Thus sang the great Monty Python team as they hung from their crosses at the end of The Life of Brian, as superb an example of English irony as it is possible to get. I was reminded of it this morning because regularly at the end of each year the government releases papers previously held back from scrutiny under the 30-year rule. Thus, you get a glimpse, no more, of some of what passed for thinking 'back in the day'. The fact that it was Mrs. Thatcher's day only adds to the spice!
According to my favorite early morning listening - 'TOOOORKSPOOOORT' - well, all it does is witter on the subject of 'footie' about which I care nothing but am amused by the passions, frequently incoherent, that are aroused - some of the papers released today show the Thatcher government trying to get to grips with football hooliganism which was rife. You see, then as now, we couldn't atually play good football, our English 'heroes!' regularly losing to countries we taught how to play the wretched game. But when it came to sinking ten pints, running riot, beating up opposition fans and, on occasions, crushing them to death, we were the champions! Apparently Mrs. 'T' and her Tory ministers were exceedingly worried about all this but the fact is that none of them had the slightest knowledge, let alone interest, in the wretched game that seemed to obsess 95% of the population. For that and that alone, Mrs. 'T' deserves her place in history!
However, listening to the always excellent Danny Kelly this morning reminded me that football hooliganism grew out of the general hooliganism of the '70s and '80s in which industrial disputes and strikes almost always ended up with running battles between strikers and police. Plus, of course, there was the added 'spice' of the occasional race riot. In other words, the Britain of that period which, I would remind everyone, sank to its festering immaturity because of the strength of trade union muscle and militancy, was a pretty sad, broken-down wreck of a country rightly labelled as 'the sick man of Europe'.
To put it bluntly, the Britain of that period was a deeply unpleasant place in which to live and whilst we have our problems today it's worth remembering that life now is a nirvana compared to the grotty, violent, dangerous times of 40 years ago. Once again, let us briefly bow our heads in grateful remembrance of 'that woman' who gave us all a spanking and told us to behave ourselves!