England's Trevor Sinclair.
Watch England without calling in sick
Thursday, 30 May 2002.
On 7th June, England face Argentina in what is surely one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the tournament. But if you're hoping to watch it in the pub, pint in hand, your boss probably has other ideas - it's at 12.30 on a Friday. You can probably watch the first half in your lunch hour. But what about the second?
Before you start a 'call in sick conspiracy' with your friends, there is another way - the Cancer Research World Cup Party.
The idea is simple. You donate, say, an hour's wages. Your company provides TVs or a screen and you and all your colleagues can watch the whole match together at work.
Other fundraising events can be organised around the day - wear your England shirt to work, or a first goal-scorer sweepstake, for example. The end result is that the company looks good, both to its employees and the public; you get to watch the match without endangering your job, and all the money raised goes towards the Men's Cancer Awareness campaign at Cancer Research UK.
The World Cup Party campaign is being backed by The Football Association. England Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said: "The World Cup Party is a magnificent idea. The whole country will be getting behind the England team on June 7 and throughout the World Cup. The more people who are able to watch the game live, the better."