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"It's only a game", they say. But is it? Yes football is a game, but a damn important one.
I think it's fair to say that 5 years ago the UK was pretty crap at most sports. Only getting 1 gold medal at an olympics is pretty pathetic. Losing constantly at cricket, bar the odd fluke result, not having any world class players in tennis or golf. Having a rubbish football team, and being mediocre at rugby.
I was fed up of hearing sports results on the news, and hearing that we're losing this or having players knocked out of that. Ok, no team wins *every* match they play, but be honest, we were pretty rubbish really.
5 years ago, the only sport we were any good at was motorsports, F1 and Rallying. The UK was the base for some of the top teams, and we produced some world champions as well.
Now, however, it's different.
We've got an ever improving team at rugby, one that can actually compete against teams from the southern hemisphere rather than just turn up to look good. We have good young tennis players coming through, and we are steadily getting better at cricket. We're still crap at golf, but thats not a "proper" sport anyway... :-)
But we've made the biggest improvments in football. The results we've had since old Sven-ny boy took over have spoken for themselves. In the 7 or so games he's been in charge, there has been a remarkable turnaround.
Yet some people say, "Whats the big deal? It's only a game." Which is true, but there is something more important about football. It restores national pride. Our victory over germany on saturday will have been talked about all over the world, and that makes me feel good.
Ok, it's one small step on the road to winning the world cup, but it's a step nonetheless. IF we beat Greece next month, which I have no doubts that we will, then people may start to take notice of us. No longer will other countries, when they have to play us, say "Oh, it's only England, easy win for us". We will start to be respected, we will have something to be proud of.
When was the last time we could say to ourselves "Yeah, we're the best in the world at...."? Ages ago, thats when. But now when we DO start to get good at something, people say "It's only a game." Do people from this country WANT to have something to be proud of, or are they content to sit in a big puddle of mediocrity, feeling sorry for themselves as they watch our national team lose again?
A national team is that, NATIONAL. It reflects our nation.
Whatever the sport is, surely we want our national team to do well? To do us proud?
Now however, it looks like something to be proud of could be getting nearer and nearer, and I personally can't wait.
I think it's fair to say that 5 years ago the UK was pretty crap at most sports. Only getting 1 gold medal at an olympics is pretty pathetic. Losing constantly at cricket, bar the odd fluke result, not having any world class players in tennis or golf. Having a rubbish football team, and being mediocre at rugby.
I was fed up of hearing sports results on the news, and hearing that we're losing this or having players knocked out of that. Ok, no team wins *every* match they play, but be honest, we were pretty rubbish really.
5 years ago, the only sport we were any good at was motorsports, F1 and Rallying. The UK was the base for some of the top teams, and we produced some world champions as well.
Now, however, it's different.
We've got an ever improving team at rugby, one that can actually compete against teams from the southern hemisphere rather than just turn up to look good. We have good young tennis players coming through, and we are steadily getting better at cricket. We're still crap at golf, but thats not a "proper" sport anyway... :-)
But we've made the biggest improvments in football. The results we've had since old Sven-ny boy took over have spoken for themselves. In the 7 or so games he's been in charge, there has been a remarkable turnaround.
Yet some people say, "Whats the big deal? It's only a game." Which is true, but there is something more important about football. It restores national pride. Our victory over germany on saturday will have been talked about all over the world, and that makes me feel good.
Ok, it's one small step on the road to winning the world cup, but it's a step nonetheless. IF we beat Greece next month, which I have no doubts that we will, then people may start to take notice of us. No longer will other countries, when they have to play us, say "Oh, it's only England, easy win for us". We will start to be respected, we will have something to be proud of.
When was the last time we could say to ourselves "Yeah, we're the best in the world at...."? Ages ago, thats when. But now when we DO start to get good at something, people say "It's only a game." Do people from this country WANT to have something to be proud of, or are they content to sit in a big puddle of mediocrity, feeling sorry for themselves as they watch our national team lose again?
A national team is that, NATIONAL. It reflects our nation.
Whatever the sport is, surely we want our national team to do well? To do us proud?
Now however, it looks like something to be proud of could be getting nearer and nearer, and I personally can't wait.
I thought John Motson's comment during the game summed it up nicely: "This could be England's biggest win over Germany since the war..."
I don't think anyone else picked up the double meaning in that remark, but we were in stitches down our pub when we heard him say that just after the fifth goal went in.
I don't think anyone else picked up the double meaning in that remark, but we were in stitches down our pub when we heard him say that just after the fifth goal went in.
Football is more than a game, it's a passion.
I'll never forget the ay I felt when we thrashed germany 5-1, or holland 4-1, or, best of all, the last few miniutes of that champions league final. You know the one ;)
It's a passioon more than a game. Whoever you pledge your allegiance to, it's the same feeling. The type of feeling that you only get when it's not just you that's happy, but that you also know the whole country is ecstatic with you.
Primal instinct perhaps? Being pack hunters, we naturally have the 'team' spirit for it.
Oh, byt the way, you missed out darts. We rock at darts ;)
I'll never forget the ay I felt when we thrashed germany 5-1, or holland 4-1, or, best of all, the last few miniutes of that champions league final. You know the one ;)
It's a passioon more than a game. Whoever you pledge your allegiance to, it's the same feeling. The type of feeling that you only get when it's not just you that's happy, but that you also know the whole country is ecstatic with you.
Primal instinct perhaps? Being pack hunters, we naturally have the 'team' spirit for it.
Oh, byt the way, you missed out darts. We rock at darts ;)
Exactly.
I'm not a Nationalist either, but - as you said - the win made me feel good.
