I had not watched the life video of the semi-final England versus Croatia match. I am regretting this now.
You see, I was amongst a group of Commonwealth students at the lounge of Jerome House, Harrington Gardens, London watching the World Cup Final match on the tiny TV screen there. When the final whistle came and England beat Germany, the uproar amongst the group was frightening to a Singaporean student like me who was totally unfamiliar such “foreign” behaviour. “What does it matter,” I said to myself. “It’s only a game,” my inner brain kept telling me. I had been taught that sports and games were a distant second to studies and to the passing of academic examinations.
I was there in London on a Singapore Government Colombo Plan scholarship to qualify as a Chartered Surveyor and at that moment in time, in June 1966, I had just learnt that I was successful in my final examination of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. My mind was set to return to Singapore with my wife and young baby daughter to help improve the construction and property markets in the country where I was born.
So, there I was the next day when London streets, particularly the pubs, were filled with rowdy people, young and old, drinking and celebrating their hearts out. To me it looked like they were celebrating my success, my six years of toll and studies and articleship in a totally foreign country, having to take on bland lunch meals like spaghetti-on-toast and fish-and-chips, from the College canteen. Of course I joined in the celebration with my College mates. Success, at last.
Below is a quote from telegraph.co.uk
“Fifty-two years ago, the England football team achieved something they’ve been trying – and catastrophically failed to do ever since.
“A crowd of 97,000 people (including the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh) watched at Wembley Stadium on June 30 1966, as England beat West Germany to win the World Cup for the first time.
“We all know the basic story: the game ended at 2-2 in normal time, then a slightly questionable Geoff Hurst goal put the hosts ahead, before he added another to emphatically seal a 4-2 win. Some people ran on to the pitch, and it was all over.
“It was a captivating match, watched by the largest television audience (32.3 million) of all time in this country. But while that singular…” Please register at telegraph.co.nz to read this full article there. Names like Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and Nobby Stiles still stick on my memory bank till now.
Back to the current 2018 semi-final match against Croatia.
The entire country United Kingdom was so excited when, in the first half of the match, in fact, in the first five minutes into the match, Kieran Trippier did a penalty kick of the ball that went straight into the net. “One Nil for England,” shouted the crowd pointing one finger into the air.
But this jubilation was short-lived. During the second half of the match, Croatia’s Ivan Perisic equalised and then during the extra time, at the 109th minute into the game, Mario Manszukic sealed the game for Croatia. Croatia won 2 - 1 to reach the World Cup final against France.
This Saturday, England will appear again to battle for third place against Belgium and let us hope that England will win this to savage some pride.
In West Auckland, New Zealand, the Croatian community celebrated the win as Croatia goes to the final match for the first time in her history.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/sport/football/incredible-ivan-vicelich-leads-auckland-croatian-communitys-world-cup-celebrations-after-england-win
Projects for Future Leaders:
Watch the following Videos with your Leaders of tomorrow:
Group 1: Babes and Toddlers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0qHqqqpUrE
Group 2: Primary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LapCBCaEbQY
Group 3: Intermediate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDkn83FwioA
Group 4: Secondary
https://youtu.be/7MEGIvL6G6s
Then, frame open ended questions and discuss the answers with your Future Leaders.
Get physical and get a ball to play with your Future Leaders in your local park.
Get your Future Leaders to write, to draw or to research on a relevant topic within the scope of the “Soccer World Cup” and submit their attempts to us for comment. Thanks.
