I’ll wait (60 years apparently).
The England men’s national football team loves to relive its failures as if they are things for future generations to live up to.
Over this World Cup period, I’ve watched a mini doc on Alan Shearer recollecting the 1998 campaign where they eventually lost to Argentina in the Round of 16 on penalties. This specific arc has been pushed multiple times even before the upcoming semi final clash with Argentina and it puzzles me. Even if it was a “destined” matchup at this World Cup, why hone in it or Shearer’s specific anguish?
I’ve not seen anything about the 1–0 win in 2002 (yet; they’ll mention it in the pre-match stuff tonight I suspect), the epic 3–2 win in 2005, or the 1–0 win in 1966 when they won the bloody thing! And aside from that, the BBC has made a documentary on the failed “golden generation of 2006”. How is that helpful while the current generation1 is trying to win a major tournament for the first time since 1966?
I get that fans don’t want to get their hopes up and paradoxically tip toe around the subject of winning it but also sing Football’s Coming Home at any opportunity. And perhaps there aren’t as many glory days for England vs. other nations but there really is no need to focus so much on failure when all you want to do is succeed. It loses its potency as fuel for winning if you revel in it instead.
- The senior men of course. The women and men’s youth teams have been significantly more successful in recent years ↩︎