LET us hope that the rest of the World Cup month is more entertaining than the ponderous pre-tournament pageant held in Paris last night.

The giant figures representing the families of man had Scottish and Brazilian fans, gathered in the capital for today's opening match, falling about in fits of laughter. The figures moved as quickly as the allocation of tickets.

And it ended in fights and the all-too-familiar sight of French riot police charging forward with their batons raised amid swirling tear gas.

We pray that this was an aberration and that the rest of the tournament, the biggest soccer gathering ever staged, will go better.

It is supposed to be a festival of footballing skills and entertainment, not the scene of yet another battle on French soil.

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