Thank you for writing this. I'm not a football fan, but Gareth Southgate has always struck me as a man of principles and dignity., and this been reinforced by the manner of his stepping down.
I agree with all the important stuff in this article about politics and valued. The footy analysis suggesting we are now playing better football is very dubious - exactly what you would expect and cherish fro Ian.
Great piece, Ian. I suspect that part of the reason that Southgate gets so much abuse (way out of proportion to the bare facts of his team's results) is precisely because those qualities you identify have rubbed so many people up the wrong way.
I'm currently reading Caroline Lucas's book 'Another England', which ties in very nicely with Southgate's 'Dear England' letter. As a proud citizen of nowhere, I've long scoffed at patriotism and patriots, but I've increasingly come to see that liberals and leftists need to find a national story, otherwise the nationalists and rightists will do it for us. In their different but connected ways, Lucas and Southgate have shown a way to do that. They should team up for a podcast.
Couldn't agree more. I've never had any interest in sport. I watched the women's World Cup & Euros out of feminist solidarity (& surprised myself by enjoying it) & the England games of this men's Euros because of Gareth Southgate. What his team have to say about him tells you all you need to know.
Please note that outside England itself and most Englishmen the 2nd place after reaching the finals is one of the greatest successes ever for English football. In another social media post I wrote a comment about it being the best English performance for the last 58 years. This is the result heritage that Gareth Southgate leaves behind when he leaves. Add then the other angles described above and I wonder what is wrong with so many people....
Just read the 'Dear England letter again'. It's great. And the bit you quote is very admirable.
It's a great shame he and the squad didn't take a similar attitude to LGBT+ rights in Qatar. I suspect they felt they'd been so badly burned by the knee-taking they didn't want to go down that road again. I can understand that. But it was a shame.
Southgate’s Dear England piece was the first thing I had read since the bloody referendum that made me quietly proud of our country. The recent election was the second.
I hope for more in the future as this country awakens from a very painful period.
Couldn’t agree more. In the age of people wanting instant gratification and nothing but winning everything to satisfy the keyboard warriors he brought the best to the job and made me feel a little bit proud of being English again. Possibly the most successful English football manager ever.
This is not about football, it's about something far more important. What society will Britain become in the next 10-20-30 years. The passion (for want of a better word) around football, or Brexit, or political parties, etc. is a kind of barometer, pointing to where British society is going. It would be nice to think that things will cool down, but we all know it won't. There will always be a small minority that lives and acts outside social norms, but today with social media, the gutter press, and help from pink slime syndicates, it is amplified, and incites a larger part of the population to imitation (not always, but always more often).
As an example, in the past reasonably well educated people wouldn't need swearwords to make a point, but now everyone must add a few just for "effect". The reality is that a swearword can be a powerful tool used sparingly. I worked for a while on the bins and on the buses in the late 60s and early 70's, and swearing was just part of ones everyday vocabulary, but no one would write it down, and everyone knew that REAL swearing was all in the tone of voice. The weather could be effing good, the food could be shiet, but if you trapped your finger in a bin lid, everyone knew immediately the difference.
This blog post makes some good points, and the "goodness" of those points don't depend upon swearing. In fact they detracts from the true message. The author wants to create a positive message, but adding swearwords just means he is helping to dig the hole that our society will almost certainly dive into like Lemmings.
Thank you for writing this. I'm not a football fan, but Gareth Southgate has always struck me as a man of principles and dignity., and this been reinforced by the manner of his stepping down.
I agree totally. I’ll miss Gareth Southgate.
I agree with all the important stuff in this article about politics and valued. The footy analysis suggesting we are now playing better football is very dubious - exactly what you would expect and cherish fro Ian.
100%. Southgate managed to not only tap into each player's psyche, but also the nation's psyche: the England team and its players now belong to us.
All thanks to a soft penalty kick.
Great piece, Ian. I suspect that part of the reason that Southgate gets so much abuse (way out of proportion to the bare facts of his team's results) is precisely because those qualities you identify have rubbed so many people up the wrong way.
I'm currently reading Caroline Lucas's book 'Another England', which ties in very nicely with Southgate's 'Dear England' letter. As a proud citizen of nowhere, I've long scoffed at patriotism and patriots, but I've increasingly come to see that liberals and leftists need to find a national story, otherwise the nationalists and rightists will do it for us. In their different but connected ways, Lucas and Southgate have shown a way to do that. They should team up for a podcast.
Couldn't agree more. I've never had any interest in sport. I watched the women's World Cup & Euros out of feminist solidarity (& surprised myself by enjoying it) & the England games of this men's Euros because of Gareth Southgate. What his team have to say about him tells you all you need to know.
Excellent piece. Yes, Southgate’s reaction to ill will reminds me of Michelle Obama’s words, ‘Rise above it!’ Character will out and we celebrate it!
I completely love this article
Brilliantly put Ian. Shame about the folk on here & elsewhere who don’t get the bigger picture you’re painting.
Well said Ian. Couldn’t agree more.
Amen
Please note that outside England itself and most Englishmen the 2nd place after reaching the finals is one of the greatest successes ever for English football. In another social media post I wrote a comment about it being the best English performance for the last 58 years. This is the result heritage that Gareth Southgate leaves behind when he leaves. Add then the other angles described above and I wonder what is wrong with so many people....
Just read the 'Dear England letter again'. It's great. And the bit you quote is very admirable.
It's a great shame he and the squad didn't take a similar attitude to LGBT+ rights in Qatar. I suspect they felt they'd been so badly burned by the knee-taking they didn't want to go down that road again. I can understand that. But it was a shame.
I love this article.
Southgate’s Dear England piece was the first thing I had read since the bloody referendum that made me quietly proud of our country. The recent election was the second.
I hope for more in the future as this country awakens from a very painful period.
Couldn’t agree more. In the age of people wanting instant gratification and nothing but winning everything to satisfy the keyboard warriors he brought the best to the job and made me feel a little bit proud of being English again. Possibly the most successful English football manager ever.
This is not about football, it's about something far more important. What society will Britain become in the next 10-20-30 years. The passion (for want of a better word) around football, or Brexit, or political parties, etc. is a kind of barometer, pointing to where British society is going. It would be nice to think that things will cool down, but we all know it won't. There will always be a small minority that lives and acts outside social norms, but today with social media, the gutter press, and help from pink slime syndicates, it is amplified, and incites a larger part of the population to imitation (not always, but always more often).
As an example, in the past reasonably well educated people wouldn't need swearwords to make a point, but now everyone must add a few just for "effect". The reality is that a swearword can be a powerful tool used sparingly. I worked for a while on the bins and on the buses in the late 60s and early 70's, and swearing was just part of ones everyday vocabulary, but no one would write it down, and everyone knew that REAL swearing was all in the tone of voice. The weather could be effing good, the food could be shiet, but if you trapped your finger in a bin lid, everyone knew immediately the difference.
This blog post makes some good points, and the "goodness" of those points don't depend upon swearing. In fact they detracts from the true message. The author wants to create a positive message, but adding swearwords just means he is helping to dig the hole that our society will almost certainly dive into like Lemmings.