Like most footbal fans in England it took a while for the crushing disappointment of the national team’s dismal performance at the World Cup to sink in.
However, in the haze of a drunken hour and following David Beckham’s self important resignation – like we cared? – and the mock auto da fe of Sven Goran Ericsson's exit interview, the thought struck that a tipping point was reached, not only for England football but also in English culture.
Since last summer there seems to be a genuine gravitation back to substance rather than style. Those that govern and entertain us by virtue of a triumph of their charisma over what hey could do seems d to be slipping into dependency.
In football terms the whole WAG circus seemed to sharpen minds that it was what happened on the pitch and not the shops that was more important; Tony Blair hit the buffers when what the country actually wants are concrete policies about sorting things out rather than charm (this could be Gordon Brown's big advantage as he slugs it out with oily Blair-lite David Cameron); in music a lot of gritty, street-level bands like Arctic Monkeys thumped boy bands – even Take That came back with real songs – and the new X-factor darling seemed to have an even more ephemeral shelf life; Jade Goody and cohort dreadful Danielle Lloyd have rather wonderfully brought down the concept of being famous for being famous and BB’s future (and thus its housemates’ fame and inevitable fortune) is in doubt.
In fact David Beckham slipping out into the sunset way out west is further evidence for this. Goodbye, good riddance and take your fame hungry, bad culture influencing other half (Victoria Beckham or Posh spice for the two people who don't know) with you. For good. Be a movie star; be a scientologist; be anything; just don’t be here…unless you want o do something real.
Of course this may be dreadful wishful thinking and dreaming. But as one of my home town’s most famous son’s said. You can say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one…I hope.
Email me to tell me if I am the King of wishful thinking
