South Africa World Cup Spirit

I know someone who worked at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. One of her jobs was to greet the Brazilian team as they arrived at a hotel. They got off their bus at a leisurely pace, not due to fatigue or having become jaded by the whole World Cup experience, but because they were dancing, singing, banging drums and generally having a massive party, enjoying themselves whilst being a part of one of the biggest sporting events in the world.

The England team arrived in South Africa today. According to its website, their five star luxury hotel – sorry, training camp – “boasts an unusually wide range of professionally designed pitches, fields and tracks, cutting-edge equipment and top-class gym and medical facilities.” It’s at high altitude, to help the players fitness levels for the tournament ahead and is, by all accounts, a wonderful place to be.

So you’d think there might be a bit of excitement about them wouldn’t you? Especially considering they have, as the tabloids are inevitably reminding us every day, ‘the best chance of winning it for some years.’ Their arrival was greeted by the staff at the complex performing some sort of traditional dance – lots of clapping, smiling, children with footballs, that sort of thing. The response from the England team, clad in their dull grey suits, was, as you will see here, stoical at best. Frank Lampard’s bored glance around the 5 minute 11 second mark is particularly telling. Let’s hope this disaffected arrogance doesn’t translate itself to the pitch too much. Maybe a bit of South African spirit in their playing wouldn’t go amiss – a smile or two would be a start.