Thought For The Day – Monday 6^th July 2026

In will be another warm week. Stay safe, keep making good decisions,  keep calm, and regularly hydrate.

 

“Lions, every single one of them, starters and substitutes. No need to worry about altitude when you have attitude like this. Pure defiance. Guts and glory. England silenced the mighty Azteca, exorcised ghosts. On to Miami and Norway.” (Henry Winter, football writer)

In a dramatic, historic, and pulsating encounter, vividly analysed, appreciated, and described by the radio commentary on “Talk Sport”,  with analysis by former England men’s football international and guest speaker at T.B.S.H.S., Stuart Pearce, the England men’s football team defeated a fine, and host,  Mexico team at the historic and atmospheric Azteca stadium.

After a delay, symbolically caused by a storm, a deafening rendition, even on the radio,  of the Mexican national anthem further set the tone.

The size of the fearsome task was clear.  More than metaphorically, England would need to scale a mountain.

After withstanding the key first twenty minutes at altitude, making it to first “hydration break” without conceding a goal, with the manager giving very clear instructions on the next ascent,  England scored two goals in ninety seconds at the same end where Argentina’s Diego Maradona had scored “two” goals in two hundred and forty seconds forty years ago.  The ghosts of the past four decades later.

Once again, the team demonstrated rock-like resilience,  standing firm, having been reduced to ten players after a red card, and with a key player on a yellow card after just a minute, as Mexico, roared on in the ever- vibrant Mexico City, pressured in the second half.  Had we seen this film before? “Backs to the wonderwall”, wrote Henry Winter this morning.

The Head Coach of Mexico’ men’s football team, Javier Aguirre, was wonderfully gracious in defeat:  “We hope the rest of their tournament works wonderfully for them. We made three mistakes and paid a high price. They did not make mistakes.” Outstanding comments.

England will next play Norway in the quarterfinals at the famous stadium of the Miami Dolphins American Football team on Saturday evening.

We are inspired ourselves in our lives to keep going, to push through, and show resilience, at school today here in Bishop’s Stortford, currently a mere 83 to 85 metres above sea-level.

Whether it is in:  sport;  examinations; school; or life, the key characteristic, as well as being a good person, is heart.

It comes internally. It is showed externally.

And in this match, both teams showed this important quality.

As we will, once again, endeavour to do today, this week, and on Friday’s “Sports Day” at The Bishop’s Stortford High School.  

And as those workers will do across the country and world today.