Cheering them, we infantilise ourselves, indulging in a sick parody of patriotism which finds expression in sucking up to over-paid sportsmen crying over missed goals rather than honouring under-paid soldiers doing their very best not to cry over murdered comrades.
In the space of 70 years, how sub-standard and simple-minded our sense of ourselves has become that our self-respect can be affected by something as dumb as football.
