That's the trend here, at least, Volgadon - whereas we English were once thought of as the stiff-upper-lipped, calm, disciplined folks of the world, now the media and even politicians encourage us to take a passionate attitude toward everything, and then say tut-tut-tut at the results. And, to relate it back to football, this poem refers to a quote from the late great Alf Ramsey: "It will all end in tears"...

Poem 150 of 230: TEARS

Watching a documentary
    Of the '66 World Cup,
And the way of England's Ramsey,
    I thought: "Let's give 'passion' up."

It voiced and showed his calm way -
    He playing things down a touch;
And, as his home team won the day,
    They showed care but not too much.

Analytical Englishmen -
    Cool over the tasks that lay;
We see some of it in Henman,
    But it's not the modern way.

Sadly, passion and youthful thought
    Have become the status quo,
And social-standards and sport
    Have sunk relatively low.

From walkaboutsverse.741.com