Originally Posted by
jimmyscoular
My attitude to this was shaped in 1970 when I was 13 years old. I loved the English team and was miserable when they were eliminated by West Germany. In people like Nobby Stiles and Alan Ball and the Charlton brothers I recognized “my people.” That they technically were English, and had funny accents, meant nothing. I loved everything about them, even that year’s World Cup song, “Back Home.” I still feel this way. If the English are not exactly “my people,” well they’re pretty darn close — in fact, could literally not be closer. I loved Alf Garnett, The Likely Lads, Eric and Ernie, Steptoe and Son, Reg Varney, Benny Hill and Esther Rantzen, all of whom were English. I have no desire to go the Serbia-Bosnia or Turkey-Greece route. Peace brothers. I’ll be watching and waiting and cheering every move.