Football’s governing bodies did football fans a disservice by presuming that they simply could not behave like normal people after the death of the Queen. But we are normal people…
Contrary to the opinion of many, especially in the football authorities and the right-wing media, we football fans aren’t a bad lot really.
The irony is that the game’s governing bodies, charged with looking after us and the interests of the game, absolutely don’t trust us. God, no. The speed at which they jumped in with both feet to ban games last weekend, fearing that fans would disrupt any respectful silences, chant obscenities, or maybe the legendary bum flare man would make a royal reappearance, was absurd. They don’t know us at all, do they?
By the time they realised they’d actually, if accidentally, shown us what they really think of us, it was too late. All those other sports went ahead, making football’s so-called ‘mark of respect for the Queen’ look ridiculous and foolish.
The term quickly became so over-used it has already become a widely mocked cliche and a marker for some of the most witless behaviour by companies like Center Parcs.
The FA, EFL and Premier League found themselves on the side of the people who were cancelling cycling proficiency tests and making bleeps less noisy. Organisations and businesses were desperate to tell us of their marks of respect, all fearful of being exposed by the Daily Mail and those who worship at its altar, as people or companies who disrespect the Queen.
So they ended up being offensive in pursuit of being inoffensive. All the more ironic was that there was no indication at all that the Queen would have wanted anything to stop, and no official edict that it should.
But, of course, when games resumed, silences were, almost universally, well-observed, 70th-minute claps were dutifully performed, the national anthem was sung with gusto and everyone went on their way happily enough. Even the club mascots bowed their distended fake fur animal heads, and we all love to see that, don’t we?
Admittedly, some took it upon themselves to bellow incoherent noise during the silences, but no-one really knew why. Maybe they just needed their meds tweaked. It was hardly offensive and didn’t need apologising for by commentators. There were no anti-monarchy protests, no expressions of disgust about the oppression of unearned privilege and unearned wealth, let alone about how that wealth has been acquired. Most who felt…
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