I do not sing the national anthem, and I never will.

It must be the tribal nature of international football that got so many people hot under the collar about the singing (or not) of the national anthem at England’s match against Ireland.

The interim England manager not singing the anthem? Take him to the Tower. Off with his head!

To suggest that someone’s not patriotic if they don’t join in a rendition of what is a rather dour throwback to another age is ridiculous. The anthem lyrics presume two things; one, you believe in God; and two, you support the monarchy.

Less than half the population of the UK would say they believe in God. (Down around 25% over the last 40-odd years.)

Research suggests that around 45% of us now think the monarchy is not as important as it was, totally irrelevant or even be abolished.

Remember also, many faiths share a belief in God. It is not the preserve of a predominantly Protestant country with the king or queen as head of the Church. It is not the preserve of a country that doesn’t allow Roman Catholics to sit on the throne. (Yet we expect them to swear allegiance to the Crown in public service.)

Many sporting events continue to insist on the anthem being sung. Singing it at the FA Cup final these days seems almost farcical when often there’s mostly overseas players on the pitch. England’s national team has already had two overseas managers (Italian and Swedish) and the chances again in the future seem pretty high.

So, was the criticism aimed at the England boss from just a few people with right-wing tendencies, who don’t know their Cross of St George from their Union Jack?

Are they like those who appear on our streets screaming how English they are - even dressed as St. George? Do they think George was an Englishman?

Well, sorry if this disappoints or shocks you. Places such as Germany, Portugal, Istanbul, Moscow, Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Greece, Genoa and Venice share George. In fact, some Muslims revere George.

Anyway, back to the singing. There are many who believe the national anthem is a musical tribute to one family – nothing more. I was born in England in the 1950s; I went to school in England and worked all my life in England. But I do not sing the national anthem, and I never will.

People accuse me of being contrarian. My parents chastised me for my views on royalty and privilege. They were like many of their generation. That was their way. I prefer to think of my contrarian tendencies as ‘free thinking’.

I remember writing an essay at school that dared to challenge the origin of Christianity – not that it shouldn’t or didn’t exist, just how it came about.

I have since formally studied basic theology, so it’s amusing to look back on what followed the submission of my essay. The teacher and one of his colleagues hauled me before them to answer a charge of blasphemy. How does a 15-year-old defend himself against such a charge? I took a deep breath.

‘It’s my opinion, sir, not yours.’