And on that note, here`s something I got emailed the other day which made me laugh:
David Beckham,
Your ` plea to England fans` just shows us how out of touch and naive you are when it comes to understanding England supporters. To you, and the media and public at large, England supporters are a bunch of working-class, racist thugs intent on trouble no matter where they are. If you paid more attention to what it means to be a supporter, you might change your views. I`ve travelled all over the world to watch England, mostly during the eighties. I`ve been gassed in Spain, truncheoned in Argentina, hospitalised in Italy and hidden in dustbins in Turkey to avoid being carved up like a sunday roast. I`ve paid for the pleasure by labouring on building sites, washing dishes, cutting grass and all manner of menial tasks just for the sheer heartache of seeing England fail at the highest level time and time again.
For your information, I`m not a member of the Headhunters, F Troop, ICF or any other football firm and I`m not a member of the NF, Combat 18 or the BNP (in case you haven`t noticed, a good percentage of the senior and under-21 teams are black, so `racist England supporters` seems a bit ridiculous).There are thousands of blokes like me,men who are proud of their country yet find it increasingly difficult to express our patriotism without being labelled racist.
Football is one of the last bastions of English, working-class pride and that is quickly being eroded by big-business corporations working hand in hand with the government and the police to dish out draconian punishments whilst rapists and muggers go free. And yet, still we spend our hard-earned (you wouldn`t know what that means) money to go and see you and your team-mates crash out of another competition. And what`s the big deal about jumping on the pitch for a few seconds? This has been happening for over a hundred years and normally the pitch is cleared pretty quick. You`re talking like it`s a hanging offence. Whilst you`re scoring goals and running to the crowd in acknowledgement, what do you expect us to do? Clap politely? We share in the emotion as much (if not more) than you do. Anyone who saw Stuart Pearce`s penalty against Spain in Euro 96 and his reaction afterwards will understand the emotions that drive the long suffering England supporter. That one moment was worth a hundred games.
Here`s an idea. Why don`t you make the same plea to the Turkish fans who relish in the intimidation of England supporters? And how about the Dutch, German and French firms who queue up to `have a go` when we`re abroad. No,it`s always the English isn`t it? You live in a bubble, mate. You travel first-class with Police and security in attendance, PA`s fawning and scraping to tend to your every need, shopping behind closed doors (except in the States where they`ve never heard of you - but your wife`s trying to `up` your profile so don`t worry too much)......so... how can you possibly preach to England supporters!?
The FA obviously picked you because they think you`re a `national icon` and people will listen to you. Well,here`s a news flash...you are - to twelve year olds and under. To the rest of us, you wear skirts and women`s underwear, worry more about fashion and your hair than playing for your country, you`re under the thumb with what-ever-her-name-is and you have NO IDEA what it means to be an England supporter. I`m sure you`re a nice bloke and all that, but don`t tell me about football. I was on the terraces while your mum was still wiping your ar*e.
Chris Cox
Region 1 News Editor, Columnist and Site Reviewer
DVD Reviewer
http://www.cbcox.org.uk - Orange SPV, Photography and SNES
