Hello guys, how’s it going, you being a grandchild of mine?
Being your grandad is just grand, piling up the savings accounts that grows up alongside the number of children that your respective parents have, one for one.
Five so far! Such joy!!
Anyway, ecstasy aside, it’s the morning of Sunday 20th August, 2023. A meaningful date for lots of people for one reason or another, birthdays, anniversaries. However today adds a one off event that is stirring the nerve ends of millions of people – yes, millions – that is the Women’s Football World Cup Final, kick off this morning , in Australia, 11.00 am. Our time.
The fevered noise is building, aided and abetted by just in control female football pundits, screaming about the possibility that England Women will win against Spain, a somewhat surprise nation in the tournament but awash with style and talent.
The fans, ex UK pats and those who travelled to the down under islands are really having a ball, I’m loving how much they are giving an honest performance, fans and players, no diving, time wasting – maybe queuing for beer – and totally free to wear overpriced football shirts. Families in abundance – Nice!!
They keep talking about ‘Football coming home’, an over used phrase attached to the English mens football efforts in tournaments, all ultimately failing. It’s a typical English arrogance and locked into its history of raiding and rubbishing other countries across history – and originally penned in a ‘pop song’ equally pompous but doomed to fail.
The other inevitable shout out is the recall of 1966 when England won the mens world cup, just after the ice age ended.
God, it’s painful listening to these mentions, they are particularly screech-worthy here in Scotland where we confess to our loathing of the claims that England rules the world, most appalling behaviour.
I remember where I was when England beat West Germany in 1966, in a wealthy neighbours house, Linns Mill, Newbridge outside Edinburgh, I believe, supporting England at the time . Big TV.
Bobby Moore, Nobby Stiles, Geoff Hurst and team.
Thank you Colonel Monro.
I still own the guilt of supporting our neighbours! – I’d have thought I’d have matured by now,
Grandads wisdom. But no, it seems.
I want Spain to win – level one, as I can’t stand listening to the English journalese jingoism for the rest of my life. Childish? Oh yes!
I want England to win – level two – because they have an honesty about how they play, how they want to play and they are pretty good at having great celebrations. Mostly though it’s what they have done to future link women’s football not only in the English league, but also the UK and World leagues and give status and style with dignity into the faces of the male loaded suits that run world football. Play well, girls/ladies/women and maybe, just maybe, win.
So its before kick off guys, I’m really scunnered with the British TV imperialist attitudes. Good ness, in Football for God’s sake.
And production teams. Have a word – the ‘day trip’ screaming of the women pundits is
charming but lacks class and therefore gravitas when it’s required.
So let’s see how it goes.
They think it’s all over, well, it is now!!!
It’s the following day, Spain celebrates a one nil victory, England ‘should have been us’ wailing all around the houses, in truth, the best most attractive football team won.
It’s boring but so was the majority of Englands tactics, though they had a couple of close attempts on goal.
Spain had three, at least, players who were a cut above the English players. English a bit more industrious rather than artistic. Amen.
So now the aftermath, inevitable post mortem, greetin’ meetin’analysis. The biggest issue is to ask what the relative success has done for women’s soccer around the world and here in the UK for women’s sport all round.
When 10 year old comparisons are made, a great deal has progressed. It is acutely embarrassing to see how women’s sport was treated in the last 20 years in the UK and definitely here in Scotland.
The overused term ‘legacy’ will be thrown around, like all the other big sporting events , only a few pundits will admit out loud that legacy is bull for the most part, the odd building aside.
We shall see, guys. How is it now for you? What year is it?
I’m sorry England didn’t win.
Be part of the vision!!