In his regular weekly column, Mike Bacon looks at how the World Cup has overshadowed Wimbledon, Roy Keane’s rant and more injury woe for Ipswich Witches. Are they cursed?

East Anglian Daily Times: Serena Williams celebrates her win against Julia Goerges at Wimbledon. Serena is looking superb again on court after giving birth not so long ago Photo: PASerena Williams celebrates her win against Julia Goerges at Wimbledon. Serena is looking superb again on court after giving birth not so long ago Photo: PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Wimbledon fortnight is almost over – blink and you missed it.

The World Cup and England’s progress in it has rather pushed the strawberries and cream at SW19 into the background.

I feel rather sorry about that. I usually really enjoy watching these two weeks on the London grass.

However, it’s a Wimbledon that won’t live long in the memory banks when we are looking back at it in five years.

Not because of the winners, who as I write this, I have no idea are mind you.

It’s just.... Well, it’s just that not much seems to have grabbed our attentions these last 13 days or so.

East Anglian Daily Times: Andrew Cotter, Andy Murray and Tim Henman (left-right) in the commentary box at Wimbledon. But we would all rather see Andy on court Photo: PAAndrew Cotter, Andy Murray and Tim Henman (left-right) in the commentary box at Wimbledon. But we would all rather see Andy on court Photo: PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

While England have been keeping us on our toes, practically everything, British-wise anyhow, that could go wrong at Wimbledon, has gone wrong.

Andy Murray pulls out of the tournament before it even starts and spends some of his time in the commentary box.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Andy is a decent commentator/summariser. But I, like all of us, want him on the court, not in a commentary box.

Kyle Edmund failed to deliver.

After a breathtaking Australian Open when he got to the semi-finals, hopes were high for the boy who was born in South Africa, but raised in Yorkshire.

Novak Djokovic put paid to Edmund’s hopes – and we hadn’t even got into week two!

East Anglian Daily Times: Kevin Anderson (left) shakes hands with Roger Federer after his win in the quarter finals Photo: PAKevin Anderson (left) shakes hands with Roger Federer after his win in the quarter finals Photo: PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

The sun has shone throughout with only a passing shower early on causing any stoppages.

But it just hasn’t been the same.

The one big plus for me has been the form of Serena Williams.

It was back in September the tennis ace revealed she and her partner Alexis Ohanian had given birth to a baby girl and named her Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr, after her father.

Fast forward 10 months and at Wimbledon Serena is back to her dominant best.

I like Serena. She keeps it real.

East Anglian Daily Times: England's Harry Kane takes a selfie with fans after his side win the penalty shoot out of the FIFA World Cup against Colombia as the national team put some pride back into the country Photo: PAEngland's Harry Kane takes a selfie with fans after his side win the penalty shoot out of the FIFA World Cup against Colombia as the national team put some pride back into the country Photo: PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

She has a pleasant manner and in her interviews this Wimbledon, when pressed on how wonderful it is for her to be back on court as well as now being a mum, she has gone out of her way to say that stay-at home mums have it far tougher than she does playing tennis again.

So, don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been a Wimbledon washout, the World Cup has just got in its way.

Fewer children out playing tennis on the streets this summer, but far more wearing England shirts.

I suppose we can’t have it all ways.

Talking of England, isn’t it great to see the country come together in the manner it did over this young team.

East Anglian Daily Times: Roy Keane enjoyed a spat with Ian Wright. Chill out Roy!Roy Keane enjoyed a spat with Ian Wright. Chill out Roy! (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

OK, so there is no World Cup coming home, but at least a bit of pride has been restored.

A team we can identify with.

Ironically, in these turbulent, confusing and sad political times, while the elite squabble like spoiled children, it’s taken a bunch of down to earth football lads to bring us together.

While I’m on the subject of the footie, did you see Roy Keane summarising on ITV after the game against Croatia and his ‘friendly’ spat with Ian Wright?

It was great TV, even just for Gary Neville in the middle laughing his head off.

All friends now apparently, but at the time Keane ranted at Wright’s excitement about England possibly getting to the final.

“Before the game, all the talk was about the final. The final and France,” the former Town boss said.

“I didn’t mind you being happy but you got carried away, planning the final and the parades. And I was right. You needed a reality check.

“Get excited when they get to the final! It was the semi-final, group matches. Take it one game as it comes.”

Wrighty was giving as good as he got. “What’s wrong with us getting excited?” he exclaimed.

Oh Keane, chill out man.

If fans only got excited when there teams actually GET to a final, 99% of us will spend most of football-supporting times miserable as sin.

Wrighty was right to get excited.

He typified the mood of the nation.

I don’t quite know what Chris Louis has done to deserve such bad luck – had a black cat cross his path, I reckon.

The Ipswich Witches speedway supremo has watched rider after rider get injured over the past two seasons as his hopes for bringing glory back to Suffolk come to nothing.

In 2017 every Witch, 1-7, was injured at some time during the season and this year already five of the Witches starting seven have been injured.

Is there a Witches curse?

The Celts believed that cats, especially black cats, were humans who had been forced to return to this world after committing bad deeds. Such theories led to people making up stories of witches turning into cats.

Even today, most of Europe considers the black cat a symbol of bad luck, particularly if one walks across the path in front of a person.

I’m clutching at straws, I know.

But surely Ipswich Witches luck is set to change.