Even the least ardent football fan cannot have failed to notice the impact of football players and managers over the past year and particularly during the Euro 2020 competition
In almost every way the young, and not so young, men associated with the team who took part in the competition have stood out as excellent role models for the fans who follow them both in their playing but also in their social media activities. The life of a footballer is for many any enviable one. Earning vast amounts of money for doing something which many do for free – kicking a football around a park – is literally the stuff of dreams. But, the life comes with drawbacks which have been made all too readily apparent in previous years and have led to the perception of the stereotypical footballer as being feckless and self-indulgent. It is true that the abundance of cash coupled with a lack of guidance from more wise heads has meant that for many footballers trouble has not been too far away. Some of these can be put down to youthful foolishness but other incidents have been more unsavoury and indicated much more fundamental moral failings. Contrast that then with the behaviour we have since the start of the pandemic. Though they somewhat unjustly singled out by the former health secretary for not pulling their weight, in reality many footballers have played an important role in tackling misinformation around COVID but also other issues such as racism and food poverty. Famously, Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford twice forced the government to reverse its decisions regarding free school meals access for the poorest families. Other players such as Raheem Sterling have called out racism in football and beyond. Where has this new politically active, socially conscious football come from? The answer will be multifaceted, but the importance of the England manager should not be underestimated. Whilst many will have their view on his tactical ability or his team selections, very few will doubt how inspirational Gareth Southgate has been in that role since his appointment. He has a keen understanding of the importance football and its participants have in society and an awareness of how his and their voices can be used. It is hard to believe that his leadership of the team has not instilled a similar attitude into the England players. Of course, speaking out about societal issues is not without controversy. There are many who believe that politics and football shouldn’t mix. However, it is naïve to think that an international game that is worth billions of pounds globally could be anything other than political; only one needs to consider, for example, the bids to host European championships or World Cup competitions to see just how political the game is. What we are seeing now is the best of the incendiary mix – speaking out not in a party political way but on issues which are, or should be, without controversy – racism being the most obvious one. A number of people have contrasted the way in which Rashford, Southgate et al have managed their public profiles with our elected representatives. It is a simplistic conclusion to reach, and politicians have even more difficult waters to navigate than footballers, but it is hard not to agree that footballers have demonstrated more of the values enshrined in the Nolan principles. Whilst this may be a depressing though with regard to our leaders in politics, it is an uplifting one for those players. If this really is the dawning of the age of the responsible, articulate and socially conscious footballer, then long may it last.