We're going to have to permanently disagree then. I think his comments were in a much larger context, only periphally involving the sporting world.
LOL, he's a sports writer. Writing about sports is
exactly what he does and the ugly side of football patriotism is something every sports writer in the UK has to deal with on a regular basis. I think back to 1999 when the Scottish crowd jeered during the national anthem when England played the Scots in Glasgow. It's quite a serious issue here. This crowd in Trafalgar Square showed us that patriotism doesn't have to be ugly and I'm glad.
Peruse some of his other columns. No hidden political agendas there.