Bravo to the England football team who have banished the ghosts of penalty failures past as they marched in imperious fashion into the quarter finals of the World Cup by beating Columbia.

However, not everyone it seems is happy to hear the musical way they have gone about things as they now look forward to meeting Sweden in the next round.

Lobbing up

An article by journalist Sean O'Grady in 'The Independent' newspaper today (July 3rd) suggested that the music played by the 'The England Band' is in his words, the "...cultural equivalent of some gammon England fan lobbing up last night's burger, lager and vodka supper on the war memorial at Volgograd."

He says that there is "…something deeply dispiriting about this uniquely English phenomenon"and that they are "… the musical equivalent of someone covering their house in England flags, the ones that have to have the word "ENGLAND"inscribed across the middle just in case you might think there might be some other motive for getting your giant St George's banner, such as Waterloo Day or Gary Lineker's official birthday."

Vulgar

He continues: "They're vulgar, and while there's a wide space reserved for healthy vulgarity at any England football match, the band has no countervailing merits."

He goes on to say that it's "…dispiriting to have to listen to endless renditions of the theme from the Great Escape, Rule Britannia and God Save the Queen, god help us, on trumpet and drum."

He ends by adding: "There was a rumour on social media lately that the Russian "ultra"fans would at some point set upon the England Band. I would not like that to happen, as they seem like nice boys, despite everything, and well-meaning if misguided.

Even so, if Frank Lampard, say, broke the news at half time that the band had had their trombones nabbed off them by some ne'er do wells, I'd be quietly relieved."

We wonder what Mr O'Grady may make of their efforts if they chose to play ABBA'S 'Waterloo', or the greatest hits selection of the eight symphonies of Hilding Rosenberg before a possible penalty shoot out in the next round against Sweden then4BR

Waterloo

We wonder what Mr O'Grady may make of their efforts if they chose to play ABBA'S 'Waterloo', or the greatest hits selection of the eight symphonies of Hilding Rosenberg before a possible penalty shoot out against Sweden in the next round then…

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To read the article: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/world-cup-2018-england-band-brass-players-russia-nationalism-rule-britannia-a8428751.html