Paul Howard

I'm not wrapping myself in the George's Cross or listening to God Save the King time after time.

But I have to say, I always take an interest in the England football team.

I think I've probably got a more nuanced view than a lot of Irish people in that I was born in England and spent a lot of my childhood there.

So if my parents hadn't decided to move back to Ireland, I would probably be an England fan today.

But I've always felt that any tournament is much more interesting for having England in it.

I mean, their players are very familiar to us from playing in the Premier League and the other teams I've been watching in this World Cup.

um you know they have a few recognizable names but but we we know all of the england players um but uh i i do understand uh the rivalry because i i have friends who hate watch england um but they hate watch england in everything you know these are the people who would cheer when

when the UK gets zero in the Eurovision Song Contest.

And they support English teams, Clare, and they go to England quite often to watch English teams play.

But there is just something about, you know, an England team that kind of sends them a bit mad.

I mean, I do get it.

I mean, the rivalry between England is inevitable given our geographic proximity and our historic relationship.

And lots of countries have this, you know, exact same relationship with their nearest neighbours.

But I just feel that when England are in a tournament, it's always interesting.

And like I'm going back to, you know, the Maradona handball in 1986, which everybody remembers, the Beckham sending off

All those penalty shootout defeats, losing to Iceland, losing two European Championship finals in a row.

The tabloid press is always vilifying whoever happens to be the coach.

And I've always felt that a tournament loses something when England go out.

Yeah.

That's what I feel, you know.