So the England team has recorded the victory needed to get its Euro 2008 qualification hopes back on track.
The question I have been wrestling with is this: do I really care? Although I feel almost duty bound to be ecstatic by last night’s 3-0 win over Russia, the simple fact is that Fulham’s results now mean far more to me than the fortunes of the national side.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I love my country dearly and was pleased to see Owen bag a couple of goals, but I just can’t get so worked-up about internationals matches anymore. Only the exploits of our own boys have the power to affect my mood long after the final whistle has blown.
In fairness, this is a change I have noticed gradually taking place over the past couple of years.
The first inkling came during a friendly against Portugal when Boa was upended by Phil Neville (I believe) and I found myself swearing at the (then) Man U man. An odd feeling to say the least.
Maybe it’s because we experience conflicting emotions virtually every day through following our clubs, whereas the agony of being an England fan only really comes around every other summer when we rummage in the cupboard for the St George’s Cross and play ‘Football’s Coming Home’ until our ears bleed.
To me, nothing matches the excitement of club football. From the highs of a win over one of the big four to the lows of watching us exit yet another cup competition on the back of a woeful midweek performance in the rain. It’s what the game is all about.
The multi-cultural nature of today's football sides have also played a part as I must admit to have taken a far closer interest in the results of countries such as the USA since Brian, Boca and Clint joined our ranks. It’s a similar situation with our friends in Northern Ireland following the arrival of Healy & Co during the summer.
The actions of players like David Bentley hardly endear me to the England cause either. Pulling out of the U21 squad last summer because he was worried about “fatigue” later in the season! And they wonder why the watching public feel say they have lost touch with modern day players. The boos ringing around Wembley when this relative nobody made his full debut last Saturday seemed to prove that I wasn’t the only one to hold such a jaundiced view.
Of course, all this could just be a self-defence mechanism.
Maybe my body has decided I can no longer take any more misery and shut down my emotional attachment to the national team. After all, I’ve spent the best part of two decades crying after major tournaments so it would make sense.
The first time I experienced the full grief-like pain was after we were sent packing from Mexico ’86 thanks to Maradona’s ‘Hand of Cheating Git’; then four years later I was sobbing alongside Gazza as the Germans put us out in the semi finals in Italy.
Graham Taylor’s ineptitude saved me in 1994 but the tears were back again in 1996 as, once again, we departed in the semi-finals of the European championships on our home soil. More misery followed in France ’98, Euro 2000, Japan ’02 and Euro 2004, but by the time of last year’s World Cup in Germany I had virtually become immune to what was unfolding on the pitch.
Of course I was disappointed that we didn't progress but it passed quickly and I was soon looking ahead to another season following the boys in the Premier League, with all the heartache and joy which that entails.
Perhaps by the time next summer rolls around I will have rediscovered my national footballing pride. Who knows? The only thing I can say with any certainty is that I’d swap England’s place in the Euros for a guarantee that Fulham will be in this season's FA Cup Final. And if that makes me a traitor then take me to the tower.
* As an international footnote, well done (again) to David Healy who netted for Northern Ireland and for Simon Davies who got on the score sheet for Wales.
Signing off
5 years ago
3 comments:
I still care about England but you're right it's not with the same passion. For England it's the summer tournaments that really count, when there's something tangible to try and win and no club football to concern you. I'd take Fulham in the F.A. Cup final over Euro 2008 qualification as well though.
I felt the same until very recently. The team is a lot more appealing now it's embracing the concept of 'team over individuals'. Whether this remains when the 'big players' are fit again remains to be seen, but it's fun for now.
We went last night (See CCN for details!) and had a really good time. It's surprising what difference having Heskey and Barry in the side makes...
Rich
As usual, really nice writing Rich. I always enjoy a stop over here and taking a read.
It seems all the Fulham bloggers are a bit jaundiced from players who are over confident and arrogant. It also sounds as if you gentlemen are calloused from all the years of England being close but never quite getting there. That actually makes a lot of sense to me. It's like a bad relationship, you just quite carring so much so it doesn't hurt so bad.
It's such a different thing in the U.S. for us, as we are still a developing football nation. It seems we are on a continual growing trend as far as skill and experience. But let me tell you WC 06 was a tough one to watch for us. Bruce Arena who had taken the team so far as a nation of "soccer", fell back into safe tactics and it killed the team. It always seems we need to play full out attacking football or we end up in a bad way. In fact I think that is one of the developing traits of the U.S. team. But we suffered much agony also.
For us, the club passion just isn't quite there yet. At least not to the same degree as it is for you. I'm sure having grown up with your teams, and often your fathers and grandfathers all supporting that same team breeds a passion that is instilled into the soul. I think you can find that same passion with American football (pointy not round) here in the States. There is no other sport here in the U.S. where so many bleed their teams colors. But still, there is no passion in any sport like a football (round not pointy) supporters passion.
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