Ing ger land

11th July.

I’m writing this just before the football match tonight.

At present, football isn’t home yet, it’s on the bus on its way over.

Having been caught up in crowds of aggressive, chanting, non mask wearing, pissed, England supporters on the tube yesterday, I wonder they’ll be in any fit state for the game today.

I am bemused that for many, England the football team and England the country are the same thing.

The pride of England.

When England won the World Cup in 1966, I was on a family holiday. We spent the day on the beach. Everyone was listening to the game on transistor radios. I imagine the atmosphere was tense. I have to imagine as I was busy digging an enormous hole in the sand, it came up to my shoulders and three of us six year olds could fit in it. We were extremely delighted with our excavation. I registered the noise and excitement of each England goal with detachment.

Football wise my attitude remains unchanged and later this evening I’ll be metaphorically digging a hole in the sand.

If I was near a beach with a spade I might try to recreate the afternoon as a goodwill gesture to today’s team and their manager. They are a great multicultural example of what can make England a fabulous place to be. In addition they seem to be more politically astute than many politicians, to have some heart for social issues and to be willing to stand up for them.

Will a win make me proud to be English? No, but I will appreciate the irony of a team made up of so many immigrants winning for England, and consider a win a slap in the face for Ugly Patel and the flag shagging, national anthem booing, laser pointing contingent of dicktards who ‘support’ the team.

I’ll be proud to be English again when, the national health service is once more properly funded, when the working poor don’t exist, when children do not live in poverty and I don’t feel the need to up chuck at the thought of our prime fanny bandit and his vacuous cabinet of cronies.

England needs to get a grip, and I’m not talking about the football team.

That got a bit serious, soz.

Enjoy the game.