“Football is a gentlemens’ game played by hooligans and rugby is a hooligans’ game played by gentlemen”
Oscar Wilde
Our previous word of the day “hooligan” touched on the crowd problems which blighted English football in the 1970s and 1980s. The advent of all-seater stadia and the rebranding of the Premiership has changed perceptions of the sport, but Oscar Wilde’s words might still bring a wry smile to the faces of many fans.
Sporting rivalries can bring out the best and the worst in clubs and countries. England and West Germany clashed memorably in the 1966 World Cup final, and England’s decisive third goal that day remains controversial. Five decades of television replays have failed to prove that Geoff Hurst’s shot crossed the line. England’s win that day has been followed by a string of German triumphs. England’s defence of their title in 1970 was ended by a 3-2 quarter final defeat to West Germany, and four years later Franz Beckenbauer lifted the World Cup while England did not even qualify for the finals. England’s strong showings in the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championships ended in semi-final penalty shootout defeats to their old rivals, prompting Gary Lineker’s memorable comment;
“Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win”
Perhaps the best way to deal with these rivalries is to find opportunities for opponents to play alongside each other. Rugby can be a brutal sport, and England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales have spilled plenty of blood in their fixtures, but when these players come together under the British Lions banner they fight for each other, not with each other. Golf is hardly a physically combative sport but mistrust between nationalities still exists. Misguided comments only this week by Spain’s Sergio Garcia certainly crossed the line and have led to embarrassment and tension. But on the positive side, the Ryder Cup has proved to be a perfect showcase for European unity. When Germany’s Bernhard Langer became a star player in European teams of the 1980s and 1990s, British golf fans embraced him. And when he led the European team to a record win in 2004, he was celebrated as a hero and possibly the greatest ever team captain. Perhaps the greatest truth about Britain’s sporting rivalry with Germany is that we respect these opponents, and deep down we would prefer to play alongside them than against them.
This weekend’s Champions League final offers another reminder of German prowess as Bayern Munich take on Borussia Dortmund in a tournament that saw British interest end before the quarter final stage. There is some consolation for the host country, though. For once, a German team is guaranteed to lose at Wembley.
