The British bulldog, that once proud and now largely forgotten symbol of Great Britain, seems to ... Bulldog spirit? We�re pood

The British bulldog, that once proud and now largely forgotten symbol of Great Britain, seems to have been reduced to a miniature poodle being dragged along on the end of a lead.

We have become very accepting of defeat – almost regarding it as a minor triumph. The Tim Henman fan club is a prime example. Despite a hill full of screaming women at Wimbledon each year, Tim never quite gets there.

No matter that the one voted as winner by the British public can’t sing/dance/skate or whatever, if he or she weeps, giggles, falls over or appears in a favourite soap, then he or she will get the vote. It really makes a mockery of the whole concept.

I strongly suspect that this attitude is encouraged by our leading politicians, who are keen to tell us how well everything is going – when it blatantly is not.

I can only hope that the staging of the 2012 Summer Olympics might bolster our spirits. With the honourable exception of Paula Radcliffe, Dame Kelly Holmes, Amir Khan, our rowers – and probably a pistol shooter or two – we don’t seem to achieve much in major championships.

How often do we hear a commentator say “And Joe Bloggs came in a very creditable 12th,” or “Mary Smith has done so well to equal her personal best. What more could we hope for?” A medal or two, perhaps?

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