UPDATE 20 AUGUST 2024 The Lionesses have given the best of themselves and represented and inspired a nation in doing so. It has been such a joy to witness their journey through the tournament. Pain, disappointment, pride and success can coexist! Lost on points, but won countless hearts. Thank you
This is an online version of my column for the 26 July 2023 edition of the Billericay & Wickford Gazette.
Football, almost more than any other sport, defines who we are as a nation. In a country with many social and cultural differences, football acts as a bridge between communities. It’s one of those subjects that we use to open up a conversation with a total stranger! For me, I’m optimistic that Sunderland will find themselves in an automatic promotion spot at the end of the coming season.
For all you footballaphobes (yes, there is such a word) there is no escaping the hype of Australia/New Zealand 2023. As I write, the Lionesses are preparing for their opening fixtures in the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup. Expectations for coach Sarina Wiegman and her squad are high. As reigning European champions, England are one of the tournament favourites. The Lionesses won a whole new generation of fans, male and female alike, during Euro 2022, bringing new names to our attention. Instead of Harry Kane and Jack Grealish, we have Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Millie Bright.
The most famous footballer in the world must be Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pele – 52 years after he retired from playing. Pele scored an amazing 1281 goals in 1363 games (an average of .94 per goals a game) with 92 hat-tricks. He won three World Cups. Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar have a long way to go to reach those dizzy heights. Pele, more than anything, embodied all that was good about sportsmanship. It seems to me that men can learn a lot from the way women play ‘The Beautiful Game.’ It’s quite refreshing.
Pele once said: “God was always important to me. All my life I thank God for the gifts he has given me.” Pele, like many sportsmen and women, quotes Philippians 4:13 for inspiration: “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
A World Cup can be a divisive event – especially if you’re not a fan. Some of you won’t want to waste time watching 22 women kicking around a bag of air and will disagree with former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly when he said: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it’s much serious than that.” I want to offer a few suggestions on how you can survive with your relationships intact!
- Remember it’s only for one month.
- Do not accept any joint invitations for a fixture which is in the diary.
- Go through the fixture list and meet up with friends on those dates.
- Book in a few jobs around the house when no matches are scheduled.
- If you decide to watch a match with your partner, avoid talking your way through it, commenting on a player’s looks or cheering for the wrong side.
- If you don’t understand the offside rule, or any other rule for that matter, ask for an explanation before a match, never during one.
- Make sure the fridge is stocked with some great snacks and your partner’s favourite drinks.
- Suggest your partner gets together with his or her friends to watch the match when you aren’t around.
- If England lose a match, and your partner is having a sulk, remember it’s not personal!
- Finally, if you do all of the above, you will be in serious credit in your relationship.
The Bible puts football into some perspective: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (1 Corinthians 9:25).”
I’ll be watching as many games as my diary allows and, along with many of you, I will be cheering the Lionesses to bring the 2023 Women’s World Cup home!
Read more Gazette articles here https://revpacman.com/category/billericay-gazette/
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I’m no football fan but……
On visiting my son in Australia he arranged for us to go and see Ireland v Nigeria in the Women’s World Cup at Brisbane stadium. Not a thing that Jacquie and I would normally be bothered with but we had a great time!
From his home in Toowoomba it was an hour’s drive to a station and then 5 quick stops to the stadium on the transit train, and all of the public transport is free on match nights! A lesson for London, maybe!
What a wonderful atmosphere in the city!We went to a bar in nearby Caxton Street and got a pre match bevvy where mostly Irish fans were causing a friendly and fun ruckus! What was confusing was that the Irish supporters wear green and white and so do the Nigerian ones!!
My son got some friendly banter as he was wearing an England rugby shirt and he secured a “flag wrap” for Jacquie.
In the stadium, the atmosphere was maybe not as electric as it could be. After all, this was a group match ‘play off’ but still a crowd of just over 24,000 did their best. There was a Nigerian drum band and the pre match traditional Aboriginal introduction with a didgeridoo created just the right setting. The match itself ended in a 0-0 draw but that reflected how hard the teams played. Courtney Brosnan, the Irish goalkeeper was a well deserved lady of the match as she made some amazing saves against the attacking onslaught of the Nigerians, who reached the quarter finals due to this match being a draw and Australia beating Canada on the same night.
I have to say that I have been to previous international games at Wembley with my son when he was younger and was often embarrassed by the fans language and behaviour. No such problems here. It was a real family event and I think I heard only one bad word all night.
All in all a most enjoyable evening sitting just 7 rows from the pitch along with a couple of my son’s work colleagues from Football Queensland. Thanks go especially to my sons fiancée who drove both ways to and from the station and his mate Trevor who joined us for dinner at home and, as he is a local, gave me a light commentary on parts of Queensland we passed on the way. And of course, to Adam for securing the tickets (they were about £15 each by the way, you can hardly get an ice cream for that at Wembley!!).
John Humphreys
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