"The day my dream was cheated"

The first half had been a real gutsy performance with Owen's goal sending us into a singing frenzy. The dream was getting closer. In injury time the mistakes happened, mistakes I and many others had worried about.  I said I expected us to lose one goal to a mistake and this happened in injury time and the scores were level at half time.

As the world now knows the second half started with mistake number two and what an unfortunate way for David Seaman to probably bow out of his last Competitive Finals Euro 2004 being probably too far down the road for him to be still at the top of his game? So we are 2 - 1 down and then facing 10 men surely we could do it? I think the Mexican Referee had a really poor second half, I think he contributed to my flight home. Yes, we did not play well in the second half, yes it was against 10 men and a Referee but No we did not deserve to lose.

Perhaps this young team will watch the video of the second half and learn how to cheat and be cheated. Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and company are the masters of time wasting and play acting. The referee did nothing to stop it and indeed allowed it to happen. It is sad that Brazil needs to resort to these tactics to beat us, but we must learn from this.

Every free kick we got was slowed down by either Carlos or others. Every injury and free kick they got was a matter of professional time wasting. It even ended up with a defender taking goal kicks again wasting just a bit more time. I am not bitter, but I am disappointed. Perhaps that maybe an understatement given I am gutted beyond belief!

At the final whistle, my emotions were a total mess. I had believed in the dream, I had travelled thousands and thousands of miles during wc2002 in search of a dream. Travelling to Albania, Greece, Germany, Finland and finally to Japan, WC2002 was now at an end. I stood and sang, but I saw just a few men and women in tears. I was not going to cry, there was no way that Japanese TV or any other countries TV were going to see me cry on the outside. I do however know it is possible to cry on the inside! We stayed and stayed as the team did a final lap and as the crowd all left, eventually with just the band and perhaps only 300 England fans left in the stadium, we started to sing again. Gavin Morton-Homes and Brian Humphries had been travelling companions throughout Japan; we shared this final day and these final football moments. We shared something difficult to explain, we were there, and we had been there for almost a month. We were three supporters, Burnley, West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion together because of emails and englandfans.

Now we helped each other at the final whistle, maybe just because that is what supporters do they support each other? Then the Japanese stewards came and said the stadium is closing, we would have to leave now, whilst I was still in the stadium the dream was alive, once outside we knew reality would begin.

Outside the stadium, Brazilians celebrated, it is hard to look at them. We walk up to a group of Brazilian blokes and shake their hands and wish them well for the Semi and Final. They did seem a little shocked by that, but that probably was what we meant to do, shock them. My dream, our dream, in tatters does not mean I am going to become something I am not.
When we eventually get back to our Hotel in Tokyo at about 10pm the choice has been made. We quickly wash and change and return out into the Tokyo night life wearing England shirts for Tokyo to recognise us. We know that this maybe the point where drink may induce tears amongst anyone of us, but we are going to risk it! In the Sports bar we watch the replay of the game; we now confirm that we were cheated with certain actions. We leave this bar and head for others as the night in Tokyo is young. The public transport system closes at midnight and reopens at 5am; we knew that before we started out! On the subway back to the Hotel at 5.30 am we have neither cried nor have we brought any disrespect.

All night the Japanese smile at us as only Japanese people could do. We smile back; it was a game of football. Bill Shankly once spoke words about football and life and death maybe he was right at the time? We walk into the Hotel about 6.30 am a little socially confused, but we can be forgiven this moment after all we had been through supporting our country.

We will never know if the injuries to Neville, Gerrard and Murphy played too big a part? If will always be an option for debate. We know that in the World Cup in Japan 2002 English football supporters did the country proud. Perhaps more people at home will recognise the two types of fans England have attracted. There is a difference and that is important to me and many others that people at home recognise that. Before I get emotional writing this, I will finish, but Slovakia and Bratislava is booked for the October game in Euro 2004 qualifier. So Euro 2004 in Portugal is just round the corner as too is World Cup 2006 in Germany. Maybe just maybe this time my dream will not be cheated. What I do know is I will be there, god willing.

Written by Alan Lee in Japan the Day after England were knocked out of WC2002.

Al Lee