One has to admit he had a point. The custodians of football did their best to eliminate violent play in Euro 2000, but cheating became ever more prevalent. We live in an age when success for the few is the aspiration, and is rewarded with vast wealth. But the real success in sport comes when people play it. I spent my weekends playing on council pitches in various parts of this country and, to borrow from Albert Camus, learned all I know of life there.
Unserious sport is bound up with vitality, togetherness, joy.
The trouble is that the more national triumph we have, the more we'll sit back and watch it on Sky with our couch-potato children. Meanwhile, school playing fields will continue to be sold off. Nothing is dearer to us than getting people to play, and seeing them remain involved for the rest of their lives. But winning is unavoidably a part of sport. Take away the winning and the whole structure of sport falls apart.