It was a great weekend for English Sport with our football, rugby and cricket teams all recording victories.
However, as a fan of both Rovers and England, Steve McClaren's sides much needed win at Wembley was, for me, severely tainted by the booing of our very own debutant, David Bentley.
The controversy behind Bentley has, of course, been well documented this summer, but wrongly I felt that the nation had moved on. I personally applauded Bentley's decision to pull out of the Under 21 Tournament this summer, his reasons being sensible, upfront and honest. My feelings for McCaren too, will be familiar to anyone who regularly reads my column, but I was impressed with his decision to both pick and play Bentley at last. Maybe he reads this paper too?
Pleasingly, more established pro's such as Rio Ferdinand and John Terry have come out and backed Bentley, but I am sure that the jeering had an effect on his short appearance, as well as tainted a massive day for him. He is big enough, and good enough to bounce back from the stick, he has already proved that, but to anyone at Wembley on Saturday ask yourself this. Is there not an irony in booing a player for being "unpatriotic" whilst he is wearing the colours of his country?
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