Spirit of liberty and friendship shines through at united Wembley

Rarely, if ever, can the founding principles of the French Republic have felt so apt in the context of a sporting occasion, writes Scott Wilson at Wembley

There are some that would have postponed last night’s friendly between England and France in the wake of last week’s slaughter on the streets of Paris, but by the end of a hugely emotional evening, surely no one can have been left in any doubt that it was right to play the game.

Germany v Netherlands match in Hannover called off after terror alert

England 2 France 0

Four days on from the scenes of unthinkable horror that unfolded in the French capital, this was an opportunity to reaffirm the democratic tenets that the Islamic fundamentalists responsible for last week’s atrocity are so determined to wipe away. On a night that will have been beamed around the world, Wembley, and by extension English society in general, did itself proud.

England players observe a minute of silence with their French counterparts before the international friendly match at Wembley Stadium. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire

There was liberty, because while last week’s barbarism might lead to changes to the way in which our leisure time is observed and policed, more than 70,000 people still chose to exercise their freedom last night by attending a game of football in England’s capital.

At the same time as Germany’s scheduled game with Holland was being cancelled because of another attempt to cause carnage, and under the watchful eye of the armed police who lined Wembley Way, thousands joked and laughed as they filed into the home of the English game.

Football might seem like a frivolous irrelevance when posited against the deaths of 129 innocent people, yet its light-hearted superficiality is precisely one of the reasons why it was targeted by the four terrorists who preyed on the Stade de France last Friday.

In this part of the world, we have learned that it is the frivolous things that make life worth living. Whether watching 22 men kick a ball around or dancing to an American rock band, as was the case at the Bataclan concert hall, we express our freedom in ways that can appear trivial, but which are actually the very bedrock of our existence.

Radical Islam, with its rabid hate of anything that is joyous or life-affirming, cannot understand that. All those present at Wembley were acknowledging its importance to the way they want to live their lives.

A France fan in the stands wears a France football shirt in tribute to the victims of the terror attack in Paris. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

There was equality, because while the terrorists would seek to divide, football is one of the world’s most powerful unifying forces. Religion, sex, colour, creed, sexuality – all are irrelevant once you throw on a shirt and give your backing to your team.

Last night, there were old England fans, black England fans, female England fans, disabled England fans, and almost certainly some England fans who didn’t come from England. Layers of multiple identities are possible, indeed desired, in an enlightened democracy. How desolate must a world be if one unwavering loyalty has to eclipse all?

Young fans in the stands with facepaint of France and England flags prior to the friendly match. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

One of the most jarring aspects of last week’s targeting of French football was the fact that the France team that won the 1998 World Cup, containing players of African origin such as Marcel Desailly, Patrick Vieria and Zinedine Zidane, was regarded as one of the great triumphs of French multiculturalism.

Perhaps it says much about the futility of the terrorists’ efforts that French midfielder Lassana Diarra, a Muslim who lost one of his cousins in Friday’s tragedy, has subsequently emerged as one of the most inspiring voices of inter-religious tolerance. That he was a second-half substitute last night says much about the strength of the human spirit, even in the face of the most extreme of provocations.

All of which leads us to fraternity, and the sense of kinship that enveloped last night’s game. For once, the term friendly was not a misnomer.

London, a city that has had to deal with the fall-out from its own terrorist atrocities, was the ideal place for France to begin a process of healing. Our two nations might be separated by the Channel, but through a shared history and set of values, we are much more alike than either of us would sometimes like to acknowledge.

French and English fans show their support outside the ground before the international friendly match at Wembley Stadium. Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire

Politically, the English public is still to decide whether to support French bombing raids on IS targets in Syria, but on a personal level, this was England saying, ‘We are with you all the way’.

The ten minutes prior to kick-off represented a remarkable display of unity. Prince William and David Cameron joined Roy Hodgson and Didier Deschamps to lay floral tributes on the pitch before both sets of fans joined in a rousing rendition of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise.

During the anthem, the fans housed in Wembley’s East Stand displayed a giant Tricolour, and afterwards, the two groups of players were interspersed around the centre circle to observe an immaculate minute’s silence.

England fans still tend to get a bad press, some of which is deserved. Last night, however, they were a credit to themselves and their country. Sometimes, silence says far more than words ever could.

The words to La Marseillaise, the french national anthem, on screens prior to the international friendly match at Wembley Stadium. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire.

The opportunity to display such a unified front was part of what made last night so welcome, but it was equally important to mount a show of defiance that proved life will go on.

Football is a target now, and we will all have to acknowledge that fact. Premier League officials meet tomorrow to discuss potential new security measures ahead of this weekend’s games, but if we are subject to extra bag checks or screening as we enter stadiums, that is a price we will have to pay.

The show must go on, otherwise we might as well redraw our entire society to reflect the terrorists’ manifesto. That means continuing to attend matches and refusing to relinquish the things we regard as precious. It also means, incidentally, that France should retain the hosting rights to next year’s European Championships. Anything else would be an admission of defeat.

Last night proved that while life will never be the same for those directly involved in last week’s killings, the world continues to turn.

Sport, for all of its essential meaningless, is an important part of that world. Vive le football. Vive la France.

France players applaud prior to the international friendly match at Wembley Stadium. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire