England has been widely-credited as the creator of the modern game of football, but at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Wednesday, the country showed that they have also pioneered the role of the modern fan.
England has been widely-credited as the creator of the modern game of football, but at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Wednesday, the country showed that they have also pioneered the role of the modern fan.
From the shuttle to your seat, you feel that you’re at an England game, with the fans going through the familiar routine of turning the stadium into an arena of hype and expectation.
The Slovenians, kitted out in bright green and white, were grouped in blocks around the stadium but could hardly be heard over the sea of red and white that hardly let up throughout the game, cheering on every free-kick or corner that went England’s way.
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium might as well have been Wembley. Reports said that around 30 000 of the 36 000-strong crowd were England fans, and you realise just why the team is so pressured to perform well at big tournaments. It probably also explains why they fail to do so as well.
The expectation of the crowd and I imagine thousands sitting at home is so intense that the team would find it impossible to play the game without being aware of it.
When each player walked to the touchline took a throw-in or corner, the entire stand behind him would wave and cheer, urging him on.
While the previous matches have featured a few fairly big names in football, this one showcased the biggest collection of names in football, so far as publicity and money is concerned, and all in one team.
And you sure do notice it. A group of Koreans seated close by would scream and point as Wayne Rooney made a run into space.
An Indian man behind me who spoke no English, kitted out in Liverpool FC gear, could be heard shouting “Gerrard!” every time the Liverpool and England captain received the ball.
A friend of mine even came to the game, armed with a pair of binoculars, just so she could see David Beckham – who isn’t playing but sits in the dugout live.
The stars are, I suppose, right where they should be. The talent is clear when you watch them playing from fairly up close.
Gareth Barry provided amazingly accurate cross-field balls that television seems to play down. It looks unbelievable every time a player like Barry floats over a pass that lands at a team mate’s feet, almost without effort or thought.
You watch as a ball skids across the surface to what you think might be beyond the reach of a player, but suddenly they’re in that space and with a deft touch, control and keep the ball at their feet.
It’s something special to watch the technical proficiency of all the players involved. With all the English support, it almost seemed obvious that England would win, though the final result wasn’t so convincing.
The game provided an atmosphere that was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and I even found myself joining in when the English fans sang merrily, “We’re not going home!”
