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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/28/when-english-football-mirrors-its-politics-all-too-well
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| When English football mirrors its politics all too well When English football mirrors its politics all too well | |
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| Something about England’s loss to Iceland struck me as emblematic of the whole English national psyche. We acted like a world power before that match. Not even we really believed it, but somehow we had faith that if we said the right things then our fantasy would come true. How were Iceland the underdogs going into the tie? Their group record was better than ours and they looked more convincing. But the English mentality ignores facts in favour of myth. However, as soon as it’s put to the test, that myth looks incredibly fragile and we’re left shaking and trembling as the reality of our situation hits home – unable to act as the weight of our delusions buckles our knees. This is the attitude that has seen us fail to learn the lessons of foreign wars from Suez to Iraq and has given us the idea that we can somehow opt out of the modern globalised world to stand aloof and untouched. As a nation we are unbearably pretentious but when put to the test we are left crying in self-pity. This outlook has seen us in the mess we are today. Some people are saying the footballers let us down. Not so. They represented us perfectly.Mark BarrowcliffeBrighton | Something about England’s loss to Iceland struck me as emblematic of the whole English national psyche. We acted like a world power before that match. Not even we really believed it, but somehow we had faith that if we said the right things then our fantasy would come true. How were Iceland the underdogs going into the tie? Their group record was better than ours and they looked more convincing. But the English mentality ignores facts in favour of myth. However, as soon as it’s put to the test, that myth looks incredibly fragile and we’re left shaking and trembling as the reality of our situation hits home – unable to act as the weight of our delusions buckles our knees. This is the attitude that has seen us fail to learn the lessons of foreign wars from Suez to Iraq and has given us the idea that we can somehow opt out of the modern globalised world to stand aloof and untouched. As a nation we are unbearably pretentious but when put to the test we are left crying in self-pity. This outlook has seen us in the mess we are today. Some people are saying the footballers let us down. Not so. They represented us perfectly.Mark BarrowcliffeBrighton |
| • As in politics so in football: when the hour came, there was no plan.Simeon GilchristLondon | • As in politics so in football: when the hour came, there was no plan.Simeon GilchristLondon |
| • It is comforting that the England team has heeded the prime minister’s urging to respect the out decision of the electorate. Andrew MathesonAlcester, Warwickshire | • It is comforting that the England team has heeded the prime minister’s urging to respect the out decision of the electorate. Andrew MathesonAlcester, Warwickshire |
| • Can we start a petition for the England-Iceland match to be replayed? We’ll get the right result next time.Jonathan StanleyGodmanchester, Cambridgeshire | • Can we start a petition for the England-Iceland match to be replayed? We’ll get the right result next time.Jonathan StanleyGodmanchester, Cambridgeshire |
| • Roy Hodgson is held responsible for England’s demise, but the poor chap has been working under the same handicap as all his predecessors: he can only pick Englishmen.Dave HarrisPotters Bar, Hertfordshire | • Roy Hodgson is held responsible for England’s demise, but the poor chap has been working under the same handicap as all his predecessors: he can only pick Englishmen.Dave HarrisPotters Bar, Hertfordshire |
| • Hvað er íslenska orðið fyrir “schadenfreude”?Fr Alec MitchellManchester | • Hvað er íslenska orðið fyrir “schadenfreude”?Fr Alec MitchellManchester |
| • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com | • Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com |