Forget England, 'real' supporters put club before country
http://football.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1787101,00.html
Nicky Campbell
Thursday June 1, 2006
The Guardian
Like an estranged partner excluded from the birth of his child,
Sven-Goran Eriksson and his staff were kept away from Wayne Rooney's
hospital scan last week by Sir Alex Ferguson. I half expected the Swede
to don an overwashed Superman costume and scale Big Ben in protest. Many
would like to shove Rooney's right foot down the Govan gob but, in
putting club well before country, Ferguson is no different from
thousands of English fans. Are they bothered about Germany? Not much.
In the next few weeks the streets of England will come to resemble
Portadown and the Shankhill Road but would you rather your team won the
Champions League or England won the greatest tournament of all? Since a
section of Manchester United fans started singing "There goes your World
Cup" when Rooney was injured at Chelsea I asked that very question of
Mark Longdon, the chairman of the Independent Manchester United
Supporters Association. He just laughed at me. "I would rather Man Utd
won the Worthington Cup than England won the World Cup. I am currently
trying to source an Argentina flag." And I thought the Jocks were bad.
Of course United fans' resentment at how David Beckham was received at
other grounds after France 98 lingers like a bad smell and Old Trafford
players get a miserable reception from sections of the Eng-er-land
following but there is also a huge element of that most divine English
comedy - snobbery. Mark says: "You very rarely see supporters of the big
clubs at England games. It's club sides who never play in Europe and
their fans get a taste of the buzz. Little teams like Bolton and
Manchester City. TNS Solutions is their idea of a European tie. Quality."
Ben Dimech from Red Action, the Arsenal fanzine, points out that you'll
never spot Gooners On Tour flags. It's all Carshalton, Bromley,
Kidderminster and Slough. It is Betjeman's England, not Wenger's. The
"real" fans see the England followers as arrivistes - country bumpkins
enjoying a fantasy night in the West End with a supermodel before
sloping back out to their bearded wives in the sticks. As Dimech points
out: "It's a lovely chance for them to follow world-class players."
Both he and Mark claim to be in the majority among committed club
supporters. I'd hazard that, when it is 0-0 against Brazil with five
minutes left and the boys in white get a penalty, they might just feel
compelled to put down the sudoku for a minute but ultimately it is a no
brainer.
So where dost thrive unwavering devotion to the noble cause of "this
royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle, this earth of majesty, this
seat of Mars . . . this England"? I dropped a league and spoke to
Charles Ross, editor of the excellent Wolves fanzine, A Load of Old
Bull, and he gave me none. "I would rather Wolves had finished sixth and
made the play-offs than England win the World Cup." But surely he is
English and we are talking about the most cherished sporting prize on
the planet? Which one is he on? "For proper football fans it is club
every time. I have got friends who are England supporters and go to get
the points but they would far rather see Wolves do well."
And just like that old sketch about the English class system - "He looks
down at me and I look down at him" - Ross added: "But for the followers
of the little clubs it is a lovely day out, so good luck to them."
I have an image of a St George's cross hanging near some corner flag of
a foreign field emblazoned with the words "Kidderminster Harriers FC".
It is surely at outposts like this where the devoted fans reside; those
who, like most county cricket followers, have a first loyalty to their
country. Would Alan Shepherd, the chairman of the Kidderminster Harriers
Supporters Trust prefer Kiddy to be in the Football League or Becks to
hold up the Holy Grail.
"No contest." At last, I thought, a true patriot. I was wrong. "It's
Kidderminster first, the supporters trust XI second and England a poor
third."
"This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this - Kidderminster." So
you see, when Sir Alex pees on every lamp-post north of Soho Square, he
is being a proxy for "proper" fans. I vow to thee my season ticket.
_______________________________________________
the Leeds List is an unmoderated mailing list and the list administrators accept no liability for the personal views and opinions of contributors.
Leedslist mailing list
[email protected]
http://list.zetnet.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/leedslist
oh alright then :-)
