Inspired by New Order (1994). World in Motion. The Best of New Order [Record]. Warner Music UK Limited.

Photo by Nasif Tazwar on Unsplash 

It’s that time of year when I start to feel super optimistic! Maybe it’s because it's summer. Maybe it's the long days and plenty of sunshine. Or maybe it’s because it's long enough from the end of the last football season for me to forget about West Ham's relegation and to start to get excited by all the possible new signings (that usually don’t occur) before the start of the next season in the Championship.

Every other year this optimism is also increased by another footballing event, and of course now it’s the World Cup. And that is a great excuse to look at some of the most iconic football songs of all time, starting this week with the England song for Italia 90.

Football at the end of the 1980’s wasn’t in a great place in terms of hooliganism, violence and its reputation so singing about love putting the world in motion in a football song was certainly a statement. Many people say Italia 90 was a turning point. I think there has always been an interesting relationship between football and society. Football is both influenced by society and has the opportunity to be an influencer of it. And in many ways the lyric above reflects this. New Order admit they weren’t really football fans, and yet there is hope reflected in the lyrics that when people come together, with football as the medium, something good can happen.

For me though, one of the best lines in the song is: Express yourself, create the space. One of the things that is so closely related to optimism for me is hope, and hope is connected to possibility. Creating the space to express who you are, whether it be on the football field, or in life more generally provides a great way of opening up and living in possibilities.

But what does this look like practically? I think it means literally creating the time and space to think, feel and day dream. For me, creating this space for myself is just as important as any other part of my working life, so I try to do it in a way which builds on and supports the rhythms I already have rather than competing with them. In some ways this individualisation is also reflected in the song through the recognition of its not being slow or fast, but where you're heading that counts.

So, as I listen to this classic football anthem once again, it’s just a little reminder to make the space for me to be me, and to do it my way.

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