Monday 12 July 2021

Would you want to come home?

After the football last night, I drafted a post on the boorish bigots, flag-shaggers, thugs, boo-boys and, most of all, out-and-out racists who somehow feel legitimised by national football success, and how their actions make it so hard for me and countless others to fully support England during a major tournament - how it is easier to feel shame, embarrassed to be English. I also vented about the politicians who, by their action or inaction, enable such behaviour. I was quite angry. Because even though I knew, I just knew what the narrative would be on social media after the penalty shoot-out, I was still incensed (and depressed) to see it play out in real time. The conclusion of the post was, if you were football, would you want to come home? To this?

I've deleted my rant, though, because I prefer to focus on the positive, or try, at least. For here is a manager, a progressive patriot, who knows what it's like to win and lose in an England shirt, who has shown faith in the young stars in his team, who gave the nation something to feel good about after a bleak eighteen months of COVID. And here is a young squad (average age at the start of the tournament: 24.8) seemingly unburdened by the failures of the past, ready and willing to take a stand on things that matter, ready to be a team rather than just a collection of individuals. Ready to stand up and be counted. Ready, for example, to step forward and take the fifth, must-score penalty at the end of a shootout, at the tender age of 19.

Despite the ignorant minority, I will be hoping that England make it to the World Cup next year, and do well. I will be hoping they progress far enough in the tournament to give us something to feel positive about again, because god knows we need that. But most of all I'll be hoping that the slogan that ends this closing montage from the BBC, as it has ended every programme of their coverage, still rings true and still holds firm. Hate won't win.

8 comments:

  1. Well said Martin - It's a difficult one isn't it, wanting to support your team but at the same time being sickened by the behaviour of a minority. I wrote about the upcoming final last week, focussing on the happy memories I have of watching tournaments with my dad as a kid, and of recording the scores on wallcharts. I am a Scot but always follow all the home nations and was gutted when the penalty shoot-out didn't go their way, so wanted to make that clear.

    I have a friend whose brother (sadly now dead) was a fairly well-known player back in the day and then became a manager. She has been incensed at the abuse the three black players have received since Sunday night. She still has memories of the abuse her brother used to receive in both roles, to the extent she and her mum could no longer go to watch matches and it affected all of their health. That was in the days before social media as we now know it. These poor lads and their families are going to need a lot of support so cross fingers they get it.

    Sorry had a bit of a rant myself there Martin. Feel free to delete the comment if not suitable but been feeling really angry at how football has become hijacked by so much hate and division.

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    1. Hijacked is exactly right - there is so much to be pleased and excited and joyful for, from the Euros and England's progress in it, but here we all are, the media, social media, the man in the street, everyone, confronted instead with the awful actions of a minority. Appalling. And to those saying, "Oh, football has a problem," sadly I think society has a problem, and unfortunately events like England losing in the Euros gives a vent to society's problems, an avenue for it all to pour out in a stream of bile and anger. It is a shame but, more than that, it is terrible.

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  2. Top stuff Martin, well said.

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  3. Well said, that man! (Sorry for tardiness, some catching up to do).
    And, if you haven't already seen it, Jonathan Pie puts it extremely well too:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI5nw1kYwdo

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    1. Thanks, C. And yes, he nails it, doesn't he?

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