Thursday 24 June 2010

Good Luck, England


My boyfriend is in South Africa just at the present with the rest of the barmy army. We’ve had some lengthy conversations recently, dominated, I have to say, by his growing sense of frustration and disappointment over the team’s performance. I much prefer tennis, so I was just ever so slightly bored!

No, I don’t care that much for soccer; I don’t understand the passions and the tribal mentality it induces. It seems to me to go against all of the principles of sportsmanship, or at least how I understand sportsmanship. It’s the one enthusiasm that he and I do not share. But I do care for my country, and deeply so, just as I care for him. He called after the Slovenia match in an incredibly upbeat mood. His enthusiasm, his optimism, was infectious.

Now the big battle is ahead, that with the ‘ancient’ enemy. I will be with him in spirit. I won’t watch because I simply can’t bear the tension. It may come to nothing; my sense of realism tells me that it’s likely to come to nothing. Still, like the rest of the nation, like all of us who are not there, my positive good wishes, all my best hopes, are with the team. Good luck, England; good luck, my country.

20 comments:

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  2. You really should make much more use of your sense of humour. :-)

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  9. Ancient enemy?

    We're playing Germany, not France ;-)

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  10. Don't call it 'soccer' - that is american.

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  11. Adam, your chant has been emailed to South Africa. :-))

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  12. QM, hence the ' '. I'm being impish. :-)

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  13. Spitfire, that shows you how much I know. :-))

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  14. if i am not a real fan of soccer, i totally "hate" american football - game of mob.
    my tv mostly stays on winbledon, hope murray does well in the final (if he can get there) as well as yesterday, with queen' loyal attendance.
    glade you like tennis over soccer.:-)
    anyway, i had fun to write this joke in english:
    http://humanwithoutgod.blogspot.com/2010/06/red-joke-i-could-never-forget.html

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  16. Don't despair Ana, if he is there supporting the English team, you'll soon have him by your side.

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  17. You base football player.

    King Lear.

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  18. Yun Yi, I've really been enjoying the Wimbeldon tournament here. Murray is a good player. I just wish he wasn't, well, quite so Scttish. I find it almost impossible to warm to his dour personality. :-) I'll have a look at that post in a bit.

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  19. Rainer, how prescient of you. :-) Actually, he has some business in South Africa, so he should be there for the final.

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  20. Nobby, No, I will be a pattern of all patience; I will say nothing. :-)

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