Sunday’s final represents an opportunity to unite behind the team - irrespective of our political beliefs or support for adopted causes
Amid the euphoria of England’s first semi-final victory since a Bobby Charlton brace against Portugal took England to the 1966 World Cup Final, there were still those not content to be lost in a moment of English footballing greatness. The irony was that one of those freely engaging in such asceticism was former Manchester United and England right-back-turned-pundit Gary Neville, a man who you would think would enjoy such a feat more keenly than most.
Neville’s thinly-veiled, rancorous remark during his commentary following last night’s semi-final victory over Denmark was delivered with the snide patience of a man who had been waiting days to land his punchline. “The standards of leaders in this country over the last couple of years has been poor and looking at that man there [Southgate], that’s everything a leader should be”. The remark, oblique as it was, was a clear swipe at the Prime Minister and was gleefully taken to be so by a Twitter mob eager to somehow turn this most fantastic of sporting firsts for the country they purport to be so proud of into a victory against the Government.
Neville himself has not been shy regarding the expression of his political opinion. An avowed Labour supporter he often comments on Labour matters or criticises the Government on social media, but why are ITV comfortable with their punditry team weaving their political opinion into their analysis, particularly from someone so clearly politically partisan?
The joy of sport and of getting behind the national team at a major tournament is that it is a unifying experience, a time to celebrate success or collectively commiserate, whatever your place on the political spectrum. The England team has never been viewed as a political vehicle and it matters not where the political opinion of the players lies, but the team is supposed to be representative of the nation. Taking the knee has simultaneously proved ineffective in tackling the issue it clumsily attempts to challenge whilst fuelling division from a team that should be uniting the nation, as its performances this tournament undoubtedly have.
But it is apparent that ever since the England Team chose to take the knee the political left has identified the team as being on their “side” in the supposed culture war. Through their adoption of a gesture that symbolises the campaigning synonymous with the left they have, perhaps unwittingly, aligned themselves to the zealots who are happy to promulgate a narrative that targets those they disagree with; hardly practising what they preach when it comes to eradicating online abuse.
After England’s emphatic 4-0 victory over the Ukraine last week Gary Neville once again saw fit to make political capital, this time at the expense of the Home Secretary Priti Patel. Neville’s swipe, responding to her tweet celebrating the victory with a quote tweet stating that she had a “cheek” to be cheering for the country of her birth, has subsequently been ‘liked’ nearly 70,000 times. The intimation was clear; Priti Patel wasn’t allowed to support England because Neville disagreed with her stance on the team taking the knee.
Neville was teeing up precisely the sort of social media pile-on that the England players are seemingly campaigning against. The subsequent excoriation of Priti Patel by those on the left was deliberate and cynical - an example of the price of dissent.
Sunday’s final against Italy represents not only England’s sternest challenge yet in their tournament run but will be a match where we can all get behind the team, irrespective of our political beliefs or support for adopted causes. If football is the national game, then why not celebrate it as a nation and leave the politics on the bench.
