The man behind a flag display backing the England Women’s football team has warned that the community will not dampen their support in the face of busy body neighbours. The Kirby Estate in Bermondsey has become synonymous with outlandish shows of support during major international tournaments, with the balconies and lampposts adorned with St George’s flags.
But over the last week, residents have become infuriated after flags were cut down in the middle of the night by a miserable neighbour. One of the residents behind the initiative which started in 2012 has told the Daily Express that they will not be pressured by the local killjoy in to taking the flags down. He said: “There were some flags cut down from the top balcony on Sunday and we know who it is.
“He reckons that it stops him selling his flat, even though his flat’s already been sold so I don’t really know what his problem is.
“They’re not on his balcony but they are on the others, and he has taken them all down on the entire side of his flat.
“People are fuming because what right has he got to go onto other peoples’ balconies and cut them down?
“The entire community is adamant, if the ladies win tonight, they are all going back up.”
Residents say that flags have been proudly displayed on the estate since 1945 and that the current display is nothing other than support for the England football team.
One resident who wished to remain nameless said that many on the estate are frustrated with presumed links to the far-right as they emphasised that the flags message is one simply of support.
They said: “We have people from all walks of life, all different backgrounds, different ethnicities and we embrace that. If people are from a country that England are playing they often come down and get involved and watch the game too.
“It is a sense of community you don’t often get in London these days.
“If you go back to the 1980s when Princess Diana died, people used to have street parties and things but you don’t see that in many places these days in London but we are trying to hold onto it.
“It is a council estate, don’t get me wrong we have our moments but most of the time its great, people say hello and get to know each other but unfortunately one person has taken it upon themselves to try and spoil it.”
England’s Women take on Sweden tonight in the quarter finals of the European Championships vying to earn a semi final date with Italy on Tuesday.
