Down the 49 steps from Wembley Park station, through the Bobby Moore underpass and against a slate grey October sky the great arch of the stadium stood in complete darkness.
For once there was no illumination, not even in England’s colours, and, hopefully, it appeared all the more powerful and all the more sombre for that. But maybe that is just wishful thinking.
If it was not to be in Israeli blue and white – and it simply should have been done earlier in the week – it was certainly the right decision to have the arch fade into the night sky.
There had been fears of unrest, with extra officers deployed by the Metropolitan Police all around Wembley Stadium – under orders to arrest anyone expressing support for Hamas – and added security, but it passed off quietly in the steady rain. Stewards were tasked with confiscating scarves and flags but none were visible along Wembley Way.
Thankfully the period of silence was impeccably observed prior to kick-off before this friendly match, while a lone Israeli flag was unfurled and then quickly folded away by the same fan inside Wembley. It was not seized by the stewards who approached him and no fuss was made.
The flag, and the Palestinian one, and other symbols and colours had been banned for this fixture and also Tuesday’s European Championship qualifier at home to Italy. The Football Association has even had to change the ground regulations for Wembley to do that and it was one of the less contentious decisions it has made in the past few, deeply upsetting days.
Before the national anthems were played the large screens at either end of the stadium displayed the word “Peace” in English and in Ukrainian and in blue and yellow in what was a sign that the FA has, of course, made statements in the past.
And the arch? It has become a symbol of contention and anger and further division. It was lit for the victims of attacks in France, Belgium, Turkey and Ukraine so why did it not happen after the massacre of more than 1,000 Israeli men, women, children and even babies by Hamas terrorists last weekend?
It has been lit on several occasions to mark International Holocaust Memorial Day. So why was it not in Israeli colours in what would have been a powerful, iconic, humane symbol?
The FA’s position has not been easy and the sensitivities around it mean it has not been easily communicated either. It has attempted to come up with a nuanced response but what it has said and the time it took has led to yet further anger.
And if it is true that the FA’s leadership was concentrating earlier in the week on the confirmation on Tuesday that England will be one of Euro 2028 hosts then that is a complete dereliction of duty given the gravity of the situation.
The clearest lesson is the FA has lit the arch too many times
The FA has been trying to navigate a desire to show empathy with all the victims of the conflict between Israel and Hamas but has allowed itself to be accused of being spineless and, more importantly, caused extraordinary levels of upset and outrage.
Even the FA’s words were so carefully chosen – “for the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine” – that it led to claims of them being craven and vanilla. Its argument that there are two sides and that there is a Gaza offensive looming, and that the football world has been united in the language it has used, has only fuelled the fury even more.
There were consultations with Australia, England’s opponents for this friendly fixture, and it is understood they were urging as neutral a response as possible. They are in a World Cup qualification group with Lebanon and Palestine, facing the latter next month although it remains to be seen whether that fixture is fulfilled on November 21.
So, if not on the day of the game the FA could still have lit the arch earlier in the week.
Given the volatility of the situation there was concern that thousands of fans being in Wembley and then streaming out of the stadium after the game might be a security risk.
In a sense, though, the FA has allowed itself to become paralysed by the deep complexity of the conflict to such an extent that it has prevented the simple gesture of showing humanity towards Israelis after what has happened.
And the overwhelming feeling? It was one of desperate sadness. For the atrocities, the inhumanity, the massacres and violence and centuries of hate – and what is coming – but also to a far, far, far lesser degree, how the FA has managed to find itself in this position.
The clearest lesson learned over the past week is that the FA will have to reflect that it has lit the arch too many times, and also far too readily, in the past. Maybe it has too often wanted to be seen to do the right thing rather than think through the consequences.
We certainly are unlikely to see the arch illuminated in the colour of causes so often in the future. Not that it is any comfort for what has happened in Israel and what did not happen at Wembley.
