Simon Weston CBE, a Welsh Guards veteran who suffered severe burns during the Falklands War, has declared his support for England in the World Cup semi-final against Argentina on Wednesday night. Despite being Welsh, Weston will be cheering for the Three Lions in Atlanta, following controversy over Argentine players' chants about the Falklands.
Falklands chants spark outrage
After Argentina's quarter-final victory over Switzerland, Lionel Messi and his teammates were seen chanting about 'Las Malvinas' while celebrating with fans. The chant, 'Y ya lo ve, y ya lo ve, el que no salta es un inglés' (And now you see, whoever doesn't jump is English), drew fury from Falklands veterans. Weston called the chants 'insulting' to the 255 British servicemen who died in the 1982 conflict.
Weston's personal connection
Weston, who suffered 46% burns when the RFA Sir Galahad was bombed at Bluff Cove, has undergone over 70 major surgeries. He said: 'I will be hoping England win this evening because my wife is a scouser!! And I couldn’t put up with Lucy shouting at the tv the ref and the players!! Whether my fellow countrymen should shoot for England, that’s up to them! I dare to tell people who they should support!!'
War casualties remembered
The 74-day Falklands War resulted in 907 fatalities, including 255 British and 649 Argentine military personnel. Weston previously told The Sun: 'It’s insulting to the people who died, including the Argentinians. They are singing a song that means nothing, it’s stupid and irrelevant. None of these footballers, in their ignorance, were around in 1982. How bloody childish. We’re going to do what for the Malvinas? Win a football match.'
