Why Wembley is ideal home

THESE days, the script dictates that Wembley is corporate and dull and England would be much better eschewing the national stadium for the provinces. The atmosphere at Elland Road last week was certainly noisy. The many tributes, however, overlooked one salient fact — England’s Manchester United players, Marcus Rashford and Phil Jones, and later substitute Jesse Lingard, were booed. Not with great venom or for a prolonged period, but loudly enough to be noticeable and without the players doing anything to provoke it. They just had to be present and

play for Manchester United. And it didn’t matter because this was a friendly, England were quickly on top and Rashford (below) was outstanding from the start. It will not, however, always be that way. If Wembley is sold and England do have to play some home matches on the road each season, they will not all be strolls like Thursday’s game. There will be occasions when England are poor, or struggling, have a difficult qualifying group or desperately need a win. Meaning there will be occasions when fans arrive dissatisfied. Football has moved on since England were last on a domestic tour. It is more than a decade since the national team returned to Wembley and the English game has grown considerably more tribal in that time. Fans are defined by who they despise as much as those they love. When the ska anthem

Liquidator by Harry J. All Stars is played at Stamford Bridge now, the locals chant about hating Tottenham before they even mention Chelsea. It is ridiculous. So, the idea that England’s players will be welcomed, supported and garlanded in the provinces is presumptuous. If that had been England needing to win against Belgium last week and Jones had been skinned by Eden Hazard as he was at Wembley on FA Cup final day, Elland Road could have turned very inhospitable. Wembley might not be ideal — but it is largely a safe space.