Why is it, however great things are, there is always someone ready to shoot you down in flames? To well and truly rain on your parade.

On Sunday morning I was nothing short of elated when I purchased my morning paper, only to have the man on the other side of the counter, who had a face that made Hannibal Lecter look like Charlie Caroli, tell me: "Don't get too carried away, it's the worst German team in living memory!" Who cares?

The Germans could have fielded Helmut Kohl, Martin Boorman and Nicole in their midfield and it still would not have devalued the victory. I cannot believe the number of so-called English supporters I have heard say we were shaky at the back, we could have been 3-1 down before Gerrard scored or Germany did not have Memhet Scholl. So what.

If ever there was a case of what goes around comes around this was it. Over the years the Germans' luck against us has denied England at least one World Cup win in 1990 and a European Championship in 1996.

Who is to say that had we not surrendered our lead against them in the Leon quarter-final in Mexico (prior to that game England were the only team capable of matching the Brazilians) that Sir Alf's men might have retained the Jules Rimet trophy?

Three bits of luck and the difference between England being a world footballing power or the perennial underachievers mantle that everyone tags us with.

No doubt the dissenters will still say one swallow does not a summer make, but I think England are heading in the right direction.

They have been there before, had the Germans' luck deserted them before last Saturday and Messrs Robson and Venables come home with the silverware, things might have been different. Possibly no Turnip Taylor or Kevin Keegan for starters. Now there is a lovely thought!

I wonder how our victory was celebrated in Ian Wright's household on Saturday evening? Bearing in mind he was one of the noisiest critics when Sven Goran got the gig at the FA I imagine he is now hanging is head in shame.

It is a sad occasion whenever any Albion player has to retire through injury but the ending of Darren Freeman's football career is even more poignant.

He was truly one of us, a Gulls Eye reader and Goldstone regular long before he even became a professional footballer. I met him at a number of the fans' meetings back in the early Nineties when the whole existence of the Albion was in question.

Both he and Ian Chapman are out of the same mould, which is why I am hoping that club take steps to reward both these local boys.

There was a very successful dinner in March for Malcolm Stuart and Jock Riddell followed by a benefit match at the end of the season.

I really think the club should think about doing something similar for Darren and Ian. Chappers would have done 10 years at the club had it not been asset-stripped and run down, so morally he is due one anyway.

All that is needed is the green light from the Albion. I appreciate that they are busy with other issues but I am sure if the thing was put in place there would be enough people in the area to come forward and organise it.

Maybe I can catch Dick Knight in celebratory mood next Tuesday after Albion advance into the next round of the Worthington Cup.

On the subject of the League cup-tie, I wonder what lengths Southampton are prepared to go to destabilise the Albion? Depending on what Sunday paper you read, it appears Saints are prepared to break their transfer record and pay £4million to get Bobby Zamora.

Albion chief executive Martin Perry has stated on numerous occasions that Zamora is not for sale at any price, although if Albion's scoring sensation does bag the goals that dump the Saints out of the cup, expect more than Southampton to be knocking on the door the next morning!