World Cup - England squad finalised

Way to go Jen. I couldn't have put it better myself.

I can quite see how this would be an irritation, but I think there is quite a psychology involved here and you don't quite understand it.

The English regard themselves as the inventors of organised football and inasmuch as the FA was the first truly organised football association, and they did formalise the rules of the game pretty much as we know them today, then you can't deny that we have a point.

For many, many years the English regarded themselves as the masters of the game and again, may have had a point. England were clearly the best team in the pre-war world, but didn't join FIFA (until after World War II) and were therefore ineligible for the pre-war world cups. It became a source of annoyance to the FA though, that Uruguay and Italy called themselves "World Champions" in the 1930's so England took the step of inviting Italy (the holders at the time) to England in 1938, and beat them 3-2 in the infamous "Battle of Highbury". The FA then claimed that, as England had beaten the world cup holders, then by default we must be the true world champions...... an argument mimicked by Scotland in 1967, which went down like a lead fart at FA HQ. lol.

But for 80+ years, the English football fan had an air of insouciance.... almost arrogance.... about him. Bloody foreigners..... think they can play football..? Bring 'em to Wembley and we'll bloody show 'em.

I read of an incident once, where Tommy Lawton was asked by a journalist about the (then) new continental phenomenon of "Coaches". He replied along the lines that he wasn't going to listen to any bloody schoolteacher telling him how to head a football.... or telling Stanley Matthews how to dribble down the wing.

This was the mindset of the English footballer. Until a foggy November afternoon in 1953, when Hungary came a-calling at Wembley and taught England a lesson they still haven't fully learned to this very day.

English football was traumatised beyond belief. You can't begin to understand the effect that thrashing had on English football. Hungary didn't just win that game, they humiliated us.

By 1966, it seemed, normalcy had been resumed. England were world champions again..... and this time, it was official.

That was a high... an incredible high..... and this is what we yearn for again. We desperately want to achieve that pinnacle again. We know deep down inside that we simply aren't good enough, but that doesn't staunch the craving.

We know we'll never achieve that again, and so we do the only thing we can.... we revel in the past glory. We look back in a way that only those who have had something, and then had it taken away, never to return, can.

I've detected more of a "seige mentality" about Scottish football. The Scots are much more aware of their limitations and their expectations are, accordingly, more realistic. To simply qualify for a world cup, and then give a good account of themselves is enough.

I wouldn't suggest that the Scots are jealous of England's past history, or their one-time pre-eminence in the game, but they (not without fair justification) see us as dreamers, living in the past.... and I'd find it hard to argue with that.

But just because we do hanker for that peak of achievement doesn't make us bad people..... and it shouldn't annoy you. Your annoyance just makes you look jealous and bitter.

The bygone days of England glory are outside of my life experience and so I don't hanker for them..... although I do see the images of '66 and all that..... and I understand what it is all about and why our fans want it back again. Those who were alive at the time want to see it happen again, and those who weren't wonder at what it must have been like to experience. In a way, we feel cheated that by accident of birth we can only look at grainy old black and white images and wonder.

1966 WILL be referred to, time and again. That is going to happen. It was a wonderful achievement by a team of genuine "golden boys". They were sporting heroes from number 1 to 11 and their names will always trip off the tongues of English fans with reverence. They were OUR heroes..... and we won't... can't... forget them.

Don't resent us for that. Just try to understand where it's coming from and let us have our treasured memories.

Because that's all we're ever likely to have.

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ENGLAND LASTEST UPDATE.
Rio picks up knee injury in training and go to hospital. They say its not serious but have put Michael Dawson on standby. Also David James Sits out training with a slight knock. All this and its only the first training session.