Staff Writer Oliver Harrison writes of his experiences following England up until the Euro 2024 final, in a personal letter to Gareth Southgate.
Dear Gareth,
I was a late bloomer when it came to football. In 2010, when Lampard scored his ghost goal, I didn’t understand it. In 2014, when England finished bottom of their group, I couldn’t care less. In 2018, however, when we reached the semi-finals for the first time in almost three decades, there was no avoiding it anymore.
I woke up to find that fans up and down the country were donning waistcoats on a Wednesday to emulate your fashion sense. When I got to school, the entire canteen erupted into a howling rendition of Three Lions. When I got home, I turned on the TV to see Danny Dyer, Jeremy Corbyn, Piers Morgan, Harry Redknapp and Pamela Anderson on a special panel celebrating England’s qualification (no, you didn’t misread that). Although we lost that semi-final, I’ll never forget sitting in anticipation with my dad in the front room as Kieran Trippier stood over the free kick that would put us on top of the world until Croatia equalised.
Fast forward six years and I’m sitting in my student union bar as Harry Kane stands over a penalty in this year’s semi-final. Within the lifetime that it took for Kane to run up to the ball, I winced as I noticed a Millwall flag flying above the goal. As a loyal Charlton fan, something told me it was bad luck to see my rivals’ badge during such an important moment. But then the tension in my shoulders eased. I remembered 2018. I remembered the canteen vibrating. I remembered people coming together, and as he slotted his penalty away, I was happy to see that Millwall flag. On Sunday, you and your team have a chance to unite this nation once again in an unprecedented manner, an opportunity to create memories that will last beyond our lifetimes and reach future generations.
One more game Gareth.
Since 2018, England’s situation has indisputably worsened. We have struggled through a global pandemic, a cost of living crisis, and an election that has left most of the population questioning what sort of country we are if these are the best candidates we can put forward. I speak on behalf of the entire nation when I say, this time, more than any other time, we could do with coming together.
Sometimes when I support my country, I feel the need to include some level of irony. I evidence my self-awareness by making jokes about ‘INGERLAND’ because, as time goes on, it is becoming increasingly evident – and rightfully so – that England has a lot to be ashamed of with its history.
But we are not defined by our past, and the team that you have put together reflects this. At our best, we are a nation with a diverse group of people who all contribute something different to society to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. As I’ve grown up, I’ve seen Raheem Sterling ‘put the ball in the racists’ net’, I’ve seen a teenage Bukayo Saka respond to incomprehensible levels of hatred by becoming Arsenal’s main penalty taker, I’ve seen Ollie Watkins work his way up from Weston-super-Mare AFC to score in a European Championship semi-final.
Your England team – our England team – may be entering the final as underdogs. But I know they can play. This isn’t just about the last four weeks. This is the endgame of the previous four tournaments, of Harry Maguire’s headers, of Luke Shaw’s volleyed finish in the last final, of Marcus Rashford’s free-kick against Wales. You have already avenged your mistake in ’96. Now’s your chance to avenge 58 years of hurt.
Please, please bring it home Gareth.
