Finally, football did not come home. Rather it went to Rome. But perhaps the outcome is not the disaster early tears perceived. The England men’s football team, throughout its squad and with its manager and back-up team, brought a dignity to the EURO 2020 competition, not associated with predecessors. They provided a welcome distraction from Covid obsession for a month, with each match generating increased optimism and enthusiasm that for the first time in over 50 years the nation, which mothered and fathered the beautiful game, might celebrate a major international trophy. They confounded the doubters and the miserables. They laid to rest the German bogey man.
OPTIMISM AND HOPE
The time of Covid has separated the optimists, the creative, the freedom-lovers and the problem solvers from the doom-mongers and faultfinders who fail to understand the fundamental human requirement for survival and development which is to generate hope. For this reason, perhaps only optimists make good leaders. While Covid has created division between some groups, especially where it is over-politicised, it has also created considerable unification in a common cause against a new unseen enemy. The England footballers generated more unity than anything else. It became not just acceptable but perhaps enjoyable to fly the English flag of St.George: not nationalism but simply enjoying a moment of common aspiration and hope. The Royal family and news readers openly sided with England, at least once Scotland and Wales had unfortunately been eliminated from the competition. The team’s self-belief, coupled with a solid work ethic, with no sense of entitlement, was admirable.
RESPECT AND RACE
Even that often silent majority of the populace, who are apathetic towards or bored with football and its one-track minded supporters, and despise its TV dominance, became followers and backers of the diverse young crew who, despite their wealth and fame, displayed a respectable modesty and pride in their representation of their country.
Whether one agrees or disagrees with Black Lives Matter campaigns and its politics, that the team knelt for their beliefs against racism in the face of some negativism is to be respected, like all honest decent beliefs. That, following the final defeat on penalties, the English players of colour, especially those who must live with the pain of missing a crucial penalty kick, had to endure mindless racial abuse on social media is deplorable. And it was deplored: Boris Johnson, in his preamble to announcing release of Covid restrictions, summarised feelings when he said the perpetrators should crawl back under the rock from which they came. Perhaps the ignorant racist perpetrators got too much publicity for their pathetic attacks, and if they were just dismissed by all as unworthy of comment, maybe their motivation to spread hate would diminish as their irrelevance became apparent, and their spreading neutered.
LESSONS ALWAYS TO BE LEARNT
The football played by England was not the most exciting. At times they showed glimpses of top-class capability and professionalism, at others they were sloppy and unimaginative. For some pundits, it was the winning that is all that mattered. That the second youngest team made it to the final conceding only one goal is testament to a way of organising to be successful. However, they recognised their opportunity was unique – they had played all but one game at their Wembley home, a massive advantage, especially as the permitted crowds grew to almost a full house. That a highly defensive team was selected to start the final was perhaps disappointing as threatening runners were left to sit it out. Does that show a lack of confidence and abundance of caution, not believing the players can outscore the opposition? Had they won, the nation would not have worried about the shortcomings, but they did not win. Their second half performance did not do them credit. It is in falling a little short that improvement comes, and lessons can be learnt to win tomorrow: a reflection perhaps of the Covid experience. There are football lessons which await, and which can make this playing group top class, all there for the taking, and they must surely know they are not yet the best.
THE LESSON OF THE VIOLENT MINORITY AND FOR THE UNPOPULAR UK
Time and again at events such as demonstrations and gatherings, small but violent or extreme minorities are seen to wreck the peace and sew discord. So too at Wembley on final day, a selfish few, ticketless, ignorant so-called fans broke into the stadium. There was violence and personal injury, broadcast globally on this showcase day. These few have presented the opportunity to UEFA and Europe to wreck England’s hopes of hosting the 2030 football World Cup. The emphasis must remain on the accountability of these few for the damage caused. But again, the emphasis is being deflected as the Met Police are pilloried for not throwing a ring of steel around Wembley. The blame must sit with the perpetrators. Of course, if the police failed in basic duties that must be acknowledged and lessons learnt. However, there is building up more of the usual same: interest groups seeking to denigrate UK policing, as an undermanned and unappreciated force is asked to perform a thousand duties which they are simply unable to do, from policing violent gangs, people trafficking, drug abuse and other serious crime, to failure to self-isolate to oversensitive people being offended by ignorant but non-threatening insult, and now creating rings of steel at public events.
Politically the UK, especially England as certain groups seek to widen the cracks in the Union, is unpopular in Europe. UK newfound independence is still experiencing growing pains. While the countries of the EU and the UK are friends, that friendship is not playing out in dealings with the EU through Brussels. There is a sense that the British vaccine success is despised by certain establishments in Europe seeking to deflect criticism from their own Covid failings especially as to vaccine roll-out. Had England won EURO 2020, how much more could UK unpopularity have become? What further retribution might have followed?
JAM TOMORROW?
As it is, the England team is regarded worldwide with respect. It has the gratitude of its people for their valiant efforts, the entertainment they gave, the optimism they generated and the unity they created. Perhaps there is a renewed faith in their generation. Most of the players could have a chance at the world cup in 2022 in Qatar. If managed well and if they behave professionally, they will be the stronger for the defeat on 11 July 2021. By the end of next year, they will be that much more hardened and experienced. Maybe they will be outscoring the rest of the world, and football will finally come home on 18 December 2022.
