THERE we were, sitting quietly watching England's footballers play the Belgium footballers in the European Nations' Cup. It was shaping up to England playing. • cilalalici English football - boring and predictable. Then, riots, tear gas and, at last, real and down, with the English supporters well and truly dras. the big debare started: shar Victory to the victimised, brutal Italian polite. * 'a very good team'. (prime ministers be be ignored. was typical next encounter -suddenly, Italy on Sunday. tween the unaise After the excitement had died get smashed, and the but to no effect. The use InE answer seemed way back in 1966. enemy. was our ally Italians outplayed bewildered All workers must oppose the Then, Thatcher went on to say that the English footballers were That showed good chances. she knew nothing about footbal never do). perhaps whatever she said about in the studio the events of that afternoon should best to suspend judge. ment on the whole issue until the JOICH ICIS England versus As it turned out the replay beItalian cops proved a damp squib The Italian fans tried their best to going animals at the English him; dirty trick or adit The.English players seemed as stayed fans. The Britannia department of the game. "The o" Tine should be. Holy Pasir possi score was so close only because the Italians missed at least three or four That was not how the Englist commentators and the experts back saw it. The Italians nau playea alrty tney insisted; int felled kicking the Even with only the restricted viobvious that this was a load or rudoisn. sure ine Hallans playco rough, but so too did the English. The English captain Kevin Keegan ting Butch Wilkins performed a two; the B0C1 I a After the game the English fans Benne and - sang : 'Rule Britanhia" "rüles" the waves! That decided ble to have any sympathy for this drunken jack-waving chauvinistic rabble?
There English chauvinism horrible and dangerous sentiment. It is fanned wiene they applaud the SAS murderers o Embassy seige Englist less harmfully, that 'our' team is 'very good', raise Lumpen elements in English society expectations which Grey wen do lo cor English to win, quite English aren't up to it And so England is out of d uropean Nations' Cup. Exit d animals Socialist Challenge • 19 June 1960- Page 15
Socialist Challenge