Heroes? I don’t think so.

So what was/is Saman Kunan?

In the Oxford English Dictionary, one of the many definitions of hero is:

In a particular context: an individual or group lauded or admired by a specified person or group of people.

In the context of the World Cup, the English football squad are heroes to fans of English football.

Sad that it's all over..... until.....wait for it EURO 2020 !!! Yeah !

I realised that gilly

I am no football expert Annie I just enjoy watching it a lot.

The dictionary doesn't agree with you when .

There are different kinds of heros !

Gilly, you are the football expert.

Not qualifying is losing in the qualifying rounds,

Qualifying is an achievement

Losing in the semi finals is losing .

The winners are the team which holds the cup.

Crossed posts, GillT57!

Of course England have done very well to get as far as the semi-finals of the World Cup, and teams which didn't qualify (eg Scotland, who can be beaten by the Faroe Islands) haven't, and this England team have been wished well by many on this side of the border. I realise that they will be coming back to a good welcome and quite right too.

However, Katek's point, with which I completely agree, is that the word "heroes" is not the best one to describe these undoubtedly skilled young men who have done their job well. Even more so in a week when we have seen real volunteer heroes at work and at risk. I think some people are perhaps taking offence too easily

As someone with no interest in football, I have found myself watching and quite enjoying the World Cup. Yes, they did well, yes they seem a lovely happy team of young men being paid well to do what they enjoy, but they are not heroes as the press would have us believe. Heroes are those brave men who rescued the children from the flooding caves. I am happy to see the football team given a great welcome home as they played well, there was no scandals or dirty play, but by over doing the praise the press are starting to irritate me.

I disagree Katek . If you read Panaches definitions of the word "hero" it explains that there are in fact very different kinds.

Where does not qualifying at all sit ?

Because plenty countries (that might have normally) didn't .

Really? is that so? I am, for once, completely dumbstruck ! Thank your for explaining in easy to understand terms annie

Of course winning a place in the world cup is not an achievement? Winning a place in the semi final isn't either? I get it, I really do !

Like it or not all of you who object to the England footballers being called heroes but to thousands and thousands of people they are heroes. And there is nothing you can do about it, is there?

Gilly, losing is not an outstanding achievement, coming 3rd or 4th is an achievement but nothing outstanding

Yes they are comparing them gilly, simply by bracketing them together with the same descriptor.

Yes, just you gillybob.

Federer lost his match yesterday, this means he cannot win Wimbledon this year because he lost yesterday , Anderson won , this does not mean Anderson has won Wimbledon, he could lose his next match.

This is an example of winning and losing gilly.

I’m no football fan, but see nothing wrong with describing someone as a sporting hero, and I think these young men fit the description. Wimbledon etc is an annual event, the World Cup and Olympics all the more special, and hotly contested, for being just once every four years. The team have behaved admirably, unlike some, and done England proud. Let’s not begrudge them a brief spell in the sun.

I used to have a much-loved book called The Girls’ Book of Heroines, circa 1960. Alongside Charlotte Corday and Violette Szabo was an action shot of Gorgeous Gussie Moran, famed for her superb tennis and frilly pants.

As pointed out by panache up thread, there are many definitions of a hero.

heroes
1.
a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

My heroes at he moment are the paramedics who took me to A&E late Sat night. Then the team in A&E, dealing with allsorts of abuse and difficulty, with calm talk and kindness .
Thank you to all of them for making it possible for me to be back at home, from the CCU, repaired and not broken.

It’s kind of hard to avoid! I’ll say it again....I have no interest but recognise other people do and thoroughly enjoy their football. My objection lies with the choice of language used to describe these young men. That’s it.

No one is comparing sportsman to cave rescuers Jane10 that's just silly.

Its okay Parsley it will go away soon, then we can all get back to being our miserable selves. Or maybe that's just me.

gillybob the objection was to the use of the word 'hero'. Nothing about only bad news to be on the news.
No sportsmen at any sport are 'heros' compared to the bravery of those cave rescuers and so many others who put their own lives at risk to save others.