Posted a total of 3 times today, and then upvoted, dissatisfied and re-posted. Every time I get derailed by the same issue – I’m not telling the truth. Enough is enough. The only way is to say what I really think, otherwise what’s the point of blogging?
It’s worthless if I make a tasteless bowl of soup stuffed with false magnanimity just for it. i will lie to you
If you don’t agree with what I’m about to say, and many of you will, you can send me two kegs using the comment box.
It’s a time of joy and celebration for England fans. England clearly beat Australia and won the Ashes. easy to like. Victory over an old enemy is the heroin shot of English crickets: instant bliss; One of Lou Reed’s perfect days.
From the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, England regularly beat Australia. But then began a period of antipodal supremacy so long, so complete, so irrefutable that few believed the urns would return to these shores. Because the ashes define us emotionally, the eternity of brutal Australian hegemony corrodes our souls and slices our self-esteem to pieces.
Because of this, even though England have won five of the past seven series, each Ashes victory still produces that dull, irresistible sweet rush of redemption and happiness. Especially since the horrific humiliation of 2013-14 is still so raw in our memory.
Judging from our Friday night questionnaire, most of you, our readers, are delighted with England’s success. So why not? England has defied all odds. This is a team that has more freedom and self-expression than it has had in years. Stewart Broad is in the state of his life. Joe Root is now a true world-class hitting superstar. Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali point to an exciting future.
But now the truth is out. I can’t bring myself to be happy that England are back from the Ashes. that’s why.
For thirty-one years I gave my all to England cricket. I started following the team in the 1983 home series against New Zealand. For the next 30 years, thick or thin, mostly thin, I was the most staunch England fan imaginable. I am emotionally engaged, dedicated and patriotic.
I linked my fate with that of the England team. Victory brings joy, failure brings sorrow. Intense, important and tough games broke my nerves. Whenever possible, I will participate in the competition in person. In the days before the internet, I watched the entire tryout on Ceefax. I went to Australia to watch Ashes 2002-03.
Why do you think I (together) started this blog? Why did I direct with James for six years since 2009? Because I don’t care? We are not paid for our writing or management. We have no relationship with the players and management, nor do we have any material interest in any outcome of our discussions.
In my years as a fan, I have no doubts about supporting our players. When they lose, I defend the team. In the dark days of the 1980s and 90s, losing to England – no matter how stupid – got me nowhere. Results and quality of service are irrelevant. I gave unconditional love.
At The Full Toss, I gave England a clear backing. Read the archives. I use first person – we and us. I have a lot of admiration for Andrew Strauss, both as a player and as a captain. I admired Alastair Cook on the Ashes tour in 2010-11 and the India tour in 2012.
what did i get What did you get when it came to the crunch, and how did those years of unwavering loyalty pay off?
On February 6, 2014, I wrote the following on these pages:
The ECB takes a slow, drawn-out look at us, then – very intentionally – throws a bucket of cold urine in our faces.
I was serious then, and I am serious now. Nothing has changed. Those words are as true today as they were 18 months ago. How can you forgive someone if they are not interested in your forgiveness? When they don’t care what you think or feel?
When the ECB responded to legitimate doubts and objections to the Peterson affair by berating and belittling its own supporters, lying and avoiding interviews, but spreading insinuations of its friends in the media, it made a major statement. The English pages are her own personal property. It’s theirs, no one else’s. According to the ECB, no England supporters have a stake in the team.
When the ECB decided they would select England teams based on corporate policy and personal vendettas rather than cricketing merit, they made the concept of England’s national cricket team disappear. Since then, the 11 players on the pitch have represented the ECB, not the UK. And I found it impossible to channel my emotional energy into one company. I can also support Vodafone or Credit Suisse.
When the ECB goes to great lengths to project Alastair Cook into a fantasy image of a divine, selfless savior of the nation – when their own evidence suggests he willfully helped destroy Kevin Peterson’s career, all but to his own advantage For no apparent reason other than that – they brought of course another factor. Nothing about the England team – what they say, what they do or how they behave – can no longer be taken at face value. Black is white and white is black. The England XI on the field was a farce.
After allying with and masterminding his bosses’ machinations, Cook became their second-in-command, embracing the on-pitch role of the ECB’s representative. However the team settled down