Every two years, the fabric of Chesterfield seems has seemed to have undergone a real uplift as England fans display their colours in expectation of ‘Football coming home’. I am sad that this year there are so many fewer flags being displayed and following the recent call for views on flags on lampposts, I think it is clearer why.
Therefore, as we look forward to England’s opening fixture, I wanted to issue an appeal to all those who do normally display their flags during the tournament to get them up for the lads!
Whilst there were many suggesting that I should be occupied with more pressing issues than flags (spoiler- I am), the 200 plus emails on the subject and 1,100 Facebook posts showed that the displaying of flags was still a subject that aroused strong opinions.
Of those who took the time to write to me, 84% felt that the flags should come down and 16% wanted them to be left in place, with particularly strong feelings against the giant flags that adorn the former Council offices on Saltergate.
On Facebook, views were more mixed, and also covered a wider geographical area than just those in Chesterfield.
One thing that was mentioned by several correspondents was that for the first time in years, they will not be putting up an England flag during the World Cup. Not because they have stopped supporting England. Not because they have fallen out of love with football. But because they worry that displaying the St George’s Cross will lead people to assume they support political movements or individuals with whom they have absolutely no connection.
I think this is really sad, most of us have enjoyed the flag displays at the time of past tournaments. Our flag belongs to all of us and shouldn’t be used to make a political point. Flags can be unifying or divisive, so I call on everyone backing England in this World Cup- black or white, right, left or centre – to display your England flag with pride and reject those who would choose to have our flag divide us.
It was also clear that some who supported the flags going up on lampposts initially now feel that their unkempt state meant that they are now making our communities looks untidy.
I raised this issue at a meeting with the Reform leaders at Derbyshire County Council last week, who said that whilst they do not encourage people putting flags on lampposts, they also do not have the resources to take them down.
So as England begin another World Cup campaign, I hope people across Chesterfield and across the country will reclaim the flag and proudly hang it from their properties for the duration of the tournament. Let’s come together and say ‘this flag belongs to all of us- and this is our team’.
Come on England!
