Fun before THE match

Ahead of Thursday's World Cup clash, England fans played the supporters of Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly game of cricket.

Nuremberg had not seen anything quite like it.

Not only was this a cricket match - which in itself was a rare event that turned the heads of a few German passers-by - but Saint George appeared to be fielding.

A day ahead of the clash between the two national football teams, about 800 supporters of England and the so-called Soca Warriors gathered in a park at Wohder Wiese to enjoy the Caribbean-like sunshine.

Cricket was the main course but there were side dishes of five-a-side football, "kick-golf", music and beer. This was a happy occasion but for one of the Trinidad and Tobago fans, the World Cup adventure has been a mixture off emotions.

Brian Williams, 44, played in the national team which narrowly missed out on World Cup qualification in 1989, when they needed a draw at home to the USA but lost 1-0.

That team has been reunited 17 years later in Germany to watch the games together.

He said: "This is about enjoying yourself, socialising with the England fans and the German people - that's all part of our trip.

"But all footballers dream of playing in a World Cup and missing out like that means that on seeing the atmosphere here in Germany, I've been quite emotional.

"We tell ourselves we could have been on that flight."

Plenty of his fellow islanders have been unable to make the trip, due to the cost (about US $6,000) and problems with the ticketing. But those that stayed threw a memorable party when the team drew with Sweden on Saturday.

The 5,000 expected in Nuremberg will be heavily drawn from the US, Canada and the UK.

Martin O'Hara, of Yorkshire England Fans, which organised the cricket, said: "We were looking for a common denominator with the teams we were playing, so we could meet some fans.

"We came up with Abba for Sweden, Paraguay was a problem because we didn't know a lot about them, but for Trinidad and Tobago it had to be cricket."

The Nuremberg authorities were very cooperative in providing the venue, he said, even getting the fire service to water the pitch on the morning of the match.

"Cricket is an unusual game in Germany," said Markus Schwendinger of Nuremberg council.

"We don't have many teams, only in the north I think. I knew it from television but I didn't know the rules. "We were happy that fans had organised something, especially the English, who have made a good name for themselves here in Nuremberg and have been very friendly."

For Rob Taubman, 47, from Liverpool, the day was particularly satisfying as he recalled the dark and violent days of 1980s away games.

"All it was then was boozing and fighting. This has been fantastic."

The result was not important but the West Indians won, twice, and were rewarded with a pennant signed by Sven-Goran Eriksson, donated by the FA.

In a similar manner to the Paraguay match, it had started so well for the English.

The Trinidad fans went into bat first and as the wickets tumbled, shouts of "Easy, easy!" could be heard from the England supporters.

Some England fans think they will be singing the same song on Thursday but Tony McDowall, 65, who lives in Berkshire, thinks his unfancied team can spring a surprise.

After his wife found him in tears when Trinidad and Tobago qualified, he was certain they would win the World Cup.

He went to a bookmakers and asked to put £1,000 on them winning the tournament, at odds of 1000-1.

The bookmaker told him he couldn't accept his money and his wife hid their chequebook.