Now is the time for the weight of English football to finally be lifted
- Years of near misses and defeats have had an impact on the national consciousness. Euro success will lift the mood in a challenging time
A date with destiny awaits England on Sunday night and the nation will come to a standstill for a historic event that could usher in a new era. And it has nothing to do with the recent general election. The football match between England and Spain’s men’s teams will decide who becomes European champions.
For England, a win will end “58 years of hurt”, after multiple failures since winning its only trophy, the World Cup in 1966. (This does not apply to the women’s team, which won the “Euros” in 2022.)
Football fans around the world will be glued to screens for the match, including in Hong Kong. But the timing for the city, with kick-off at 3am Monday, is not good.
England also reached the final in 2021. I was living in Hong Kong at the time and dragged myself out of bed in the early hours to support my team. Dawn was breaking by the time the final penalty kick in the tie-breaking shoot-out was missed, sealing another heroic defeat. I should have stayed in bed.
A similar experience was endured in 1996, when England reached the quarter-final. I watched the game at a crowded bar in Wan Chai. This too, ended, with a crushing penalty loss and weary start to the day.
But redemption might be on the way. The player who missed England’s final penalty that night was Gareth Southgate, now the manager.
During his eight-year reign he has been credited for building team spirit and getting good results. But he is yet to win a trophy and has faced a torrent of criticism over his team selection and tactics.
Earlier in the tournament, lacklustre performances led some England “supporters” to boo and hurl plastic beer cups at their manager.
The mood changed, however, with a quarter-final win last week, followed by a dramatic last-minute semi-final victory. Suddenly, there is much fevered talk of the trophy “coming home”.
Only the English can understand how big a dent in national pride has been caused by decades of footballing failure. The modern game was devised in London in the 19th century. And England has what is generally regarded as the best football league in the world.
Over the years, the country has boasted some of the top players, too. But as a team, they have consistently failed to perform. Maybe the weight of expectation drags them down.
I was too young to witness the World Cup win in 1966. Those victorious players were my generation’s heroes and still enjoy legendary status today. The time for new heroes is long overdue.
The years of failure, the near misses and catastrophic defeats, have had an enduring impact on the national consciousness. The proud “three lions” have been dubbed “the three kittens”. It is a weight that must be lifted.
Supermarkets and restaurants will close early so staff can watch the game. Some schools will open late on Monday, optimistically allowing time for post-match celebrations. Theatre performances and music festivals have rearranged their schedules around the match.
New prime minister Keir Starmer, a devoted fan, briefly ducked out of a Nato meeting to watch England score in the semi-final. He is under pressure to declare a public holiday if the team wins.
Thousands are expected to gather in pubs and in front of big screens to watch the drama unfold. Similar scenes will be witnessed in Spain, whose team have been the best in the tournament so far.
A win would lift the mood in England (although not necessarily elsewhere in the UK), as the new government faces up to numerous challenges. Southgate, reflecting on the importance of perseverance in the face of criticism, said: “We live in what’s been an angry country. I would love that to be different as we move forward. Hopefully, we can bring some temporary happiness.”
Sadly, the world’s problems cannot be resolved by a game of football. But a big match sometimes provides a welcome distraction from them.
