DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
TRUE REFLECTIONS
EURO 2021 HOLDS A MIRROR TO SOCIETY
While football may not have come home for England , a communal awakening to the destiny of difference was finally embraced
WRITTEN BY : JOHN PINCHING
In the end , not winning Euro 2021 was all a bit academic – just another day in the life of England ’ s national football team . The trophy cabinet at Football Association HQ is so barren that even dust can ’ t be bothered to settle there anymore .
After the defeat against Italy only 79-year-old Geoff Hurst could allow himself a wry smile as he completed yet another day as the nation ’ s hero – a ritual he had completed every night since 30 July 1966 , but with increasing melancholy ( only four members of that team are alive to recall an occasion which has become embellished beyond all recognition ).
During Euro 2021 , however , the ubiquitous lyrics to David Baddiel and Frank Skinner ’ s 1996 anthem seemed to hint at deeper meanings which , when decoded , sounded like a celebration of a more multicultural and inclusive vibe , rather than an ironic commentary on England ’ s woeful record hitherto .
Day of reckoning For most fans , getting over the defeat to Italy was relatively straightforward – we know the drill . But something was different about Euro 2021 . Emerging from the shadow of COVID-19 , there was a frisson of something
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