The most notable thing about the Euro finals is the fact that - yet again - it's another major football competition Ireland failed to qualify for. With your team absent, there are no grounds for bunking off to the pub after work for 6pm kick-offs. No wearing of green afros. No being indignant over referee decisions - you just don't care enough when your team aren't there.

So in order to get into the spirit of things, I'm urging a spot of football surrogacy. That's right, along with my Super Euro Soccer Party team mates, I'm adopting a team. I've thought long and hard about this (total pondering time = 10 minutes) and decided I'll be supporting Poland. My reasons? Lots, but not least because there's a significant Polish population living here, so why shouldn't we offer extra sets of lungs to shout some support?

Reason number two: I love underdogs, and the doggies don't get more under than Poland. This is their first time to qualify for the European Championships, so they are true Euro virgins. Based on this, I'm thinking that beginner's luck could be a massive factor. Remember, Greece won last time on only their second outing in the competition. I'm putting my hands over my ears and "na-na-na-na-ing" any time someone points out to me that Poland qualified for the last two World Cups only to fare as well as ice-cream left out in the sun.

They also qualified on the basis of winning matches, something that Austria (the only other first-timers) got out of as one of the host countries. All the bookies have also ranked Austria with the longest odds, sparing Poland's blushes who are, nonetheless, second least likely to win (the most optimistic odds I could find were 33-1, bless). And I won't even mention the fact that they're in the same group as favorites Germany.

I could also mention loyalty, and that Tomasz Kuszczak, the second choice Polish goalkeeper is also Manchester United's back-up goalie. Or I could get even more tenuous and bring the Eurovision into it. After Dustin's stuffing, I was sure Poland would do us proud. Instead their entry looked like Rosanna Davison, if she had stayed on a sunbed that - Spinal Tap-style - went up to 11. The OTT teeth veneer + blue tinfoil dress + woeful song = bottom placing alongside the UK.

The Guardian's prediction for the Poles' footballers at Euro 2008 concludes: "avoiding embarrassment would probably satisfy expectations", but then I don't think they'll do as bad as Eurovision tantastic goddess Isis Gee (I'm not making that up) did in Belgrade.

Powodzenia Poland!