James Lawton: Price before pride to 'honour' a contract

There is for the moment no confirmation of the rumour that England will stand not for the singing of "God Save The Queen" in Gothenberg tonight but a breezy rendition of "Anything Goes".

There is for the moment no confirmation of the rumour that England will stand not for the singing of "God Save The Queen" in Gothenberg tonight but a breezy rendition of "Anything Goes".

However, one point can be asserted with some confidence. Of all that can be said about Sven Goran Eriksson's latest exercise in football futility in Sweden tonight, it cannot be suggested that those back home in England are likely to feel accursed in their beds.

This is especially so after the performance of the nominated spokesman of the players, the goalkeeper David James, who suggested that if the coach had not been persuaded - with the help of a handsome pay rise - that it was wrong to walk out on his contract, some senior players might have followed him.

Here is a new concept in representing your country, a new set of loyalties. It is not about patriotism, but something to do just about exclusively on behalf of yourself and a particular group of team-mates whom you know and admire, though to be fair to James he does say: "There could be late inclusions, but they will fit into an organisation in which everyone knows what they are doing."

But this isn't the definition of a national team. It's a private club, one which makes its own rules and sets its own ethical parameters.

After James's declaration it was hardly likely the journey to Sweden would be too reminiscent of the one to Agincourt, no more than was the more important one to Istanbul for a European Championship qualifying game last October, when a large section of the dressing-room was keen to strike in support of their team-mate Rio Ferdinand.

Then, Eriksson didn't muster a glimmer of public opposition, didn't say that perhaps Ferdinand had disqualified himself by failing to take a drugs test. This week we have quid pro quo. Eriksson implicitly supported his players when they talked about rejecting their England shirts in favour of professional solidarity. The players say it is fine for Eriksson to play all available options on the run-in to the European Championship. It is all, we are told, in the interests of "harmony".

The reaction of James and his team-mates was apparently endorsed by Eriksson's compatriots in the Swedish camp. There the mood was puzzlement. They saw the situation plainly enough: billionaire Russian dangles the carrot, contracted national team manager goes scuttling into the shadows a few months before the world's second most important international football tournament - then agrees to honour his contract, after receiving a consideration of more than a million a year.

Where's the problem? James is also non-plussed, saying: "The players are not worried about him talking to Chelsea and others. You have to have options. It is a pressure job being a manager. It is right to look at other things."

In all the history of England's national team there is one moment of supreme achievement. It came in 1966, and in view of events of the last few days, it may be instructive to recall the letter sent to each of the World Cup-winning heroes by the then secretary of the Football Association, Denis Follows, a few days after their triumph at Wembley. It said: "On behalf of the Football Association I am writing to congratulate you on the part you played in winning the World Cup for England. The Football Association is proud of your achievement... it is understood that the players forming the World Cup squad feel that every member of the squad should be treated the same way and that the £22,000 allocated as a bonus in the event of their winning the World Cup should be divided equally between them irrespective of the number of matches in which they played.

"The Football Association is only too happy to meet the wishes of the players in this matter and I have the greatest pleasure in enclosing herewith a cheque for £1,000."

How quaint, that time when you could pay off a World Cup-winner with a grand, and you didn't have to bribe his manager a million a year for him to honour his contract.