FOR couples who may still be at loggerheads over the World Cup, here are a few tips from your News Shopper love doctor:

For football nutters:

l Try inviting your partner to the pub for the match in a bid to get them interested and make them feel included.

l If they wonít have any of it, try to compromise and maybe take them out when there isnít a game on (remembering to set the video for any pre-match reports.)

l Try to moderate your interest. Is it really necessary to turn over at the end of a match to watch the extended highlights? Do you really need to spend your spare time updating your ìvirtual squadî?

l Try and resist the temptation to invite 10 ìbest matesî round for the final. Your partner will undoubtedly feel excluded and unwanted if the living room starts resembling something out of Men Behaving Badly.

For soccer widows:

l Try to remember the World Cup is only once every four years. It will all be over soon, and there is a whole month to wait before the English season kicks off again.

l Try to take an interest, especially in some of the teams ñ even though England have been knocked out, there are still Brazil and the host nation France to cheer.

l Read the paper and impress your partner with a few trivialities and he will soon be falling over himself to please you.

l Stay calm. If you feel excluded, go out with some mates when he is watching the game. There are pubs proclaiming they are ìfootball free zonesî for those wanting a break.~

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000.Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.