I was in Trafalgar Square 2 months ago when England advanced to the World Cup knock-outs by beating Slovenia 1-0 in their last group match. Being the ‘centre for national rejoicing’, I wasn’t too surprised to find a bunch enthusiastic (and possibly semi-stoned) England fans celebrating at the square. Some men were going around topless, beer bottle in one hand; some were draped in the national flag; one lady was blowing non-stop into her vuvuzela; and quite a few more decided to go for a dip in the fountain. With curious tourists snapping away on their cameras, the fans were more than happy to spread the joy and show off their national pride.
If this was how a group stage victory was celebrated , imagine if they won the World Cup.
Then again, the fans may well have thought things through – in a very rational and realistic manner – and felt that England’s chances of going far in the tournament were very slim. In other words – Celebrate! Have fun! Go crazy and enjoy yourselves… for very soon the time of mourning and despair will come (which it did).
Germany, here we come!!!..... not
On another note:
Newcastle is BACK in the BPL. And they’ve put last week’s defeat firmly behind them by trashing Villa at home yesterday. Carew blasted his penalty wide (thks John!), Barton scored a cracker, Andy Carroll bagged a hat-trick (prompting comparisons with Drogba’s playing style), Nolan tucked in a couple more and Harper kept his sheets clean. So far, no other team has scored more in one match this season. It was a good day at St. James.
As they say, ‘not everyday is a Sunday’. Celebrations may not last beyond the next match and plaudits thrown in may well be premature. After all, it is still a long journey ahead in the league. Nonetheless, yesterday marked the dawn of a new beginning and hopefully (*fingers crossed*), a sign of better things to come.
