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We loathe them in cricket, we ignore them in rugby league, and we’ll never forgive Johnny Wilkinson for that drop goal, but somehow, when it comes to football, we have a soft spot for the English Three Lions.
It’s hard to explain really.
If I were being cynical, I’d say it’s because we haven’t – until ten years ago – had a national team to be proud of, so naturally we’ve gravitated to supporting the motherland. But for a team that has disappointed for so long as well, what would be the sense in that?
If I were being sentimental, I’d say it’s because we really are the same family; and sometimes we like nothing more than beating our siblings in backyard cricket and at others we simply want to sit back and be proud of our family – “Dale dug a hole, tell ‘em Dale.”
But that only presents another issue: who decides when we are supposed to support England and when we are supposed to be promising broken arms? (Sorry, Clarkey, had to put that in somewhere.)
Which leaves me with my familiarity theory. Thousands of Australian football fans stay up late on the weekends to watch the English Premier League, thousands more wear kits with Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard printed on the back, and we feed our football kids dreams of playing for Manchester United one day. When I was ten years old, I had a friend who was scouted by United – his family was revered after that.
So when we cry and celebrate each week as Wayne Rooney or Daniel Sturridge run in on goal, doesn’t it make sense that we support them on the world stage too? Or does pulling on that white jersey with the Three Lions logo mean we should unleash our inner Mitch Johnson?
What do you say Roarers? England played Uruguay for their lives this morning, did you cheer them home or do hope they walked the plank and jeer as they hit the water?
Let us know your thoughts below. It’s too bad I’m a Luis Suarez fan…
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