Euro 2020 - Lets remember it for the good things

 I was rather hoping that waking up this morning would be one of the happier days of my life. Regular readers will know I'm a football lover. England have just had their best performance in a major tournament since 1966 when I was three years old. The side is young, dynamic and packed with talent. They took a brilliant Italian team, a team I picked out as my pre match favourites, all the way. We were even ahead in the penalty shoot out at one point. The team has players such as Marcus Rashford, who has redifined how we think of footballers, with his campaign for school dinners for hungry kids. The manager has shown a refereshingly honest and open approach to the job.  As an act of penance, I reread the blog I wrote when England were knocked out of the Euro 2016 competition. It is like reading a blog from another age. We have so much to be happy about. And yet....

The stories today are all about 'on line abuse and racism'. Out of a country of sixty million people, a minutely small band of racist idiots have pissed on all of our parties. They have hijacked the narrative and moved it into where they want it. We are talking about race rather than national unity. They have defined a subset of our players as other and we've bought it. I am sickened. I genuinely didn't know what to write this morning. And then.....

No I refuse to let a bunch of racist twats define my memories, piss on my nation, label football fans in any way. I REJECT THEM. I am a proud England fan. I am proud that Raheem Stirling of Manchester City had a great tournament, scored three wonderful goals and got us to the final. This is not because of his colour. It is because he is a damn fine footballer and as an intelligent person, that is what matters. I am proud that John Stones, Kyle Walker and Phil Foden also represent my club in the England set up. I am proud that Harry Kane, Raheem Stirling and Buyako Saka are from my home City of London. I am proud that the game I love produces young men like Marcus Rashford, who recognise that they have influence and use it for good. These amazing young men and their brilliant manager have lifted our mood. I am not going to let a bunch of racist cowards, hiding in their bedrooms, bashing furiously at their keyboards spoil a second. Lets look forward. Lets dream of them lifting the World Cup next year.

As to the violent scenes. These were not about football. They were about people being drunk and not being able to behave themselves. We've all been locked up like farm animals for eighteen months. Far too many, shackles released, went over the top, got completely bladdered and acted like idiots. This has nothing to do with football. The police will tell you our pubs and clubs see this every weekend in normal times. The football just gave a release, so there was a higher than usual number of drunk people in one place than usual and the press were looking for stories. 

In five years time, the morons will be forgotten, I just hope this is the start of a golden era for English football. And I hope that golden era is one which is inclusive and where we finally put the ghastly shadow of racism behind us and embrace the fact that the reason we have such a great team is because we welcome everyone. 

I wrote a song last year and made a video that sums up my view of racism.

How the Euro2020 finals have moved the earth on its axis

The strangest thing happened this morning. I got up with a hangover, having last night had a curry and then watched the match at The Mill Hill Services club. I probably had a couple of pints more than I should have. I'd left work, gone straight to the Mill Hill Tandoori to meet a couple of friends, then we adjourned to the club. It was a tense match and with extra time and celebrations, it was not an early night. When I got home, I had to take the dog out for a walk, so by the time I was in bed, my good lady was fast asleep. 

This morning I woke up with a sore head, but in a happy mood. I shuffled down and had my porridge. We then took the dogs out for a walk over the fields at the back of the Ridgeway. To my amazement, my wife said "It was a good match, wasn't it". She has previously had zero interest in football. She then told me that the wife of the friend I had a curry and watched the match with, had asked the girls around to for a girls football party. Even more strangely, she then told me that they'd been winding one of the girls up as she'd put a £10 bet on Denmark.

If someone had told me that my wife would be at a girls football party, and winding her mates up for placing dodgy bets, I'd have thought you were mad, but this tournament has been such an amazing journey that I think we are all joining in. I know plenty of females who love football, have season tickets etc, but most in our circle have shown little interest and would rather chat in the kitchen whilst their partners avidly watched in the sitting room. 

In part, I think it is the fact that England have an eloquent manager, who acts like a grown up and you can't help but like. Most of the squad are the age of our children and we have marvelled at how eloquent and aware the current brand of footballer is. I asked my wife what is different with this tournament and she said that the problem for her has always been that she associated football with 'sweary, sweaty blokes drinking to much beer". This generation, with players like Marcus Rashford, seem to be a little different. They seem to be using their position to show a degree of moral leadership. Twenty years ago, footballers all seemed to be about WAGS, crashing expensive sports cars and getting caught out for being drunk and cheating on their partners. There was little that my missus would see to admire in such people. We are a family with many sporting associations. My daughter was a national swimming champion, so we know what elite sport is about. My wife has always loved watching swimming and tennis, but until this tournament, football was not on the menu.

I think there was a key moment, when the world shifted on its axis. It is interesting to think that if Sam Allardyce had not been stitched up by The Sun, filmed drinking pints of wine, he'd probably be the manager and we'd probably have a very different team. That sliding doors moment has transformed England as a footballing nation. 

It seems to me that football has brought the country closer together and perhaps healed a little of the divisions that have separated us. I think that it is probably too late, but I can't help but wish that we had a Team GB rather than England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. If the whole nation could get together behing our team, then it would be a really unifying force. Unfortunately I think there is now zero chance, with a Scottish Nationalist govt. To me, that is a real shame because I believe we are better together.