April 20th will go down as the day football won and English fans are being praised for their part in it
Football fans around Europe have been put through the wringer over the past couple of days. Things started out bleak, then they got a bit darker but, thankfully, the dawn broke yesterday evening when it was announced that all six of the English clubs would be pulling out of the Super League and the tournament itself tanked. We won, for now.
"Clubs can be altered to what their owners want, but at the end of the day, they belong to supporters. These people forgot that."
Super League is not dead. But for now collective action has won. It doesn't happen often. We should enjoy it.@waynefarryhttps://t.co/no7ZLll77c
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 21, 2021
Those who support one of the so-called ‘Big Six’ that wanted to breakaway have to live with the knowledge that their teams betrayed them – the very fabric that allows them to exist in the first place.
But they can also take serious comfort in the knowledge that in the face of stomach-churning avarice and serious injustice, they stood up and took action, setting the wheels in motion.
Since the withdrawal of the Premier League clubs from the competition, it has been confirmed that Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan and now AC Milan, have joined the mass exodus. As Gary Neville said on Monday Night Football, all it took was one domino to fall for the others to follow.
Now, with two more of the clubs on the continent jumping ship and more set to follow, the media around Europe are heaping praise on the spirit and determination of English fans, in particular, hailing our lovely lot for setting the precedent; for sticking to the greedy bastards and sending them and their plans packing.
English fans have been hailed by the foreign press for their part in preventing the Super League 👏⛔️ pic.twitter.com/GkHbX4TSSe
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) April 21, 2021
This is just a handful of the front pages from today’s newspapers around Europe, showcasing the crowds of Chelsea supporters outside Stamford Bridge, Leeds players donning “football is for the fans” on their shirts in protest, and fans wearing all kinds of colours around the country.
The Athletic’s Adam Crafton also shared some of the conversations he had been involved in since the house cards started to collapse and it seems that the papers and players alike in countries such as Spain and France (the latter having not been involved, though PSG were invited), expressed their admiration and gratitude for English fans.
Chatted to few players in France and Spain overnight. There’s obviously a lot to the downfall but players abroad really in awe of English supporters after Chelsea protest & fan talks with PM. Those scenes transcended. One says: “I am just so proud of & grateful to English fans”
— Adam Crafton (@AdamCrafton_) April 21, 2021
English fans haven’t had the easiest ride in recent times. The jingoist, ‘Brit abroad’ image that some have perpetuated hasn’t helped our image over the past few decades, but moments like yesterday and the scenes that will surely follow in the days to come have gone some way to help alter that stereotype.
April 20th 2021 will be remembered as the day that football won and although the war is long, this particular battle is one for the history books and we can be proud to say that we played a huge, irreplaceable part in it. Agnelli said it himself, The Super League could not go ahead without the Premier League teams – we made sure he was right.
Remember where you were on the day that fans put tribalism and rivalry aside for the greater good – these moments don’t come around often – and we look forward to more football fans around Europe doing the same.
