Global Beautiful Game in Brazil
Yes the global beautiful game has begun. Teams from 32 countries now contest the greatest of games trophy in Brazil. Whilst England is the home and originator of the modern game of football, Brazil is regarded as the game’s spiritual home. This once poor country which is now among the richest, adopted football with a passion and fervour unrivalled in any other soccer playing nation. Brazil have won the WC five times and national pride demands they win a sixth on home soil. It would be a national disaster if they don’t!
England have won the WC once, way back in 1966 at Wembley Stadium. I was 11 years old and have memories watching the games on the family’s TV in black & white view, as widely available colour TV was a few years away.
The 1966 England team were most talented as they proved. My favourite player was the legendary goal keeper Gordon Banks, I am lucky to have his autograph. Gordon was acknowledged as the world’s greatest Goalkeeper of his era. When England played Brazil at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Gordon’s stunning save against Pele the then world’s greatest football player, has become the stuff of legend in football folklore.
Since 1970, England have never shone at subsequent World Cup Finals. Only under the late great England manager Bobby Robson did they show some promise in the 1980s.
Many think that England cannot produce the team spirit and understanding of the 1966-70 team, where most of the players came form one or two clubs and knew each others style.
Since the 1990s, the English Premier League (PL) clubs and the many millions of pounds generated have dominated the English club game to the detriment of the national game.
Rich PL clubs buy top talented expensive foreign players on fabulous wages. This has weakened home-grown talent coming though and those talented English players can be pressured by certain clubs they play for not to get injured in international tournaments as the investment and money-making potential is the priority for Premier League clubs, who want to win the top club competitions such as the European Champions League (domestic cups such as the FA Cup are now a poor second in the goals of rich PL club owners ).
The England team and squad now have a crop of talented youngsters coming through, if only they can make a team spirit and national pride above club when required, that teams like Germany and Brazil have created to meld together a winning team.
England fans are passionate about their game and team.
Our flag out and proud!
As Jean and I take our lively Terrier for a walk around our neighbourhood in the evenings, we have seen the gradual appearance of a number of England flags with the distinctive Red Cross of St. George being draped from bedroom windows in houses and flats/apartments; many cars and vans now sport a small England flag too! We must look for our flag too and we look forward to the England games and hope that our team will progress in the tournament of this Beautiful Game.