Come on you England, you noble Englishmen ….

Okay. This is where the footy creeps in - along with the humour, and more than a bit of strident nationalism. British comedian Rik Mayall died this week, and in a timely resurrection, his fans are trying to get his 'Noble England' 2010 football anthem to the top of the UK charts.

Watch Rik Mayall as a fearsome, bloodied King Henry V firing up a 5-a-side bunch of wimps to take the field for 'noble England', in a wonderful adaptation of Shakespeare's 'Once more unto the breach…': (and I'm not even a Rik Mayall fan!):

Once more onto the pitch, dear friends,
once more to raise up these walls with our English cheer ...
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood, …
Those men of grosser blood - teach them how to play
you GOOD players whose limbs were made in England!
Show us here the mettle of your footwork
Let us swear that you are worth your breeding.

Of course - my prayer is that 'noble England' will show its 'goodness' and its mettle through fair, vigorous play, and not foul. Bravery is not just shown on the battlefield and through physical prowess.

This song is England's answer to the haka. If the All Whites had this in 2010 (remember Ryan Nelsen's: 'Skinny white boys doing the haka? Very intimidating.'), I'm sure it would have impelled them to victory, and not just mighty noble draws!

So come Sunday (NZT), 'Cry "God a win for England, and Saint George!"' - and for the Queen, bless her, 'cause it's her official birthday on the day this game (vs Italy) will be played in Brazil, and in dear England (14 June).

Come on you England, you noble Englishmen … .

Brazil red-carded

Even before Brazil 'own-goaled' in the first major on-field blunder of the on-the-pitch tournament, Brazil's Catholic bishops had already given a red card to the country's government for it's misguided spending priorities.
Bishop Erwin Kräutler of Xingu said, 'As long as patients in hospitals have to lie in the corridor, people waiting in the long queues at the local health facilities fall over dead, workers have to travel to work in buses that are crammed full like sardine tins, and there aren’t even proper desks for schoolchildren, it’s simply scandalous to waste billions on football stadiums.'
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/882/0/brazil-bishops-give-red-card-to-authorities-world-cup-spending

Kicking it off

I've chosen not to watch the football World Cup this year - not because I don't love the game, but because I couldn't stomach watching them knowing something of the cost - the construction worker deaths, the evictions of people from favela, and the prioritising of new stadia and visitor infrastructure above the needs of Brazil's poor. 

I'm not anti-football, not anti-the World Cup as a competition, not even anti-FIFA - I just wish it would clean up its act. Call me naive - but money doesn't need to rule the global game.

But I am for the favela dwellers, for fairness in football, sport and all of life. 

So, for the duration of the World Cup competition, I'll bring you daily 'off the ball' play highlighting social issues around the World Cup, alternative views and signs of hope - those working for good in all of this. It will be an eclectic mix. Like the football competion, they'll be high points and low points, inconsistent and rogue refereeing, poetry, music and prayer (yes, prayer - this is a very religious sport). There may even be a spot of real footy too.

Maristely above relates how her favela community in Sao Paolo asked the question 'The Cup for whom?' and organised petitions, protocols and took action. You can do the same - whether you watch the footy or not, make sure you sign Caritas Australia's petition calling for 'fair play' from FIFA and the International Olympic Committee.