Umbro: Bunk Off For anyone who isn't a football fan, the next four or so weeks are going to be truly hellish. But for us sane people, it'll be a big old frenzy of national pride and sporting prowess! Hurrah! So, in case you haven't already organised your days off to watch the crucial matches, Umbro have come up with this handy little guide to effective bunking off. You can also get the latest updates from the England squad, and read what Henrik Larsson thinks about opponent Sweden's chances. (As long as they finish second behind England in the Group stage, we'll be very happy for them.) Found in 2002 World Cup

Banzai Footy fan or not, if you're game for a laugh, Banzai is for you. Based on the cult Channel Four series, the site allows you to, "Prace bets now!" in a series of fast, furious and funny games. Take 'The Celebrity Sexy Party' for example, where you can bet on which lovely lady some Z-list celebrities did not invite to their party. Make sure you have your speakers switched on too - the opening theme tune complete with crashing gong is a beautiful sound indeed. So, what you waiting for? Click mouse button now! Come on, come on! Betting finish! Found in TV Game Shows

Boys In Green All good things must come to an end, we suppose, but what a heartbreaking way for the Republic to go out of the World Cup, eh? Having enjoyed most of the possession for about the last hour of the game against the Spanish (including extra time, of course), it finally came down to the potluck of a penalty shootout. The good news is that Mick McCarthy has signed on as manager for another two years, so the next big thing will be qualifying for Euro 2004 in Portugal. And no doubt a lot of the team's club managers will have a few enquiries to deal with over the summer... Found in Irish Football > Men's National Team

MapzineKorea Planning on going over to Korea? Best get a move on then! Seriously though, there is nowt more traumatic for us pale islanders than being stranded in a strange land. Struggling along with the blazing sun in your eyes, it may prove difficult for even the most seasoned traveller to locate those important things like kebabs, and beer. Fear not brave traveller, MapzineKorea is here to mop your sweaty and furrowed brow. Here you'll find useful information on where to go, with a zoomable map highlighting cultural (ie: fast food) places of interest. Okay, so we couldn't find a kebab anywhere, but this site may still prove valuable to many. Found in Destination Guides > South Korea

England AFC Nuts. The England boys are on their way home, and Brazil look good to go on and claim the trophy. A depressing way to start the day, though again, there are some large question marks concerning England's second half display. Still, a couple of excellent wins against Argentina and Denmark shouldn't be forgotten, and the performances of David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand have been highlights of the tournament. We just hope that David Seaman won't have to endure the same cruel scapegoating that Beckham faced four years ago - the Picks Pundits still think he's the best. Found in English Football > Men's National Team

Japanese Engrish Japanese readers, please don't take offence - this site is a shrine to that phenomenon known as 'Engrish'. You know, the kind of unintentionally hilarious translations that appear in Japanese advertising. Oh, and there are some absolute gems here! Check out the weekly highlight, "Evirob is the essence of life. It will makes you ill. Try our extraordinary works. You can find it's another standard." Another standard indeed! Elsewhere, you'll find incredible Engrish usage on packaging of all kinds. A favourite of ours is the 'Panda notebook' adorned with the legend, "Have a smell of Panda droppings. This one is very fragrant." Found in Japan > Humour

BBC: Mini Motty Ah, John Motson - king of the commentators. Classic lines like, "the World Cup is a truly international event," and, "nearly all the Brazilian supporters are wearing yellow shirts - it's a fabulous kaleidoscope of colour!" have made the man a legend. And now the Beeb has given him his own downloadable desktop application to keep you company, not only through the World Cup, but also into next season's domestic competitions. Select five teams to follow, and Mini Motty will pop up with relevant newsflashes. You can also make him dance, hand out red cards, or even, ahem, show you his ball control. Found in 2002 World Cup

Wembley Park Now, we've heard some nasty rumours going round that some footy fans doubt the prowess of the England squad. Well, if England team-bashing is your thing, you can take your frustrations out on said players in this viciously funny site. Of course, we must warn you that some of the games and cartoons on offer here are a little on the risque side. But if you're into the acerbic bad taste-fest that is 'South Park' you're gonna love this. Or you might think it's a load of not-so-golden-balls. The Picks Team gives it a unanimous thumbs up, and we actually found that some of the cartoon sporting stars look quite lifelike... Found in Football Humour

Triumph International Definitely one for the ladies this. Oh okay, who are we trying to kid? This is of course, the home of the World Cup lingerie set that caused a stir in the Picks office... We'll let the item description do the talking: 'The bra is in the grass green colour of a football pitch, and the cups feature football-shaped leather look pads covered in mesh netting and framed in white to depict a goal.' Oh and there's more - football motifs on removable straps and matching briefs showing a goalie catching a ball. According to the site, this is one football kit that sold out pretty quickly in Tokyo stores... Please try and keep your eye on the ball lads! Found in Shopping > Lingerie

2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan This is the official site of the tournament, and if you'll pardon a little self-trumpetblowery on our part, we're very happy indeed that it's in partnership with Yahoo! Hooray and hurrah! The team down the hall has been working like the clappers to produce the site, (hopefully they'll give us back that copy of 'HTML for Dummies' we leant them soon), and it shows - interactive competitions, destination guides, time zone calculators, highlights streaming, trivia, comprehensive team profiles... it's got the lot. So, if you're looking for thorough and impartial news, this is the place to be. Found in Football > 2002 World Cup

Sites Featured in Picks of the Week: Umbro: Bunk Off  - be wicked and lazy. Banzai  - have a frutter. Boys In Green  - out and proud. MapZine Korea  - which way to the chippy? England AFC  - we're going home. Engrish  - play football, like a manly. BBC: Mini Motty  - "oh my word!" Wembley Park  - oh my God! They killed Kenny! Triumph International  - get your kit on. 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan  - it's official. The referee's a what? Let us know.