Some matches are more important than others. AFC Wimbledon fans may not like it, but whether it is the FA Cup, League Cup or Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, a match with MK Dons will always matter.
Great sporting rivalries are what make sport matter – think of the Ashes, Coe versus Ovett, Borg against McEnroe.
The rivalry may be based on respect, contempt or sheer hatred, but what makes sport great is when both sides are desperate to win.
So why on earth was England’s thrilling 3-1 win over Scotland at Celtic Park on Tuesday only the second meeting between football’s oldest internationals since the turn of the Millennium?
England seem to play endless games against certain countries – every time they face San Marino it’s a night to find something better to do rather than watch a pointless four, five or six-goal victory.
In club football terms, Scotland are Championship against England’s Premier League, but the competitive nature of Tuesday’s match meant it was probably more valuable to Roy Hodgson than the 10 previous international friendlies combined.
As former Scotland boss Craig Brown described it, it wasn’t so much a friendly as a “Test match”.
What transpired was a superb game of football, and just watching a real game of international football made you want to turn the clock back 30 years and reinstate the Home International Championships.
And why couldn’t THAT happen? The Six Nations Championships works perfectly well in rugby and who is to say the invitation list should be restricted to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
I’m sure the Republic of Ireland would like a share of the action and if, say, France fancied getting involved it would only serve to make it even more competition.
And where would you fit these matches into the schedule? The international friendly has long been an insult to the paying supporter, just use those dates. And playing more competitive games can only help England when they get to a major tournament.
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