'And it's Shakespeare to take the final Penalty...'

Since the start of the World Cup a couple of weeks ago it’s been hard to walk down any street without seeing a flag or two flying. A bit like this one here:

And they haven’t just been England flags either, but that’s beside the point: Football is a stimulator of national pride. If England had lost today, pub and armchair commentators would have had much to say, but still every fan would have been there to watch and cheer when England played again. Of course, England have now made it to the next stage of this World Cup, so phew! and Hurrah! etc, but what else can we be proud of as a nation? Here I turn over to the inspiration for this entry, P.D. James who celebrates her 90^th Birthday this year:

In a recent speech, in her role as President of the Society of Authors, P.D. James said: “Literature is the art for which we have always been most famous. Produced the greatest paintings or the greatest music, but we have produced the greatest poet who ever lived – Shakespeare.”

I have no idea if P.D. James is a football fan and there’s no disrespect intended here but Shakespeare is only the start. Now let’s see who else can we send out on to the pitch to represent the best of English Literature. First choice is obvious Shakespeare (Team Captain,) E.M. Forster, (Goal) Charles Dickens (Left Wing or Striker) Jane Austen (I don’t know any more positions,) Samuel Johnson, T.S. Eliot, Charlotte Bronte, Jonathan Coe, Sarah Waters, Ted Hughes, and finally D.H. Lawrence.

These are my choices and now I turn it over to you our loyal readers – anyone you think I’ve missed out or should be relegated to the subs bench? Do let us know. Speaking of Loyalty, don’t forget that our new Loyalty Card launches this Saturday – do read Tim’s entry below for more information.