Paul the Octopus Oracle has spoken: the England players can pack their bags and book the first flight home. Germany, says Paul, will beat them.
As oracles go, this particularly ugly octopus — born in Weymouth but currently resident in a German acquarium — has a good record in predicting the fortunes of the German team. A win against Australia, a loss against Serbia, victory against Ghana: all spot on. Little wonder then that were loud groans from a gaggle of England fans in the Oberhausen Sea Life Centre when the cephalopod mollusc swam over to a glass bearing the German national colours, rather than the more obvious choice of the red-and-white St George’s Cross mug, to pick up his morning snack.
It was not exactly the Temple of Delphi — Oberhausen is after all deep in the Ruhr region of west Germany where predictions are usually confined to the Saturday lottery coupon. Sceptics claimed that Paul’s accuracy was well within statistical norms.
Eight legs, two glasses — work it out.
But octopuses are regarded as the brightest of invertebrates and Paul is not a tyro at the prophecy game.
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“For the European Championship in 2008 Paul had a success rate of more than 80 per cent for the German games,” said Tanja Munzing, spokeswoman for Sea Life.
And the oracle business is pretty odd: the Chinese warm up animal bones, others read tea leaves or trust in the Tarot. Why not a psychic octopus with a special feel for the Beautiful Game?
One thing is for sure: if Paul gets it wrong, the 22-legged England team will be entitled to tuck into a celebratory dinner in South Africa. The grilled calamari is said to be particularly tasty.