Europe

You would think that most people in this country would be gutted that no English teams remain in the Champions league. This is not the case however, as I have witnessed first hand in the last few weeks. During Chelsea's recent defeat to Inter Milan - I was in the hotel bar at the time - some lads actually got up and cheered when Inter scored and at the final whistle, and no, before you say it they weren't Italian!. I was actually a bit shocked and had I of been a Chelsea fan I would definitely have been relieving some of them of their pints of beer.
Then at my mates Jase this week the TV was turned on at the point Man Utd were going out. The jubilation shown by both Jase and Sarah (both Liverpool fans) was clear to see. I had to point out that it was essentially Germany versus England but it was to no avail the celebrations had already started.
I suppose in all these cases the defence lies in the fact that the rivalry between opposing fans in this country is so huge and that this could explain the lack of patriotism.
It is a little bit different for me. After growing up through some of the barren European football years - the long ban on British clubs - I now just want any one of our clubs to win the Champions league. This tied in with the fact that I don't really support any club in particular means that I have no problem with anyone winning it.
As far as our national team is concerned bizarrely enough I am not that bowled over during major championships with the old flags out of windows shout, flags on car aerials, England bunting, and or the England shirt worn whilst on holiday. Either I am used to seeing us lose, get wound up by people saying stuff like "Your rubbish Gerrard I could do better than you" or the fact that by the time the competition starts I have (or my wife has!) had enough of football after playing fifty or so games that season.
Of course I want us to win the World Cup though but I am just not going to be wearing Union Jack shorts and throwing my beer at the big screen, unless we get to the final that is!. If I had the required amount of 'spondoolics' I would love to fund a sort of documentary in South Africa showing the fans, players, and coaches reactions to the games, heat, and locations. Also to see the different atmospheres and tensions that the other countries teams and their players face would be a great contrast. Plan B it will have to be, I just have to think of it first.

P.S Reading a great book at the moment about one of my childhood heroes, the legendary motorcycle rider Barry Sheene. Oxford fan, commentator, and motorbike media guru Nick Harris helped write the book and I cannot wait to pick his brains about all their antics, on and off the track!. As a youngster I was lucky enough to be at some of these big races, hanging around the paddock and watching the action unfold. The risk the riders put themselves through was incredible considering that the prize money was so low for most of them. My Dad raced sidecars around a lot of these circuits including crazy venues like Olivers Mount in Scarborough and like him and the rest of the riders the saying 'a medal as big as a frying pan' really was a deserving one.

CH