NOW WE’RE ALL SPANISH!

I think it was the Conservative government minister Norman Tebbit, as then was before he Lorded it over us, who back in the 1980s asked who the Asian population supported when England played India or Pakistan at cricket. The inference being that if they were now truly British it would be England. Rather simplistic but I understand his point.

I chewed the cud with my good friend Prospero this morning in Jimena’s Vecina Bar and needless to say Spain’s victory over Portugal was high on the agenda. He had been in the bar last night when the match was live on TV. It was packed with Spaniards of course – after all we are in Spain – but also a Chinese lad proudly wearing a “La Roja” shirt plus Rumanians and Brits waving the national flag.

Prospero can support England and Argentina whilst I also backed England the land of my birth and South Africa as I lived there for a while. Our mutual home for more years than either of us care to mention has been Spain so we shared the national joy when they became European football champions in 2008 and hopefully World Champions in the coming week or so.

Even my niece in England is supporting Spain although she had to be discreet yesterday as she works with a number of Portuguese. Whether Spain win or lose the team has been a joy to watch – what a contrast with the miserable performance put in by England. Nobody minds their team losing if they go out fighting to a better side – but Wayne & Co shamed us all!

So Norman, as you asked, I’ll be supporting Spain along with Alberto, Christine, Richard, Debbie, Jaime and all the Brits hereabouts because we’re all Spanish now!