HORROR of horrors, the flags are back. It would be acceptable if those flying the red crosses from their cars had the slightest inkling that it was St George's Day last Sunday, but their sole idea of patriotism is to flaunt their support for England when a big football tournament comes around.

When I conducted a straw poll in a cricket press box during the European Championship two years ago it was gratifying to find I was by no means the only person intensely irritated by this.

All this fluttering just as the cricket season begins and the World Cup is almost two months away is enough to drive me into advanced Victor Meldrew mode.

The condition will not be eased by the knowledge that of the three World Cups coming up in the next 18 months, the football version is the one England look most likely to win.

Instead of being burnt out, some key players like Michael Owen and Ashley Cole will be well rested after their injuries, while Sol Campbell, free of his demons, should be chomping at the bit to challenge for a starting place.

Brazil are the favourites, but I hear that several of their stars are performing well below their best. They may, of course, be saving themselves for the big occasion, but in contemplating their demise I find myself coming over all aflutter with excitement.

I think I'll nip out and buy a couple of flags.

ENGLAND'S hammering in the one-day series in India leaves them around sixth in the betting for cricket's World Cup in the Caribbean next March, although the fact that we can contemplate leaving Michael Vaughan out of our team suggests we ought to be better than that.

Vaughan's form and fitness on his return to action will determine his future more than his modest one-day record, although his excellent captaincy also comes into the equation.

Without him, however, England still have to solve the problem of who should open with Marcus Trescothick, so I expect to see Vaughan doing the job and with a middle order of Strauss, Pietersen, Collingwood and Flintoff there should be cause for optimism.

Things would look even brighter if Ian Blackwell, the leading six-hitter in one-day domestic cricket last season, could bring some of his county form to the crease for England.

He will have a few more opportunities this summer in the continued absence of Ashley Giles and he really needs to cash in.

Other than whether Giles or Blackwell fills the No 8 slot, Duncan Fletcher has hinted that the only other decision he has to make is who goes in next as Steve Harmison and Simon Jones will be ten and 11. Liam Plunkett's superior batting could edge him in front of James Anderson, while Kabir Ali is still in the frame, but others like Alex Wharf have been found wanting.

THE third World Cup is the one England's rugby players will be defending. Last time they peaked a year too soon but just managed to hang on. This time they have 18 months to sort out their turmoil and the fact that some people are calling for the return of Sir Clive Woodward means there are no obvious answers.

The return of two Sydney heroes who have hardly played since, Jonny Wilkinson and Phil Vickery, might help, but England will not be able to replicate the outstanding back row or the leadership of Martin Johnson, or the influence of Matt Dawson. At this distance beating either the French or the All Blacks looks out of the question. So let's fly the flag for the footballers.

GLENN Roeder has done a good job in lifting Newcastle up to their correct position in the Premiership. The difficult bit is to break into the top six where they think they belong, and if they are ambitious enough to go for that they really ought to continue their pursuit of Martin O'Neill, irrespective of his demands.

There is no room for sentiment if Newcastle are to have any chance of competing with English football's big four, so if O'Neill doesn't want Roeder or Alan Shearer looking over his shoulder then so be it. If Shearer does want to be a manager let him cut his teeth at Hartlepool, as Brian Clough did. There will be plenty of time later for him to occupy the St James' Park hotseat.

THE demise of Grandstand is bound to prompt some nostalgia among those of us who were at an impressionable age in its early years. I can't remember when I last watched a minute of it, however, and any slim chance of shedding a tear vanished when I heard that they flashed up some football scores just as the Grand National was reaching a thrilling climax. If producers think scores which might be totally different at the end of 90 minutes are important at such a moment they clearly have no sense of drama.