I have just seen Theo Walcott score a goal against Liverpool. This will enrage my son who is a Liverpool supporter but enthuse my daughter who is an Arsenal supporter. So what is my interest? Virtually none – I am a mobile embarrassment for my family when it comes to football. Theo Walcott gets a mention however because he came with his Mum and Dad to one of my Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal events. http://www.maryseacoleappeal.org.uk/ Therefore he gets a mention with honours!
Not having any knowledge of football is a serious handicap for a politician. When QPR was threatened with closure in Shepherds Bush the club supporters got me to go along to a mass protest meeting because I had helped them fight the proposal. I was asked to speak and started well by saying I wasn’t an expert but I knew QPR belonged in Shepherds Bush. That got a really big cheer. I warmed to my theme. I then said I wanted to see QPR back in the premier league. There was a stunned silence. Then one small voice said “But we’re not out of it yet”! They were a generous lot and foragave me my sins!
Note: I am the chairman of the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal. Mary Seacole was buried in my old constituency and the black community were very keen on her getting the recognition she deserved for nursing the troops in the Crimean War. When we have raised the money it will be the first statue to a black woman in the UK.
Best not to declare an allegiance to a Premiership club else you’ll alienate 98% of the public: 100% if you’re a Man U supporter.
There would be a frisson if/when Lord Beckham of Leytonstone was admitted to HoL, the most famous ‘black’ man in 2003, according to Channel 4.
Which brings me to ask whether he, or Bill Clinton as another example, are more meaningful to black people today than Mary Seacole?
While fully realising that nobody likes a pedant or a nit-picker, I have to point out that you can’t possibly have seen Theo Walcott score against Liverpool as he didn’t. What he did do though was run nearly the length of the pitch before setting up Emmanuel Adebayor to score, which enthused me all the way up to Liverpool’s penalty.