'I worry about unity' - Southgate on St George's flag

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ago, one hour ago

In a debate over the flying of the St. George’s flag, former England manager Sir Gareth Southgate declares he is “worried about unity.”

In recent months, England has seen a rise in the number of St. George’s and Union Jack flags.

Some people find the flag-raising patriotic, but others find it intimidating.

Following a Euro 2024 final defeat defeat by Spain, Southgate left the team and spent eight years in charge.

He is well known for uniting the nation in support of the national side, and he has just published a book called Dear England: Lessons in Leadership.

Jon Kay, a presenter for BBC Breakfast, questioned Southgate on Monday about how he felt about the flag debate, saying, “Some people are proud of them. Some people have questions about how useful they are in particular situations. What do you think of the “patriotism debate” regarding the flags?

Southgate responded, “I worry about unity.” I’ve seen how the team [England] worked together to bring every community together.

Gary Neville, a former England defender and co-owner of Salford City, recently criticised the “negative” display of the St George’s flag and claimed he had ordered the flag’s removal from a building site he invests in.

Later that week, two pitch invaders attempted to place a St George’s flag inside the Peninsula Stadium’s center circle, which was delayed until Salford City’s League Two game against Oldham Athletic.

The incident was blamed on Britain First, a far-right organization, for which they “teamed up with local Salford patriots” to protest Gary Neville’s “tidy behavior.”

There will always be some unrest beneath the surface, said Southgate.

I understand why some people are unhappy because “life is very difficult for many people economically.”

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Southgate, who took over as England’s head coach in November 2016 after a brief spell, won 57 caps for the Three Lions.

The defender missed a penalty in the semi-final shootout defeat by Germany at Wembley in 1996, which was the closest the defender’s career to silverware with the national side.

When asked about the value of failing, Southgate responded, “One of the certainties of life is that things will always turn out the other way.” I learned from 1996 that I had to be better prepared and that I had to perform a skill under great pressure.

I remember saying, “I don’t know how I’ll ever get over this when I went to bed that night.”

“I was in charge of getting the team to the final because the entire nation was playing football at this carnival in 1996.”