1st of July

On the 1st of July, Europe commemorated the 90’Th anniversary of the first day in hell: The battle of the Somme. Whole villages from Northern England lost bands of young men - the Pal Brigades, mates in life and death, who had conscripted from factory lines to stand and fall together. How did they not fell? On that fateful day, Britain alone suffered 19,240 killed, 2,152 missing and 36,058 injured men [1,2].

All sides lost a million soldiers over the four months of blood, gore and incomparable courage. For once mankind was shocked at its insatiable appetite to destroy and maim its own kind. What passion drives Man to such depths of destruction and despair?

Perhaps it is the same passion that is driving the World Cup this year, as every four years. Watch them as the ball enters play. See the complete and utter involvement, the fire that lights in a striker's eyes when his strike hits the goal, his posture one of defiance. Hear the battle cries in the chanting of the crowds. Feel the anguish of humiliation at defeat as much as the glowing glory over victory with team and supporters alike.

Ours is a species of war. Our history is painted in the blood of our heroes and our villains. Sometimes we are fortunate to choose the football field as our battleground. But in our core we are still at war and perhaps would be until the end.

And yet, all is not lost. On 1 July, during the aftermath of the England-Portugal game, while despair and despondency reigned amongst devastated English players, one player from Portugal walked over to console a rather broken-hearted English player. It was tender, touching and humane. It gave hope for Mankind as much as it restored hope to one man.