England fans at the Londoner Pub in Dallas, ahead of England's game against Croatia last week, expressed their opinions following the resignation of Keir Starmer. Three Lions fans are divided on the resignation and chant that they don't want Nigel Farage as Prime Minister, the manager of the England fans team said today.
Fans' Manager Speaks Out
Garford Beck, 64, from London, has managed the fans' team at World Cup tournaments and in friendlies at home. He featured in an ITV film about England's most loyal fans, seen by millions of TV viewers watching the tournament in the UK. In Boston for the Ghana game tomorrow, he watched Mr Starmer's resignation unfold on TV in the early hours of the morning US time.
Speaking to our reporter in the US, Beck said: "It was dramatic, it was history being made. It was inevitable because he had lost the country. England fans have made their feelings known with the famous chant about Starmer." He added: "But politics does generate a lot of arguments among our supporters. Many of them start singing about Nigel Farage after the Keir Starmer chant saying he is a w***er and they don't want him either. So it starts a discussion among the various factions on the terraces."
Starmer's Support Among Fans
Beck noted that Sir Keir had his supporters among the England section. "Personally, I have never voted Labour, but there will be those who are sorry to see him go," he said. Mr Starmer is a keen Arsenal fan and still plays five a side with his friends in north London to keep fit.
Beck was just nine years old when he attended his first England game with his dad Bill, also a patriotic supporter. He has attended hundreds of matches over five decades, rarely missing a game since 1980, mainly because of the Covid pandemic. He has become a 'Top Capper' as a member of the official England Supporters Travel club, which means that his loyalty was recognised with the offer of $60 tickets for the eight games which England would need to win in order to become world champions for the first time since 1966.
Beck's Long History with England
Beck is manager of the England fans team which has played in matches at tournaments all around the world, including games against France and Australia in Qatar. He added: "I have seen the teams of every England manager since Sir Alf Ramsey, including Joe Mercer, Don Revie, Ron Greenwood. I will never forget that first game more than 50 years ago, it was half term during the national power strikes and it was meant to be a 7:30pm kick off, but they had to play it in the afternoon. Mike Channon scored twice, Kevin Keegan was playing, and Jock Stein, Matt Busby and Sir Alf Ramsey were there. I have had some great memories with England."
Political Fallout
Mr Starmer conceded he had lost the support of his rank-and-file Labour Party members in Parliament and that he will step down once his successor as party leader is chosen, possibly as soon as the middle of July. Mr Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester whose resounding victory in a special election last week set in motion Mr Starmer's resignation, has confirmed he will put himself forward to be his successor. Mr Burnham is seen as the front-runner to replace Starmer, especially after his decisive victory Thursday in the seat of Makerfield, showing that he could appeal to voters across the political spectrum.
Despite Labour’s dismal poll ratings and substantial losses in local elections in May, Mr Burnham was able to see off the challenge from the anti-immigration Reform UK candidate and mop up votes from other left-leaning political parties. Although Mr Starmer did not mention Mr Burnham by name in his resignation statement outside the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, he conceded “with good grace” that he wasn’t best placed to lead Labour into that election.
