One week ago today, the entire continent of Europe was treated to something rather wonderful. The grand old dames of world football were handed their arse to them by lil old Iceland and my how we all took great pleasure in the fallout from it all.
Save from the picture of Wayne Rooney's crying son, there was a lot to be enamoured with last Tuesday morning. Hodgson had resigned and the fall guys were being lined up and picked off one by one. Rooney himself has felt a fair amount of backlash, Harry Kane's performance was lambasted and Raheem Sterling was handed a nation's anger on a plate.
Delightful stuff when you're watching form afar and it continued throughout the week. The FA, grassroots football, the Premier League's penchant for foreign imports, Raheem Sterling. It went on and on but then the Sunday papers had their say and in the world of media, that's usually that. The news cycle moves on, the scapegoats take a breath and someone else is in the firing line.
Not so this time around. You can only imagine what kind of editorial meeting went on in Sun HQ yesterday to (a) decide this was a story and (b) decide it was a front page splash.
Monday's Sun front page:
Off with their head rests#tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers #eng #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/zLF0R9WxZa— Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) July 3, 2016
Let us explain for one second. That's the FA's Senior Communications Manager, Andy Walker. As you do when you're in a decent job, Walker has been sharing some of his experiences across his social media channels. Take this one for example, from before the beginning of the tournament.
Next stop: @UEFAEURO #ThreeLions #TogetherForEngland pic.twitter.com/Qxqdx0fjMa
— Andy Walker (@_andywalker_) June 6, 2016
Somehow that kind of thing has turned into;
Fand were furious last night after an FA fat cat boasted he jaunted in luxury around Euro 2016 as England flopped.
Communications manager Andy Walker’s bragging came as he posted an online snap of his VIP seat on the Three Lions’ plane home.
Listen we love a good English shitshow as much as the next guy but this is just taking the piss. Thankfully, it would appear that Walker is being given a fair amount of support in the aftermath of the publication of that front page this morning.
Just wait until The Sun finds out about the England kit. has anyone at the FA ever heard of plain white tshirts? pic.twitter.com/jTr8EeTe0W
— hrtbps (@hrtbps) July 4, 2016
Got a lot of time for @_andywalker_ at the FA. Conscientious, hard-working and down to earth. English football needs more like him.
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) July 4, 2016
jawdroppingly awful non story. @_andywalker_ doesn't deserve this
— Ben Smith (@BSmith) July 3, 2016
The England head rest from the Sun's front page for tomorrow. Note the date on Andy Walker's tweet https://t.co/OTJpoXvuNk
— Ben McAleer (@BenMcAleer1) July 3, 2016
Appalled to see @_andywalker_ targeted by The Sun today. Andy is a total professional. Great integrity and is hugely respected. @FA
— Adrian Bevington (@ABevington11) July 4, 2016
To be honest we prefer the 'How Gauling' tagline on the bottom right of that front page. Now that's a story worthy of a front page splash.
