up for Sex and the City 2 without having to shove your way through crowds of beery teenage boys waiting to see the latest adventures of Iron Man.
2. You've got a great excuse to miss those Football-themed BBQs. You know, the ones held by people who only dust off the barbie once every four years and think chicken is so much more tasty when it's black on the outside, pink on the inside.
3. It's a superb opportunity for home improvements while your partner is down the pub. Decorate the hall in that funky new wallpaper that he wasn't sure about, throw out that nasty old chair he's had since he was a student, and reorganise the shed so that you can actually find a screwdriver when you need one. Hopefully your partner will be so dejected/victorious when he returns, he won't notice.
4. You can practice your sympathetic listening skills when his team misses a penalty or gets an unfair verdict from a referee. These don't involve anything more complicated than looking sad, nodding occasionally and saying 'I understand,' while thinking about what you're going to have for supper, but they make you very popular.
5. There's no getting around it. The Italian team are all extremely good looking. Waiting for the sports news to be over so you can watch Emmerdale will be far more pleasant while they stay in the tournament.
6. Remember the Football in 2002? It was held in Korea and Japan and the time difference meant your partner was clattering around the house at five in the morning so he didn't miss any kick-offs. Luckily, South Africa is an hour ahead of the UK. Matches will be starting at a nice civilised hour of the evening and finishing in time for bed, meaning you'll have plenty of time to fit in those evening classes you've always meant to take up.
7. If all else fails, remember that it could be a lot worse. At least football matches only last 90 minutes each. Apparently there's a game called 'cricket' which can tie up the TV for weeks...
Tracey Brown, Head of Convenience and Impulse, from Ryvita, says: "And another thing - my husband goes down the pub or watches matches at a friend's house, so I get to have loads of time to catch up on my favourite TV programmes. It's lovely to sit and relax without him telling me that SATC is a load of old rubbish! Have you got a survival tip? Share it with us here!"
