The following letter appeared in the Western Daily Press on 3rd July 2010.
Jacky Myers (Letters 01.07.10) writes that she is saddened by the fact that the English football team couldn’t be bothered to sing the national anthem with a bit of gusto.
It must have escaped her notice that England was the only country competing in the World Cup that does not have an anthem of its own.
Within the UK Land of my fathers is used as the national anthem for Wales and Scotland uses Flower of Scotland. God Save Our Queen is not an English national anthem but it is the United Kingdom anthem, which may explain the lack of enthusiasm shown by the English football team.
In this and the matter of devolution England alone is, as ever, denied a separate identity within the UK.
Veronica Newman
