In Which I Buy An England Scarf

In nature, the lionesses of a pride hunt for prey and provide food for the lions.

So it is in soccer (a sport I profusely dislike). The Lionesses of the English Women’s team last night provided a goal to feed each of the three Lions on their shirts as they comprehensively thrashed the Matildas.

Rollo! Mayne! Aquitaine! Those are the names of the three Lions on the England Soccer shirt, which harken back to the medieval heraldry of Olde England.

And so today, when I saw that I could buy an England scarf at Rebel Sport, I happily did so, even though it is 100% acrylic and Made In China.

I am rather contrary that way. But you would have worked that out if you have been reading my blog for a while.

You must understand that I really dislike Soccer, otherwise known as Association Football. For me, the only truly loveable football code is Australian Rules. As a patriotic Australian, I do want to see Australian Rules Football dominate the entire nation, rather than just Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the NT. I deeply resent the pretensions of soccer in this country.

The Socceroos, the male national team, have long been just a very derisive joke, and I have enjoyed their inept capers at international tournaments like the World Cup where they always fail to deliver. It is impossible to think that such rabble will ever influence a growth in that sport in Australia.

I have always had a much greater liking for the Matildas, I much confess, although until very recently they seemed every bit as inept as their ridiculously named male counterparts. The Matildas have always been rather underpaid and under appreciated, and have had to work very hard to earn the exposure and attention that they now enjoy. I respect them.

But I’m sorry, I have no room in my heart for soccer in Australia. With the semi final defeat last night, this bandwagon hits a brick wall, and I am relieved.

It was interesting seeing various of the very silly commentators after the game on Channel 7 last night talking about how the Matildas need to focus on the next World Cup in four years’ time and how they need to have training facilities as well funded as those of the Lionesses.

This was risible to me (I enjoy laughing at soccer) for two reasons.

The first is that these so called sporting commentators seem to have forgotten that the Olympics are coming up next year in Paris, and that the Matildas are very likely to play in them. What myopia! The national hunger for gold medal glory is one which obsesses our sporting commentators, the public, and our jingoistic politicians to a degree which is usually out of place in any but a totalitarian nation.

The second issue is that we don’t exactly have the spare money for funding. Chairman Dan has probably just killed off the Commonwealth Games, and with it, much of the internationality of Netball due to lack of money, mere months after he threw Netball Australia a lifeline. Where is the money to come from to fund more for the Matildas? By starving the Karens of Australia Netball? That would be robbing Petra (ie Karen) to pay Paula (ie Matilda).

In the meantime, I will enjoy the build up to the World Cup final in my England scarf and bowler hat, and will listen to my favourite England theme songs (Three Lions and World In Motion) regularly.