Wednesday sees us enjoying the delights of the West Country and the final leg of our training course in Bath in which we learn best how to push our employees’ buttons.
But and after a hard day on the train, Turkey versus Germany looms and so it's immediately out on the lash with Cagey and the Donfather, two sales reprobates of our long-standing acquaintance.
Sticking to bog standard cooking lager ensures things don't get overly messy but we work our smoothly through a couple of local hostelries before settling in to the Pig and Whistle, and a very fine night ensues – with the traditional banter heavy on our receding hairlines/shortness/fatness/gayness and the now compulsory filching of a mobile phone to send ‘I’ve something to tell you, I'm coming out of the closet’ text messages to all of Cagey’s contacts.
The tavern is packed with a small but vocal contingent of Turkish fans and naturally we’re empathizing with the underdogs. But the match kicks off and the form book goes out of the window as the depleted Turks totally outplay Germany in the first half, and only Schweinsteiger's superbly deft goal keeps the Germans in it. The Turks give them a right old battering.
But things return to form in the second half and almost inevitably the Germans go ahead late on as reserve goalkeeper Rustu goes madly off piste and it looks like the Germans have stolen it.
Suddenly the Turks pull their Stalagluft 17 routine again and Semih equalizes and it looks for all the world as if they'll take it to extra time. But the Germans to mine a cliché are clinical and Lahm's late winner sinks a valiant effort and there’s disbelief and bitter and twisted disappointment not only on the streets of Istanbul but here in Bath as well.
The Turkish supporters leave more deflated than a week old kid’s balloon, but their spirited run to the last four on a wing and a prayer have done the Turks a world of credit and their Great Escapes have enriched the tournament. Fateh Terim’s side should take great heart from this performance having failed to ever qualify for a finals ever before.
This was just one game too far for the Turks, but one of the best ever semi-finals, breathless, entertaining and thrilling.
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