PG’s Tips for Survival at the RHN
SIDNEY REMEMBERS THAT “England Expects …”
As Sidney was reflecting on the surfeit of sport, with the World Cup and Wimbledon dominant, he was aware of the pressure on the English /British sportsmen.
In the
Battle of Trafalgar, it was Nelson who ordered the message ‘England expects that
every man will do his duty’.
It seems no longer good enough to say ‘It’s not whether you win or lose;
it’s how you play the game’. Instead we say ‘Winning isn’t everything – it’s the
only thing!’ The first is seen as very English and somewhat defeatist, but the
last is regarded as brash business-like talk. There is, of course, a drunken
spiritualist (‘happy medium’). This in-between line is achieved by only a
handful of ‘athletes’ who are a pleasure to watch and have a pleasant
personality.
While we
were witnessing the world against itself in sport, there was also the 90th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. In the incomparable carnage that
took place on the first day, there were 20,000 British soldiers killed. There
followed an incredible death toll, resulting in 420,000 British, 195,000 French
and 650,000 Germans casualties. The battle lasted over four months and only 5
miles were gained.
Put
against those horrific facts, our own lives are nothing in comparison. The
‘battles’ on the pitch or court are insignificant in contrast with the stark
reality of true warfare.
Written by Peter Gow
July 2006
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