Apart from the shock of winning - just - our first game on Saturday, this World Cup has seen other changes to how England, and the English, have approached Germany 2006. The high TV audience was expected, although general ad demand throughout June has faltered. Even now there is good availability in the outdoor market for week commencing June 26 across all formats.
The Cross of St George, the flag of England since the Thirteenth Century, has been "reclaimed" from the far-right by an increasing number of individuals across the country. This process started in the mid-Nineties, and accelerated in Japan 2002 and then again for the European Championships in 2004. The distance and cost involved in going to Japan prevented the hooligan element from travelling. The effect was a hooligan-free World Cup. For the first time England supporters were liberated from negative expectations from the host country. England held its breath in Portugal 2004, but a combination of some Banning Orders (preventing travel outside of the UK for recognised hooligans) and a general desire to build on the success of 2002, created a carnival atmosphere where anti-social behaviour was simply unacceptable for 99.9% of those who watched the games. Flying the flag became an expression of Englishness rather than some wider political statement.
This nascent self-expression through the flying of the English flag also reflects an increasing desire to publicly express Englishness across the board. For two centuries there has been a blur between being British and being English - certainly for the English if not for the Welsh and Scots. For many though the Union flag has now become irrelevant. The relatively new Regional Assemblies in Wales and Scotland have generated a self awareness for the Welsh and Scots, but also crucially the English, who essentially fund both countries through high levels of central taxation. There is a growing debate about the difference between being British and English as a result.
The crowd in Frankfurt on Saturday was predominantly English, good humoured, and proud. The old concerns about violence have largely gone. The stadium was covered in English flags and a kind of collective statement that redefines Englishness - positively - abroad. As England progress through the tournament this will be clearly tested, but at this early stage it does appear that the trends of Japan 2002 and Portugal 2004 are continuing.
Roy Jeans, CEO ipm London
hi, i am a pupil at castleford high school and i was hoping i could have permission to use the images on the website. i need the permission for my gcse project.
Posted by: owen | 20 March 2007 at 01:09 PM