Ok, I don’t love football, but I don’t actually hate it either… 99% of the time I am totally indifferent.

I know David Beckham is rather attractive (what, he's retired? Noooo!), I know we won the World Cup in 1966, and I’m pretty sure we are extremely bad at penalty shoot outs. Apart from that I could probably tell you more about Lionel Ritchie than Lionel Messi and have to confess that the minute England’s involvement ends, I shall be turning my attention towards Netflix to find out what all the fuss over Breaking Bad is about.

But potentially, we have sixty four games in five weeks to contemplate. That is a lot of football, so how can we make it a great experience for the lovers and the ‘oh no! Not MORE football?!’ brigade?

Decide who to watch

If your interest in the beautiful game doesn’t extend far beyond the World Cup, then following England is the way to go. When…. sorry, IF England get knocked out early on, supporters then fall into two camps, those who transfer their support to the team that knocked us out (at least we got beaten by the winners) or those who support every other team playing against the eleven men who destroyed our dream.

Although the more dedicated fan will watch every game in the Group calculating our chances of survival with each game played and each goal scored, and the hardcore fan is researching plausible diseases of a five week duration by which they will be mysteriously struck down sometime in the next few hours, you might want to get realistic.

Prioritise games, those that come above work, family and sleeping should be few and far between in the early stages of the tournament, and I strongly recommend you use this time wisely to accumulate some brownie points for the latter stages!

Choose where to watch

This is a tricky one. The pub is number one choice for atmosphere and camaraderie, but not so great for a decent view or listening to the half time talk. If you plump for the pub it’s imperative you get there at least an hour before kick off.

Watching at home is a safer option, getting a few friends round with the fridge stacked with your beverage of choice, comfortably seated in your favourite armchair. The downside to this is if you share your living space with a less than enthusiastic partner or young children (some of the games don’t even kick off until 11pm), you could find yourself homeless before the end of the Group stage.

Make it fun as well as football

If you can’t afford to be in sunny Brazil, you might as well recreate the atmosphere. The South Americans love a good carnival, so if you’re watching it at home, invest in a barbeque, a cocktail shaker, and plenty of multinational flags strewn around the house and garden.

With the promise of the good weather lasting well into the tournament, it’s a good idea to get together with family and friends and share the match hosting festivities over the course of the next few weeks.

A good feed

Whether you’re planning on going into all out party mode regardless of the scores for the next five weeks, or a just planning to make a small event of the important games, simple good food is the key to everyone having fun.

There’s nothing more sociable, and simple, as firing up the BBQ. And with two great offers from Kedington Butchers of Haverhill, you can feed a crowd on a budget. Choose from their great value large pack of fresh meat - chicken breast, lamb, pork steaks, mince or sausages. Priced at just £10 these are perfect for family get togethers or entertaining with friends and are suitable for freezing.

Please click here to download the voucher.

Mix and match their amazing value packs of meat at just 2 for £5 from Kedington Butchers. Chicken thighs, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork steaks, ribs, meaty ribs, lamb chops, lamb steaks and lamb niblets. What’s more Kedington Butchers offer a free delivery service to Haverhill and the surrounding villages.

Click here to access the 2 for £5 offer.

And if the BBQ weather doesn’t last, all Kedington’s quality meats are perfect for easy cook, easy serve slow cooker (there I go again!) or casserole dishes to keep the cheering hordes from going hungry!

If you want the really easy option then dinner delivered to your door is the answer. Haverhill Tandoori offer something for everyone, as alongside the traditional hot and spicy Indian dishes, they include in their menu a selection of mild and fragrant dishes that are equally delicious and a favourite of the ‘less adventurous!’

If you have a large crowd gathering to cheer England on, Haverhill Tandoori’s catering team can provide a finger buffet to include a range of Indian starters, such as samosas, onion bhajis and chicken tikka skewers. Or if you prefer, for just £10 per head, guests can enjoy a starter, curry, rice and naan bread. Call Haverhill Tandoori to have a chat about what they can do for your football fiesta!

Please click here for more information about Haverhill Tandoori.

Just can’t stand football??

Ok, you’ve got more than a month to kill, so make the most of it and think of number one for a change! You do have a few options. You can lock yourself away with a stack of books and DVDs (the TV, magazines and newspapers will be jam packed full of football related rubbish).

Or you could take up that new hobby that you’ve never quite managed to get round to, maybe get some health benefits from it, instead of joining all the couch potatoes.
Haverhill Leisure Centre is run by Abbeycroft Leisure and has two swimming pools, a fully equipped fitness studio and offers a range of exercise classes. Or head to the stunning surroundings of Haverhill Golf Club where with an extensive range of both membership and coaching packages you could find yourself celebrating at the 19th hole in no time!

For further details about Haverhill Leisure Cente, please click here.

And ladies, have you ever been in a better bartering position?! Surely suffering weeks and weeks of wall to wall football in silence (well, relatively quietly!) deserves a bit of a pamper session?

Ninety minutes uninterrupted footie viewing has to be worth a massage and facial from the sanctuary that is Haverhill’s arevolution Beauty Salon (obviously, extra time or penalties come at around the same cost of a manicure!)

Please click here to find out more about arevolution in Haverhill.

So whether you plan on spending the next five weeks totally immersed in the beautiful game, or are desperately trying to get on the next plane out of here (don’t bother, this thing is worldwide!) Haverhill can help out.