ENGLAND’S success against Germany in their latest Euro 2020 clash drew comparisons between politicians and sports stars - and questions over why 45,000 could gather at Wembley but we still can’t dance at weddings.

The Independent

Chris Stevenson said England captain Gareth Southgate said that he and his players have a duty to “raise awareness and educate” both on and off the field amid a row over his England team taking the knee ahead of matches.

“Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford – in England’s Euro 2020 squad – has been taking the government to task over meals for schoolchildren throughout the pandemic,” he said. “It is heartening to see sports stars like this not be afraid to tell it like they see it. I know some would prefer that sportspeople keep out of politics, but given the government cannot stay out of the headlines for all the wrong reasons, there is a need for others to show leadership and moral courage.”

He said the country needs an example to follow, and ‘many will feel that this is severely lacking in the top echelons of government’.

The Daily Express

Leo McKinstry said England’s achievement was a tribute to the dedication and talent of a young squad that has ‘refused to be daunted by the immense challenge it faces.’

“Gareth Southgate is building a reputation as England’s greatest boss since the World Cup winner Sir Alf Ramsey,” he said. “In fact, Southgate’s team is proving a far greater vehicle for social inclusion than all the progressive official initiatives that uselessly litter our public life. Football used to be scarred by racism and hooliganism. But today, due in part to the diversity of the England team, it is an increasingly effective weapon in the cause of anti-racism.”

He said rarely had a shared sense of belonging been more powerful than it was on Tuesday night. “Contrary to the bleak propaganda of the woke mob, patriotism is a noble ideal that strengthens social cohesion.”

The Daily Mail

Janet Street-Porter said the attack on Chris Whitty in the park the other day wasn’t just boorish yob behaviour, it was ‘an indication of the increasing frustration and rage at the government’s lack of a route back to normality.’

“Wembley Stadium admitted 45,000 fans to England versus Germany, when the authorities already knew that a recent spike in infections in Scotland was a direct result of Scottish fans travelling South to watch to game against England last week,” she said. “People can happily hug each other in Trafalgar Square singing Football’s Coming Home – which is fine.

“But why can’t we dance and sing at a wedding?

“We’ve all seen enough numbers now. The only ones they should still publish are hospitalisations and deaths.”