Ireland-You’re doing it right.
As I pen down this article, the football team of the Republic of Ireland are already packing their bags for their return flight to Dublin. A last game against the Azzuri remains to be played before they bow out of the Euro 2012. However, the Irish have played a VERY important part in this years competition.
They’ve shown us what the true essence of football is. The true essence of football has been forgotten by today’s result oriented FAs, boards, coaches and players. They’ve turned the green fields of the beautiful game into the warzone that we see on display nowadays.
Machiavelli could never have forseen his famous tactics being used in a ‘war’ of 22 players (alongwith their coaches,support staff and fans). Is the beautiful game meant to be an euphemism for combat?
These were the issues that the Irish successfully addressed that evening. The evening in question is that of the 14th of June in the European town of Gdansk (Ironically-the flashpoint of one the greatest wars in human history). The Irish were playing the Spanish national team in a qualification match. The odds were heavily stacked against them and the Spanish armada ripped through the Irish ranks like a hot knife through butter. The collapse was total and complete. The Irish had been decimated.
Or had they? The last twenty minutes of the match were probably the finest minutes of footballing action seen this year (or maybe even this decade). And it wasn’t the players with their tricks or the wily managers with their strategies that led to this astonishing spectacle. These 20 minutes shall forever be remembered for the full throated roar of the Irish fans showing their appreciation for the boys in green.
They had witnessed their team being beaten to a pulp by the Spaniards. And yet, they sang. And they sang and sang and sang all night long. They cried together and they sang together.
They were singing to their players and telling them that they loved them-inspite of their result,statistics or strategies.
The fans of the Irish showed the rest of the world what football means to them. Football isn’t about the scoreboard. Its about pride,honour and that feeling of togetherness that brings a wide toothy grin to a nations face. The Irish fans went home happy knowing that their team had done the best they could.
They taught us that football is a force which should be used to unite through love and not divide by hate. They made the footballing world a much much better place.
The Irish fan is steadfast behind his/her team come what may. All he wants to see is his team play and to drink a pint of his favourite guiness.
Ireland-You’re doing it right
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this occasion. I am Irish and that was a very proud moment for our nation. All too often, football highlights the wrongs of humanity – greed, hate. On this occasion, I hope we showed a better side to the beautiful game 🙂 Peace.