The owner of The Cosy Cob in Stourbridge has pledged to rename their signature cob the 'Bellingham bun' if England triumphs over Argentina in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Local pride and the World Cup
The bold promise comes as Stourbridge-born Jude Bellingham prepares to play in the crucial match, having scored two goals in England's previous game against Norway. The 23-year-old Real Madrid midfielder has become a local hero, and residents are showing their support in creative ways.
Holding up a Black Country cob, the cafe owner declared: "If England win, we're going to rename this. It won't be the 'cosy cob' it's going to become the 'Bellingham bun.'"
Community backing for Bellingham
Other locals have also expressed their pride. One man created a sign reading: "Jude Bellingham is from Stourbridge not Birmingham." He explained: "We created this sign for the people of Stourbridge. It's something that's genuinely important to the people around here. He doesn't belong to Birmingham, he belongs to us here in Stourbridge, he's one of our own."
He added with a laugh: "No I'm only joking, we know how important he is to Birmingham as well. What a player. What an incredible player. He's just doing the best he can for his country, for the local area [and] he's putting us on the map and hopefully he takes us through to the final tomorrow night."
Bellingham's ties to the region
Bellingham was born in Stourbridge but attended school in Edgbaston and spent much of his youth playing for Birmingham City. He has previously spoken about his connection to the area, telling Birmingham Phoenix: "I always felt like Birmingham was a place where everyone wanted to see everyone do well. It was a place where I was lucky enough to kind of grow up."
He added: "I want to kind of show people, show the world, where I come from is an amazing place with amazing values. You know sometimes I get it wrong, and that's part of being a Brummie as well I suppose."
England's semi-final against Argentina will determine who advances to the World Cup final, with the nation watching Bellingham's performance closely.
