A personal view of the World Cup by a Cornish activist and member of the Celtic League

A personal view of the England Team and the World Cup written by a Cornish activist and member of the Celtic League.

‘That time approaches…..’

A personal view of the World Cup by a Cornish activist and member of the Celtic League

"I walked into the supermarket to buy some groceries today and my heart dropped.

A sea of red and white greeted me inviting me to support ‘your team’ with basket after basket of tat adorned with the emblem of St George - flags, hats, mugs, T shirts, footballs, banners, flip flops and other assorted paraphernalia.

After being on a relative ‘high’ following official recognition of the Cornish people, of which I am one, I felt saddened at the display before me, for it almost represented an ominous warning of things to come down these weeks ahead.

Of course, I feel no obligation to support England nor do I for I am not English.

I do not understand football and my own country is denied the right to enter the competition, but if I were to support a team participating in the World Cup it would be Wales, Scotland, Ireland or indeed any from the smaller Nations of the world, the underdogs perhaps?

But never could I bring myself to support England.

The reasons for this are many and varied.

I feel distinctly ill at ease seeing the flag of St George here in Cornwall. After all, Cornwall is not in England but with their overwhelming numerical superiority, most English people have simply forgotten that Cornwall is not theirs. It may be currently administered as a County of England but it is far from being one.

And then there is the white flag with the red cross. The flag that over 11% of my ancestors died in the face of during the 1497 to 1549 Anglo Cornish wars. The flag that fluttered high whilst the Cornish leaders of those times were publicly executed in the most terrible fashion whilst a foreign English church was forced on my homeland and our Cornish language and culture irrevocably damaged.

A flag I see waved by the supporters of the English Defence League and the British National Party and that latest incarnation of the English right, the so called ‘United Kingdom’ Independence Party, who are anything but and whose leader, Nigel Farage was photographed yesterday guzzling down a pint of beer against a background of St George flags.

Yes, inherited memories perhaps, but also sadness when I see Cornish people take up this foreign symbol probably unaware of its history in Cornwall and elsewhere or if so, simply not caring.

Then there will be the Anglo centric media. They too assume that we all support the football team of England. They too will talk in glowing terms of 1966 and all that (a date none of us are allowed to forget), of English glory and probably superiority as well. Some of them will certainly make mention of the Second World War and perhaps the many wars since. They probably won’t mention the enormous increase in violence and particularly domestic violence which occurs whenever the England team plays.

But they will make their assumptions. That to support England is the patriotic thing will be one. One which doesn’t take account of the fact that to me, England is a foreign country and that I cannot be called unpatriotic for not supporting a team from a country which is not mine. A team comprising players and supporters who are a long way away from my views, my beliefs, my outlook and my sense of identity.

So, I must hope. I hope that the record of their team during the 48 years that have passed on by since 1966 is not broken, I hope that the official Westminster view of the odds based on those of betting agents and used to estimate matters relating to late opening is true and I hope that the time when the overwhelming weight of ephemeral and commercially funded patriotism passes on by leaving my deep sense of Cornishness intact.

My unsullied St Piran’s flag, free of connections with militarism, violence and racism, will continue to fly perhaps that little bit higher and I shall remain forever Cornish."