It may not have ended the way we all hoped, but England reached their first major final in over 50 years and that is something to be very proud about. Billy Grant had followed England every step of the way at Euro 2020 but decided only to document the final for superstition’s sake
Then, because England lost on penalties to Italy in such a cruel fashion, this podcast was shelved for a couple of weeks, possibly even resigned to the recycle bin. However, now the pain had eased slightly, listening back to the enthusiastic voices, and hearing the singing from the terrace, we realised England may have lost the final… but there was so much that the team, and the country, gained during a dramatic month when the nation got a well-needed release after the pressure the pandemic had brought upon them.
This show talks to a wide range of fans on and off the terrace. Fans reflect on the tournament as a whole talking to fans who went to previous games including the banned match in Rome.
It also talks to black and asian England fans, getting their views on why supporting England never appealed to them before this tournament and why this particular England team resonated with them.
It captures the excitement of a wide range of fans before and during the match. Plus it captures the mood after and tries to contextualise the racial abused dished out by the three England players Saka, Sancho and Rashford whilst also expressing great pride in how this team has carried themselves and captured the nation in a way that no other team has done.
You may think this will be a tough listen. But it’s not. It’s a show full of joy and positivity with fans recalling their fondest moments of England’s successful Euros campaign whilst also recognising how far we have come.
Re-live that Euro 2020 final where the hopes and the dreams and the enthusiasm and pain of the fans were reflected in this energy-packed podcast. All those feelings taking place in one rollercoaster of an evening.