Betrayed

Betrayed.

That’s how I feel.

Betrayed by the nasty way the Dutch team played in yesterday’s final. I am glad Spain won.

1974 was my first World Cup. The Dutch team lit up that tournament with their exhilarating Total Football. They should have won, but ran into Germany, the hosts, in the final.

4 years later, ditto, but they ran into the hosts Argentina in the final.

Since then I have held a torch for Holland as a football nation. I have had a policy of switching support to Holland as soon as England go out.

That is why I wanted Holland to win: for Cruyff, Neeskens, Krol et al. For Van Basten, Rijkaard and Gullit. For Bergkamp.

But yesterday we did not see a flair performance by the Dutch. It was nasty. It was 1982 vintage Germany: anyone remember Schumacher and Stielike? And as for that whinging git Robben. If Holland had won it would have been a travesty.

Before the end of the first half of yesterday’s final I had fallen out of love. I think it unlikely that I will be automatically switching my support to Holland next time England go out of a major tournament.