Heroes? I don’t think so.

lovebeigecardigans-spot on!

Yes, they're not proper heroes in the real sense of the word, just the usual British heroic failures.

this world cup has lifted the spirits for many in the UK , okay before I get my head bit off, England

Gillybob; I've got my King Solomon's robes on and having had a "Eureka" moment, (as distinct from my usual Senior's), I've reached a solution for all the verbal problems arising from this thread.!
There must be a couple or so of talented players with Glasgow Rangers,Celtic, even Partick Thistle,Swansea, Cardiff etc.!
Combine into one "team"; "United we stand, divided we fall"
Call it "Britannia", (even Great, if you like), you couldn't lose and also enable everybody to concentrate on a common enemy instead of squabbling.
Or maybe "squabbling" is really part and parcel of the game's enjoyment?
Or maybe there's a Clause in some Constitution somewhere that prevents such an amalgamation.
I'm too far away to know, so I'll shut up ,abdicate and concentrate on cheering the Poms tomorrow!
Good Luck
OoRoo

Let's see just how the honours system works, if those REAL heros, the cave rescue team, get recognised

Gillybob agree 100%.... loved and watched and cheered on every England game, so deflated the night they lost however next day so proud of them and Gareth Southgate all hero’s in my eyes. Lovely to have something to bring us all together after all the misery our country has suffered over the last year. Yes we may not have won the World Cup but they won the hearts of our nation.

Im in no way a football fan but if you asked my 7 yr old GS who his hero is I'm pretty sure he would name someone in the England team or their manager!

Sir Gareth? no way .If he gets one then why not Sir David
and Sir Gary.
Invent a treatment to save lives .Yes
Entertainment NO

Jeez....Let it go.

The same Columbia who were the dirtiest , cheating team in the entire tournament !

Sad but true that the only reason they got as far was from a penalty in the match with Columbia and then they couldn't even beat Croatia.?

I totally agree with you Grandma70s. They're just playing a game, kicking a ball around and being paid far too much for it. I'm always pleased to see England's sports people win at something, but to make such a big fuss about losing (or winning) a football game is ridiculous.

I sign many petitions especially to do with animal welfare but last night I received a new petition asking for Gareth Southgate to be made Sir Gareth Southgate. I did not sign it as although he did a great job with the England squad it does not warrant a knighthood.

I feel proud of them because they did their best and brought enjoyment to a lot of people - surely the latter, in itself, is a good thing?
But they’re not heroes and they do get paid too much.

I agree with Iam64 and Gillibob. Okay the footballers aren't heroes in the correct meaning of the word, but Iam64 you have shown what all the England supporters feel about the players and managers. Well done! Why read about football if you're not interested, Katek?

I was surprised by the dictionary definitions put on here several times but if that is what the dictionary says it must be correct. Dictionaries change over time according to popular usage so this will stay as a definition.

As a non-football fan I can still appreciate how much work and dedication goes into becoming a professional sportsperson at any level but to become good enough to play for your country requires a huge amount of ongoing hard work and such hard work counts as heroism in my book.

Just a little fact the entire England football team are donating their World Cup fees to charity. The England football team has been doing this for 11 years so far raised 5 million. So they are heroes to the people they help and they give their time as well.

Definitions are not changeable Annie. Words retain their meaning, it is the application of the word being debated. And there is a lot of griping.

Katek one of the qualities of a hero is that they behave well and constantly deny they are any such thing. The British divers have just done the same I suppose you wouldn't deny them heroism?

Giving an opinion on the definition of hero is not griping trisher

To my 8 year old football mad grandson the England team and their manager are all heroes . He works hard at school and is an excellent well disciplined young sportsman. If he ( and plenty like him) wants to look up to them as hero’s who are we to argue ?

Immense amount of sense spoken by Gareth Southgate and the FA today. Good to see that their thinking is in line with the ‘old moaners’!

Of course there are heros in many different areas of life. To say these young men are not heroes because they weren't firemen at Grenfell or divers in Thai Land is a bit like saying a potato isn't a vegetable because it's a different shape and colour to a carrot.
For many these young men have acheived something fantastic, and have done so in spite of the forecasts about them. It is in fact 28 years since England reached the World Cup semi-finals and over 50 years since the winning squad. Football is now well paid and presents for ordinary working class kids a way to acheive. It is also a sport where great levels of discipline are required and the temptations and pitfalls are many. These young men did more than was expected, gave thousands an opportunity to celebrate together and provided a brief interval where problems could be forgotten. They then lost with good grace. There is no stipulation that heros always win. They are heroes for many, and all this griping shows why young people regard their elders as a bunch of old moaners.

I think the term "heroes" as used by the newspaper is just a reference to the "hero worship" that people have...not only for footballers but film stars...celebrities...sportspeople....etc. It just an expression really for people who have extreme admiration or idolise a particular person or group or team. Newspapers like to sensationalise to get the attention of the reader ...as in this case.

I'd define a hero as perhaps the the firemen/women who had to pick their way through the remains of Grenfell Tower trying to locate the remains of the poor buggers who couldn't get out.

They'll probably have nightmares for years to come but SOMEONE has to do that sort of thing.

So that's a Hero, IMHO.

I agree - especially if its footballers vs firemen or anyone who puts their lives on the line to save others. They are heroes. On the positive side though regarding the England team, they have donated their fees for playing to charity and they have done so for many years.