Hear the three lions squeak
Posted on | September 14, 2009 | 2 Comments
England joined the likes of Holland, Brazil, Australia, South Korea and North Korea in qualifying for the World Cup early with a 5-1 victory over Croatia on Wednesday. Here, Chris Harby explains why for him the sound of the ‘Three Lions’ is often more of a squeak than a roar.
I don’t mean to be a curmudgeon, but I find watching England a little unsettling.
Before you prepare the lynch mob, dear bloggers, please let me explain.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m chuffed to bits we’ve qualified with an impressive two games to spare. And Mr Capello (pictured), I’m a big fan. I have a new-found eerie confidence in our national team under his watch.
But….it’s just that I’m not head over heels. I feel so detached I can’t get romantically entangled in their fortunes.
Does anyone else find the Three Lions © all a bit over polished, a little manicured and, well, smug? I imagine, like in all my worst nightmares, it’s similar to being a Manchester United supporter.
The team you’re following usually wins, you smile, there’s a certain satisfaction, but usually there’s a strange feeling of emptiness. There’s something missing. When my club team win, all is well with the world, it’s a joyous, bountiful place. But with England, it’s more the happiness I get from finishing the washing up.
Maybe it’s because you’re cheering on players you spend most of the season calling all the names under the sun. Maybe it’s missing the blood and guts footie with all its delicious rough edges and raw passion which makes our beautiful game, well, beautiful.
Great for the prawn sandwich brigade, a bit overegged and forced for those who have loved the game pre-Sky in the BC days (Before Civilization).
It comes to something when the Wembley Stadium announcer implores to the crowd ‘Here is Your England’ when introducing the lads wearing the Three Lions. ‘Honest, you love them, don’t you, hey look, they really love you back’.
It feels about as romantic as soft porn. We know most of our players – there are notable xceptions – wouldn’t pee on us if we were ablaze.
But then there’s South Africa to come and who am I kidding? Come next summer, the excitement and anticipation will take over my very being. I’ll be brainwashed into thinking we can win the whole kit and caboodle and broken hearted if we don’t.
We’ll call it a summer romance. A glorious, intense month of ecstacy and agony. And then we’ll go our separate ways.
We’ll be great long-distance friends, the best. Promise I’ll write x
Chris Harby is sports editor of the Melton Times in Leicestershire, UK, and runs the sports blog at MeltonTimes.co.uk.
[Photo: Paul Blank GNU]
Tags: England > Fabio Capello > South Africa 2010 > World Cup
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2 Responses to “Hear the three lions squeak”
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September 15th, 2009 @ 3:00 pm
Good article.
Does anyone else think theres a massive north/south divide with supporting England? My cockney mates were cock-a-hoop, to turn a phrase. I on the other hand hate the dreary anthem, bemoan the London centricity of England and the abhorrent England Plc (John Terry smugness on a Lloyds bank advert) type thing going on. Oh yeah, I’m a northerner.
Like your interviewee, I had exactly the same feelings – as much happiness as doing the washing up. I couldn’t give a toss to be honest, but having said that, I love the atmosphere and camaraderie in the country during the world cup which makes me strangely proud. Roll on 2010….
September 15th, 2009 @ 7:10 pm
There’s certainly a feeling that you are more likely to care about England if you are from London – presumably connected to the location of Wembley.
There’s also been an argument put forward that England fans tend to be a bit more middle class which could tie in with the southern feeling. I definitely detected a bit more enthusiasm from posher people down south when I lived in Southampton. Don’t know why this might be (wasn’t my theory before I have loads of people saying I’m a snob).
Also I think when it comes to northern clubs you are more likely to associate a close sense of regional identity with your local team, and this might not be so important down south.
Also I think the mass of hype around the England team has definitely dampened enthusiasm. You can tell the London-based national media haven’t picked up on this with all the praise they’ve heaped on them recently, starting to build them up again when most people are a lot more pragmatic about England after three wet quarter final displays in a row.