Henry Winter’s World Cup Diary, Day 31
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It was at the end of “Mr Brightside” that a fan in an Argentina shirt and a fan in a Shearer 9 shirt from Euro 96 hugged. It was after midnight last night at a bar in midtown Atlanta, and the karaoke area was shared by Argentina and England fans. I went in with two friends, England fans, met three people and finally got a table overlooking the dance floor. The mood of the city was to be checked, the whistles were wet, the guards were relieved. England v Argentina, old enemies, play for high stakes – a place in the World Cup final.
Already a recipe for trouble with some Argentina supporters walking around in T-shirts that say “Malvinas Belongs to Argentina” with a big picture of Diego Maradona. When we entered the bar, an Englishman outside was shouting at an Argentinian who was leaning out of a car window and waving a Lionel Messi shirt. He dropped the “F” bomb. The Falklands.
Both managers, Thomas Tuchel and Lionel Scaloni, were admirably at pains to emphasize that “it’s just a football match”. Both men are keenly aware of sensitivities among nations over the Falklands and were determined not to add fuel to the fire. The fans on the streets were not expected to be so diplomatic, so last night there was a secret police operation.
It wasn’t necessary at the bar we were drinking at, although an officer would come in when we left after 1am. The two sets of fans seemed quite happy to share the karaoke machine. The Brits dominated it for a while and put on ‘Vindaloo’ first which included a short rendition of ‘f*ck the Argies’. The two fans stood head to head and engaged in a challenge to see who could hold on to the crest and kiss it the most before tiring out. “World In Motion” was followed by “Bittersweet Symphony”, which featured a lot of “England”. Inevitably, “Wonderwall” was given a thunderous hearing, not in many familiar keys.
The almost riotous “Three Lions” was strangely a Yuletide version, including “Formation of the Christmas Tree” and “three lions on a sleigh” etc.). The Argentinians sang songs in the restaurant upstairs, with many of those sitting at the tables standing up to join in.
The Queen united everyone. There were about 25 Englishmen and 15 Argentinians in We Will Rock You. An England fan gave the young Argentine the finger and there was a brief backlash, but the mood was calmer than expected. The Courteneers’ “Nineteen is not forever” turned into “football is coming home again – with Thomas Tuchel”. We’ll see later, but last night showed that some are willing to take a chance on peace.
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The stars certainly shone in this tournament: Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane for England and Lionel Messi for Argentina. Although they lost, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard enhanced their reputations and statistics. Thomas Tuchel, the head coach of the English national team, liked it the most. “The whole World Cup showed that all the superstars are committed to the idea of the team, they are committed to the spirit of the team, they are committed to the idea of playing for their country,” Tuchel said. England of course now.
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I caught up with a remarkable 50-year-old cab driver who loves Atlanta but wants to hit the road and explore the world now that his daughters are off at college. He briefly considered going to Italy, but had trouble understanding the ancient nature of the place or the water element of Venice. I was encouraged that he was in the 47% of adult Georgians who had a passport. He wanted to travel, but the place he really wanted to go was Vegas armed with $300.
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It was sad to leave KC for Atlanta. If you want ribs, brick-sized cheesecake (but softer), sports, Civil War history, and people who wish you a good day and mean it, Kansas City, Missouri is the place for you. I was doing three or four radio or TV interviews a day, the most I could see, so the hotel set up a studio in a spare business suite against the backdrop of the different colors of the main World Cup sides. Nice touch. Early broadcasting for the BBC required lifting a computer with a book or two. I looked around, but soon realized I was in one of the few Midwest hotels without a Bible within reach. The hotel gave me a box of Trivial Pursuits to support my computer. And there was always a pot of coffee on the road day and night.
Check out the rest of Henry Winter’s World Cup Diary here