Well, it’s 60 years of hurt and counting for English football fans now despite charities’ best efforts to get behind the lads.
Society Diary particularly enjoyed Dogs Trust’s effort to turn the Three Lions stars into dog-related memes.
Congratulations to homelessness charity Crisis as well, which raised £195,000 through an auction for a specially created bank note featuring Scotland star Scott McTominay.
But before we completely move on from football, now the World Cup is coming to a close, let us first remember that incoming prime minister Andy Burnham is a former player.
Demon Eyes
Not a professional, of course, but Burnham was a star striker alongside Ed Balls for Demon Eyes FC, a team in the 1990s that also included David Miliband and former NPC chief executive Dan Corry.
Demon Eyes FC, named after a Conservative Party poster which gave Tony Blair devilish irises, were champions, winning the Thames League Division One, unlike our national side’s failures.
Pieces were written about the team’s exploits in the Financial Times and the Telegraph at the time many players were in Gordon Brown’s cabinet.
Corry pointed out recently that Demon Eyes grew out of another team called the Red Menace, which played in Battersea Park on a Friday evening.
But what does this tell us about Burnham’s likely priorities as PM – did he play off the left flank or was he more of an inside right? Did he listen to charities before deciding where to kick the ball or did he arrogantly strike away without prior robust consultation?
Another Demon Eyes ace and founder of the team was Burnham’s new chief of staff James Purnell, who made an impression on the sector in a previous government role.
Philanthropy consultant Angela Kail shared recently: “When James Purnell was at DCMS, a charity sector bod wrote a poem about him that started ‘James, James, James Purnell/ I love him so much it makes me unwell’.”
Whover the “sector bod” is, please write in to confess. Your secret will be safe with Diary.
Diary was also disturbed to learn recently that Burnham’s first job after uni was assistant editing for Tank World – now known as Bulk Distributor – before he embarked on a political career.
Do we really trust someone from such a depraved pre-politics profession such as trade journalism to be our nation’s leader?
Kudos to the mag for its rebrand though – Tank World sounds far too exciting for B2B.
Charity wrestling anyone?
And finally, Diary was delighted to learn this week of the UK’s first faith-based, professional wrestling charity.
Yorkshire-based Kingdom Wrestling, which teaches Christian values to children through wrestling activities.
The word of Jesus and extreme violence might seem like odd bedfellows but the charity reported reaching over a thousand people including through its Wrestling Church, which attracts around 170 attendees each month.
However, the charity is short of funding over the quieter summer months and has launched (or suplexed?) a fundraiser with an aim to raise £3,000.
