LEADERS

13th June 2017

You’d think that politicians would realise that trying to be ‘one of the lads’ usually ends in disaster for them. Days after a disastrous General Election and burdened with all the Brexit problems, our Prime Minister at the time, Theresa May, joined French President, Emmanuel Macron, at the friendly match between France and England at the Stade de France in Paris. Sadly, that wasn’t enough for her and she decided to join in a Mexican wave but got her timing wrong (or was she signalling SIX?) – as she did with the General Election! – and did her bit seconds after everyone else had done theirs. The general opinion was that she was a muppet…and England lost 2-3, though Harry Kane did get the "brace". But during this period, England played World Cup qualifiers and the final tale read: Played 10 W8 D2 L0 F18 A3. In our group: Slovakia, Scotland, Slovenia, Lithuania, Malta.....Friendlies including Germany away lost 0-1, France away 2-3, Germany at home 0-0, Brazil at home 0-0. Manager?? Gareth Southgate! 

European football underwent a massive transformation during the World War 2 era (1933–45). The game's sharp rise in popularity came at a time of high political intensity, leading to football's politicization. European football began to embody four main characteristics: 1) an agent of international relations, in the sense that the foreign policies of European nations became articulated in matches; 2) a source of political propaganda, as football was used to build national pride and establish the legitimacy of political movements; 3) a tool for social pacification; football gave people a place to focus their energy that was not political, and 4) an avenue for protest; mass gatherings at matches gave spectators a forum for the expression of identity and political sentiments. 

European football stadiums have assumed other roles as places of refuge and sites of political uprisings and terrorist attacks. As European politics and relations have changed, football has remained a global means of political expression.

On a more serious note, Billy Bingham, a Northern Ireland international, I know will mean something to a lot of you. He was appointed an MBE for services to football in the 1981 Birthday Honours list. He was diagnosed with dementia in 2006, and died at a care home in Southport on 9 June 2022. 

Bingham played for Glentoran from 1948-51, Sunderland until 1958, Luton Town until 1961, Everton to 1963, Port Vale to 1965 and Northern Ireland between 1951-63, 56 caps and 8 goals. He managed Northern Ireland to the 1982 World Cup finals along with Pat Jennings in his goal ( Pat's birthday June 12th was his 77th). Billy later coached in the Saudi Football League in the early 1980s. His last contributions were as a director of football at Blackpool and a talent scout for Burnley.