"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
These are piffling, frivolous things, though. It is quite possible to eschew the England football or rugby team while remaining a proud Englishman. Equally, it is possible to have another national sporting allegiance for reasons of ons's ancestry and not be treasonous. Contrary to what Norman Tebbit thinks, sport is a poor indicator of true national allegiance because - well, because it's just sport.
There's a reason everyone took the pīss out of Norman Tebbit for his ludicrously narrow view of nationhood.
Fair enough, but it surely must've occured to you that that's how it starts. Disallowing, disavowing "outward manifestations of their own nation", especially when it's England, or the English for that matter, plays into their hands.
Anyway, nobody in Henley was taking the piss out of Tebbit.
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
Gut instinct is learned, though. i grew up in a house with an Irish father who grew up supporting Ireland at rugby. I therefore supported Ireland. Nothing to do with actual national allegiance (I feel none whatsoever for Ireland), just supporting the same team as your dad.