So I guess I don’t really know what this is about. But with the London Olympics around the corner, this patriotic soul was just wondering about some kind of small, simple design to sit around the neckline or hems of Team GB’s uniforms.
Whilst I was mulling that over, it dawned on me that the flags of each UK nation’s patron saints bear such a striking resemblance and symmetry - crosses, saltires, light on dark, dark on light. Then it was just a case of stylising the flags a little and bringing them together. Bosh.
The girl with the red Sparkly Shoes: Football.
The Nation comes together to celebrate and sing “It’s coming home, it’s coming” – Football is NEVER coming home to England. Never. Now me, I’m an Italian, well, I’m half Italian but I have supported them as my national football team for as long as I can remember and I always will. Take last…
England currently has no agreed national anthem, with “God Save the Queen”, the national anthem of the United Kingdom, often being used in sporting events in which England competes separately from the other Home Nations. However, there are calls for this to be changed,[5][6] and a 2006 survey conducted by the BBC suggested that 55% of the English public would rather have “Land of Hope and Glory” than “God Save the Queen” as their national anthem.
At the Commonwealth Games, Team England uses “Jerusalem” as the victory anthem from 2010 onwards. The Commonwealth Games Council for England conducted a poll of members of the public which decided the anthem for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The three options were “God Save The Queen”, “Jerusalem” and “Land of Hope and Glory”. Jerusalem was the clear winner with 52% of the vote.
I so sincerely wish the official English national anthem was either Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem. Now THOSE are anthems to feel patriotic about, to be able to belt out at the top of your voice and well up with pride. Not some drivel about the reigning monarch that has nought to do with England itself. It’s right that Britain pays tribute to our King or Queen, and yeah, I fully back its use at events like the Olympics where we compete as a unified GB.
But c’mon, the Scottish use Flower of Scotland, the Welsh have Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (Land of My Fathers) - I don’t understand why we don’t use Land of Hope and Glory or Jerusalem.
Mind you, I have the same issue about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland having their own assemblies/governments, whilst England is left only with the United Kingdom government. It makes us English feel slighted, and simultaneously makes the UK government feel England-centric to already-resentful Scottish, Welsh and Irish folk. That, and the nationals referring to the England football team as “we” - yeah, that’d annoy me too if I weren’t English.
Not to mention that waving the English flag at any other time other than during major sporting events makes you feel as though you’re declaring support for the BNP. We have serious issues with feeling patriotic here.