I still smile when I think about it now.
I'm not a Nationalist either, but - as you said - the win made me feel good.
I still smile when I think about it now.
I would say I support my club team with more passion and enthusiasm than I do the national team (England in my case), but I can't deny that when England win - especially when they win playing excellent football - it makes me feel good. The day after the German match I had a spring in my step, and I am by no means what you'd call a nationalist. There's nothing wrong with feeling proud of your country, and sporting success gives you a rush of harmless patriotism. When the outcome does not turn out how I want it to though, I just shrug my shoulders and hope we can improve in the future.
Football is a game. It's important. It's important to me. But it's not life and death.
Football is a game. It's important. It's important to me. But it's not life and death.
Any other thoughts?
That is very very true. We used to be rubbish at nearly every single sport, ever.
Now thank the lord for Sven. He has turned England around.
I first thought this "why should a sweedish person manage england?"
Now I am so sorry for saying this he is amazing.
Also other sports, Our rugby team has got better so have all others except Golf, which as you say isnt really a sport :-D
Now thank the lord for Sven. He has turned England around.
I first thought this "why should a sweedish person manage england?"
Now I am so sorry for saying this he is amazing.
Also other sports, Our rugby team has got better so have all others except Golf, which as you say isnt really a sport :-D
Damn right its not just agame... I had a mild heart attack during the Scotland game tonight
Scotland team = morons
Officials = morons
:-D
Scotland team = morons
Officials = morons
:-D
"It's only a game", they say. But is it? Yes football is a game, but a damn important one.
I think it's fair to say that 5 years ago the UK was pretty crap at most sports. Only getting 1 gold medal at an olympics is pretty pathetic. Losing constantly at cricket, bar the odd fluke result, not having any world class players in tennis or golf. Having a rubbish football team, and being mediocre at rugby.
I was fed up of hearing sports results on the news, and hearing that we're losing this or having players knocked out of that. Ok, no team wins *every* match they play, but be honest, we were pretty rubbish really.
5 years ago, the only sport we were any good at was motorsports, F1 and Rallying. The UK was the base for some of the top teams, and we produced some world champions as well.
Now, however, it's different.
We've got an ever improving team at rugby, one that can actually compete against teams from the southern hemisphere rather than just turn up to look good. We have good young tennis players coming through, and we are steadily getting better at cricket. We're still crap at golf, but thats not a "proper" sport anyway... :-)
But we've made the biggest improvments in football. The results we've had since old Sven-ny boy took over have spoken for themselves. In the 7 or so games he's been in charge, there has been a remarkable turnaround.
Yet some people say, "Whats the big deal? It's only a game." Which is true, but there is something more important about football. It restores national pride. Our victory over germany on saturday will have been talked about all over the world, and that makes me feel good.
Ok, it's one small step on the road to winning the world cup, but it's a step nonetheless. IF we beat Greece next month, which I have no doubts that we will, then people may start to take notice of us. No longer will other countries, when they have to play us, say "Oh, it's only England, easy win for us". We will start to be respected, we will have something to be proud of.
When was the last time we could say to ourselves "Yeah, we're the best in the world at...."? Ages ago, thats when. But now when we DO start to get good at something, people say "It's only a game." Do people from this country WANT to have something to be proud of, or are they content to sit in a big puddle of mediocrity, feeling sorry for themselves as they watch our national team lose again?
A national team is that, NATIONAL. It reflects our nation.
Whatever the sport is, surely we want our national team to do well? To do us proud?
Now however, it looks like something to be proud of could be getting nearer and nearer, and I personally can't wait.
I think it's fair to say that 5 years ago the UK was pretty crap at most sports. Only getting 1 gold medal at an olympics is pretty pathetic. Losing constantly at cricket, bar the odd fluke result, not having any world class players in tennis or golf. Having a rubbish football team, and being mediocre at rugby.
I was fed up of hearing sports results on the news, and hearing that we're losing this or having players knocked out of that. Ok, no team wins *every* match they play, but be honest, we were pretty rubbish really.
5 years ago, the only sport we were any good at was motorsports, F1 and Rallying. The UK was the base for some of the top teams, and we produced some world champions as well.
Now, however, it's different.
We've got an ever improving team at rugby, one that can actually compete against teams from the southern hemisphere rather than just turn up to look good. We have good young tennis players coming through, and we are steadily getting better at cricket. We're still crap at golf, but thats not a "proper" sport anyway... :-)
But we've made the biggest improvments in football. The results we've had since old Sven-ny boy took over have spoken for themselves. In the 7 or so games he's been in charge, there has been a remarkable turnaround.
Yet some people say, "Whats the big deal? It's only a game." Which is true, but there is something more important about football. It restores national pride. Our victory over germany on saturday will have been talked about all over the world, and that makes me feel good.
Ok, it's one small step on the road to winning the world cup, but it's a step nonetheless. IF we beat Greece next month, which I have no doubts that we will, then people may start to take notice of us. No longer will other countries, when they have to play us, say "Oh, it's only England, easy win for us". We will start to be respected, we will have something to be proud of.
When was the last time we could say to ourselves "Yeah, we're the best in the world at...."? Ages ago, thats when. But now when we DO start to get good at something, people say "It's only a game." Do people from this country WANT to have something to be proud of, or are they content to sit in a big puddle of mediocrity, feeling sorry for themselves as they watch our national team lose again?
A national team is that, NATIONAL. It reflects our nation.
Whatever the sport is, surely we want our national team to do well? To do us proud?
Now however, it looks like something to be proud of could be getting nearer and nearer, and I personally can't wait.