The football may be over; well it is as far as the majority of England fans are concerned and whilst we still had a chance in the competition the country was awash with Red & White. Never before has there been such an outpouring of English pride on public display. For those of you, who are able, take a moment to cast your minds back to the heady days of the summer of ’66. The flags that were flying so proudly then, were Red, White & Blue, the flag of the union of England, Scotland, Wales & Ulster – the Union Jack or more correctly of course, the Union Flag.
Back then England had no national identity or pride in herself and the majority of English considered themselves to be British. Fast forward 44 years to 2010 and we see a totally different story. We see a country that despite more than two decades of propaganda from a whole array of British governments of different political hues, is beginning to awake. English people are beginning to realise that their country does have an identity, she does have a history and, thanks to the football, she does have pride.
Not many people, including England’s most ardent supporters, will disagree with the statement that the football was awful and that our National team have let our country down and humiliated us but, even when it was obvious that the team were heading for the showers early, followed by a quick flight home, the support from the English supporters STILL managed to drown out those dreadful, vuvuzela’s with their chorus’s of ‘God Save the Queen’ and ‘Rule Britannia’. Each and every supporter displaying a pride in their country, far beyond the requirements of supporting a football team.
Now that the team has put their tails between their legs and slunk home, is it surprising that the sea of Red & White has disappeared? No, but what is surprising is that, to a reduced extent admittedly, there are still so many flags displaying the Cross of St George still flying.
What does this tell us? It tells us that there is a pride in England that stretches beyond merely football and that ‘The Flag is for Life – Not Just Football’.
It is a pride that has almost been deliberately snuffed out over the last 20-30 years, by those treacherous British governments who have tried so hard for so many years to reduce a once proud nation, a nation that gave the Democratic Parliamentary system to the world and also of course, gave football to the world, to a NON -nation. The dear departed Gordon Brown is on record along with his former Home Secretary Jack Straw, in saying that “England, as a nation, no longer exists”.
It is a fact that every other nation in Europe has its own Parliament or Assembly. In the United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have there own parliament and are responsible for the running of their own affairs without interference from the British Government. Everybody but the English. Whereas the Scots, Welsh and Irish, as well as the Catalonians in Eastern Spain, run their own countries, we do not. We are left to be governed by the British Government, because, unlike everyone else, we do not have our own! Ask any Scott whether they would like to be governed by the English but make sure you step back a pace or two before the answer is delivered to you, probably most forcibly. And rightly so. Every Nation has the right to self determination – except England.
An English Parliament is the first priority of the English Democrats. A Parliament with at least the same powers that the Scottish Parliament rightly has today. That is only Right. It is ‘Just’ and it is ‘Fair’.
However, the Lion is stirring. The people of England are beginning to hear Drakes Drums beating and they are beating louder each day. Every English flag that you still see flying proudly is as a result of the actions of a patriot.
‘Pride’, ‘Patriot’, ‘England’. Three words that have almost disappeared from the ‘English’ language, certainly three words that you have not seen in the same sentence for a very long time.
Maybe football has been the catalyst that has brought about this awakening of ‘Englishness’, I don’t know. What I do know is that my flag will still be flying for a very, very long time and nobody will ever be able to force me to remove it from my car, my house or wherever I choose to fly it high. I also know that many other people will make the same decision.
The Flag is for Life – not JUST Football.
Best Wishes
Back then England had no national identity or pride in herself and the majority of English considered themselves to be British. Fast forward 44 years to 2010 and we see a totally different story. We see a country that despite more than two decades of propaganda from a whole array of British governments of different political hues, is beginning to awake. English people are beginning to realise that their country does have an identity, she does have a history and, thanks to the football, she does have pride.
Not many people, including England’s most ardent supporters, will disagree with the statement that the football was awful and that our National team have let our country down and humiliated us but, even when it was obvious that the team were heading for the showers early, followed by a quick flight home, the support from the English supporters STILL managed to drown out those dreadful, vuvuzela’s with their chorus’s of ‘God Save the Queen’ and ‘Rule Britannia’. Each and every supporter displaying a pride in their country, far beyond the requirements of supporting a football team.
Now that the team has put their tails between their legs and slunk home, is it surprising that the sea of Red & White has disappeared? No, but what is surprising is that, to a reduced extent admittedly, there are still so many flags displaying the Cross of St George still flying.
What does this tell us? It tells us that there is a pride in England that stretches beyond merely football and that ‘The Flag is for Life – Not Just Football’.
It is a pride that has almost been deliberately snuffed out over the last 20-30 years, by those treacherous British governments who have tried so hard for so many years to reduce a once proud nation, a nation that gave the Democratic Parliamentary system to the world and also of course, gave football to the world, to a NON -nation. The dear departed Gordon Brown is on record along with his former Home Secretary Jack Straw, in saying that “England, as a nation, no longer exists”.
It is a fact that every other nation in Europe has its own Parliament or Assembly. In the United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all have there own parliament and are responsible for the running of their own affairs without interference from the British Government. Everybody but the English. Whereas the Scots, Welsh and Irish, as well as the Catalonians in Eastern Spain, run their own countries, we do not. We are left to be governed by the British Government, because, unlike everyone else, we do not have our own! Ask any Scott whether they would like to be governed by the English but make sure you step back a pace or two before the answer is delivered to you, probably most forcibly. And rightly so. Every Nation has the right to self determination – except England.
An English Parliament is the first priority of the English Democrats. A Parliament with at least the same powers that the Scottish Parliament rightly has today. That is only Right. It is ‘Just’ and it is ‘Fair’.
However, the Lion is stirring. The people of England are beginning to hear Drakes Drums beating and they are beating louder each day. Every English flag that you still see flying proudly is as a result of the actions of a patriot.
‘Pride’, ‘Patriot’, ‘England’. Three words that have almost disappeared from the ‘English’ language, certainly three words that you have not seen in the same sentence for a very long time.
Maybe football has been the catalyst that has brought about this awakening of ‘Englishness’, I don’t know. What I do know is that my flag will still be flying for a very, very long time and nobody will ever be able to force me to remove it from my car, my house or wherever I choose to fly it high. I also know that many other people will make the same decision.
The Flag is for Life – not JUST Football.
Best Wishes
Rod Bridger
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