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England's infatuation with nationalism and racism is no shock - it's just elevated by football


The emotion around Sunday's Euro 2020 final should have stirred me. The biggest English football match in both mine and my parents' lifetime is a moment that ought to be savoured. Yet, in the aftermath of the past 24 hours, I feel not pain, but apathy. 

The sport I have followed religiously throughout my life has always had its reputation stained by violence and barbarism born out of the much-revered "firms" and hooliganism in the mid-20th century. Particularly in the international sphere, England fans have been cast aside and scolded for anti-social and disruptive behaviour.

For all that people like to claim those days are a far-cry from the current crop of fans, they are not. Think back to Euro 2016 and its infamous clashes with Russians in Paris. Just on Wednesday, there were stories of Danish fans as young as 9 being harassed and spat at - in the midst of a pandemic - after their semi-final defeat. Last night, hoards of ticketless England fans tried to get into Wembley to see the final defeat. The result was chaos and unsavoury scenes that have undoubtedly marred the experience of those fortunate enough to have witnessed the game.

The glaring omission is what has been front page news since the game. The online racist abuse aimed that Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho is only another episode of "racism by social-media". The videos of people of colour being attacked after the game are to put it mildly, unsettling to watch. 
Credit: asianewsday.com

But contrary to the uproar and condemnation that the country has demonstrated in the aftermath of the game, this is not a shock. I wrote half of this blog the day before the final, because the neutrality I feel about England is fundamentally down to the bigotry it provides a platform for. It is a measure of white fragility that people are suddenly "standing up to injustice". Your words are empty because they are reactive. You will settle back into the bubble of privilege before it happens again - and then you'll be bothered to speak up. 

The stark irony is that the culpable England "fans" act in complete contrast to the members of the current squad they so brazenly support. Think Marcus Rashford and free school meals. Jordan Henderson and raising money for the NHS. The whole team and their support for the BLM and Rainbow Laces campaigns. They are a group of progressive young men having their say both on and off the pitch, led by a manager who seems all too aware of the power of unity and innovation. 

Therein lies the paradox. Most football fans, naturally, are supporting this young squad on their rocky journey to footballing idolism and commendable change out of football. They are happy to ignore the nationalist, racist and xenophobic culture that the adoration around the England team enables. You cannot take one without supporting the other - and it is impossible to cast aside that bigoted culture when it is contributing to a society that aims that bigotry at people like myself.

Football has wider problems with pretty much any social equality movement you can think of. Female football fans are still scolded, marginalised and ridiculed on the regular. I have seen and heard homophobic slurs used in football contexts, which is makes it wholly unsurprising that there are no openly gay footballers in the top 4 English divisions.

Perhaps the sanctimonious preaching may sound boring to you, for as many people have told me, it is after all "just a game". I will keep echoing this message until it actually reaches people, because it certainly isn't right now. This sport only enhances the discriminatory political culture that has allowed politicians to make openly prejudiced comments without fear of reprisal. Like it or not, English fanaticism actively encourages this.

At the end of the day, there's a football problem and there's an England problem. Or maybe there's just an "us" problem.

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