CHERYL GIBBS: It took a while but I'm right behind the boys nowÂ

I was, and what a game!

I admit to not particularly being invested in this year's World Cup.

I don't really know why, perhaps because I'm not so familiar with the team like I used to be during the heydays the World Cup when I was at school, and then college, and we would all rally around to watch the England matches.

In fact, I remember being sent home from Cowplain School once because I refused to take off the England Union Jack nail polish design that I created using Tipex '“ so much class.

Then as I got older we generally watched the matches in pubs and the whole family would get together. I remember so vividly feeling so part of it.

But this World Cup feels different and I'm not sure why.

Perhaps it's because the squad are a completely new, young and fresh team and I don't feel the connection with them like I did with the old crew.

More than likely it's down to the fact old World Cup tournaments are so tied into memories of my childhood and growing up and now I'm a fully-grown adult (it's okay, I've made my peace with it) it doesn't hold the same feelings for me anymore.

However this all changed during Tuesday's match against Colombia. And what a match it was!

I honestly couldn't believe what I was watching. I've never seen such foul play from a game before the Colombians and all credit goes to the England team for rising above it during most of the match.

Let's be fair, the Colombians totally pushed their luck on more than one occasion '“ I thought at one point it may have been called off it was getting so bad. 

However I, like the rest of the country, was in bits during the penalty knock-out stages and that rush of feelings '“ of pride for this country, of support for the team, the nerves and racing heart '“ I felt all those years ago came rushing back and I was beyond delighted when we, rightly so, scored the winning goal of the game and secured our victory.

I will of course be watching tomorrow's quarter finals against Sweden.

Come on boys, you've got this.

 

WATCH OUT BULGARIA!

With less than one week to go until our big family holiday and I am like a child again (a theme of this weeks column, it would appear).

I can not wait.

There are 18 of us going to Sunny Beach in Bulgaria next Thursday to celebrate my uncle Nigel's 60th birthday. 

You see it's a 'thing' in our family that when it's someone's big birthday we go away on holiday.

We've done the Norfolk Broads (twice) Portugal, Cuba to see my sisters get married, Corfu, and now Bulgaria. Although this time Matt's dad Danny and his wife Sue are joining us '“they don't know what have they let themselves in for!

I love big family holidays,  it's what our childhoods were made of and I'm so glad that we're following the tradition for my sisters' children.

 

BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME, CHEZZA

Well, once again, I was right.

Honestly, it does get tiring being right all the time.

Cheryl Cole has split from her latest beau of two and a half years, Liam Payne from One Direction. 

To be fair that's not a bad amount of time for our Chezza. 

Didn't I tell you it would end in tears? I believe I did.

The couple have called time on their relationship (shocker) and while it wasn't a surprise to most it is sad for their son, Bear, who is still so young he'll never remember his parents together. To me, that's a crying shame.

I don't know what it is about Chezza but she simply cannot hold on to the men in her life.

However, she has her own little man to look after now and he will, quite rightly, come above all else.