The Euro 2024 trophy didn’t come “home” to England, but that’s not what matters.
Since 1996, England fans have been raucously chanting a song called Three Lions, which boldly states that football is “coming home.” To date, it has not done so. In fact, the last international football (meaning soccer) tournament we won was in 1966.
My Canadian buddy sitting next to me was the only person who seemed resilient, not having any particular horse in the race on this occasion. He watched with wry amusement. For the English, though, there was something vaguely masochistic about the situation. The England manager, Gareth Southgate, had brought greater success than most in recent years. But even he seemed powerless to help (and resigned two days later).
As a teenager in Surrey, just outside London, I rather regretfully disconnected from sport in the ’90s, because England never seemed to win a thing. It was bleak being an England fan. David Beckham was a celebrity, but we struggled regardless. I then moved to Canada and happily forgot about such troubling matters, as I eagerly embraced my new Canadian life.
In recent years, I’ve been feeling the pull of the old country more, like a bloke in Marbella draped in the England flag, ordering egg and chips. But even from this side of the pond, being an England fan can be distressing. You could even argue that it’s worse, because your former country is now on display internationally and you therefore become an ambassador of sorts, whether you want to or not.
At least if you lose in a pub in Guildford, where I grew up, you’re among friends. There’s no teasing, but there is some solidarity among folks of generally similar backgrounds. Even when you meet English people abroad, they tend to come from very different towns from yours, as well as from different areas of the country. British identity is very regional, and that makes a difference.
Let’s face it: It has always been a tough gig being an England fan. It is not for the faint-hearted. But I would ask the question: Can the English really claim ownership of football? Kicking ball games arose independently multiple times across multiple cultures. One suspects most countries have historically kicked a pig’s bladder around a field. And in any event, Spain were the better side in the Euro final (and for the whole tournament) and they deserved to win. I heard some of their fans on the news this week, in tears of joy, talking about how proud they were to be from Spain. That is true fandom. The most devoted and hard-working team will always deserve to win.
It occurred to me that there is no “home” to football. Claiming ownership of a sport is to tread — if you will forgive me — on thin ice. Sports are loved by millions of fans around the world, and they bring people together. And that brings me happiness — regardless of who wins.
James Looseley is a West Island-based writer who works in the technology sector.