Byline: CHARLES SALE
THE huge England camp following of wives and girlfriends, relatives and friends, who have created as much interest as the team in Germany, spent most of yesterday recovering from a nightmare trip to Cologne.
Many had paid 400 euros for a place on a private plane to ease the hassle and halve the time of the four-hour road trip from their Baden-Baden base to the group game against Sweden. However, the journey back took far longer than it does by coach.
The party arrived early in Cologne and it was decided they should take in the sights - a decision that was not unanimous. Then they were caught in heavy traffic.
On the way to the airport after the match, they had to wait for an hour at a service station so they could link up with the England team bus and go straight on to Cologne Airport tarmac to board their charter. But they missed the connection with the England coach because their driver was distracted.
This meant an especially agitated Victoria Beckham, with Brooklyn in tow, and Nancy and Co, had to suffer airport check-in procedures before finding out their jet had not been refuelled and was blocked in by other planes. The tired party, who blamed the FA for their misfortunes, arrived at their Brenner's Park Hotel around 4.30am, two hours later than planned.
An FA spokesperson said: 'The events were mainly due to the airport booking more private jets than they could handle. Everybody was very good about the delays. Victoria had Brooklyn with her and was very tired. But Michael Owen's injury puts everything into perspective.'
NANCY DELL'OLIO has kept a surprising low profile in this World Cup and even ducked to avoid being seen by a GMTV camera crew interviewing Cabinet minister Tessa Jowell after the Sweden game. But Sven Goran Eriksson's partner did pay the drinks bill for the campfollowers' controversial barbecue party which took place at their hotel last weekend and she was one of the party's leading lights. As for Ms Jowell, her first comment after the 2-2 draw with Sweden was: 'Wasn't Rooney angry at being substituted!
' ANGUS LOUGHRAN, the BBC's Royal Ascot betting expert (pictured), has been the victim of burglars at his Bowden home. Part of his valuable sports memorabilia collection was stolen, including Jack Nicklausfeatured [pounds sterling]5 notes, racecards dating back to 1870 and rare football programmes.
ASTON VILLA chairman Doug Ellis has had five major operations in the past year, but the frail 82-year-old, who was part of the FA international committee party in Cologne, says he has no intention of selling his club unless he receives an offer that he 'just can't refuse'.
Ken's off the agenda
KEN ANDERSON, financial adviser and chief spokesman for Southampton takeover candidate Michael Wilde, has had his name promptly removed from a document going out to shareholders following revelations in yesterday's Sports Agenda.
Anderson is disqualified by the DTI from being a company director until 2013 - and his boss knew nothing about the matter. His name is now missing from the Wilde document sent out in advance of next month's EGM motion to depose chairman Rupert Lowe. The Lowe camp are furious that discredited Anderson helped split the Southampton board with promises that Gavyn Davies, who has a [pounds sterling]100million fortune, would be pumping yettobe-seen money into a Wilde-run Southampton.
THE new Wembley may be the most shambolic building project in sporting history, but two mediocre England World Cup wins have kick-started corporate sales to the extent that a record 1,000 super seats have been sold in the last month. And there are only another 4,000 or so left.
