[PhilR]

Just been watching the Engeeerlaaand v USA footie match in a bar in W1 (Mayfair) and couldn't help but notice the 6 or 7 Americans that stood up and bellowed the American Anthem before the game. I mean they realt went for it big time and were very proud etc.

Soon went quiet after Terry scored mind!

Most of the locals bellowed chants such as shut the fcuk up etc, but to be honest I thought they (the Yanks) were great and we should take a leaf out of their book when supporting our National Team/s


Nothing wrong with patriotism (burp....drunk) and I think we ought to get behind good old England a bit more - our neighbours from accross the pond can show us a thing or two where this is concerned!!!

Thoughts?

PhilR

[DervFan]

I know this thread isn't specifically about the "England" football team - but

Maybe if the England squad had put their heart and soul into qualifying for EUR0 2008, we may have been able to "rally round" them

Instead they behave like an overpaid, over-privileged, bunch of pre-madonna's who can't even muster the enthusiasm to go the extra mile, when they're picked to play for the national squad

Sadly there isn't an emoticon to show my contempt
--
Back on the patriotic rant, our national identify (the Union flag) has been stolen by right-wing facists, the BNP, football hooligans and everyone else on a biggotted/racist agenda.

The liberals have constantly battered-down any chances of patriatism down for fear of upsetting the ethnic minorities, so inherently our culture has adapted to being silent - unless your scottish or welsh, where it is "cool" to celebrate your ancestry .

Whilst the "English" or "British" (everyone I know who's English calls them selves "British", whereas my Scottish and Welsh friends say they're "Scottish" or "Welsh", respectively) can't even celebrate past achievements without fear of upsetting some dissident group

I can't ever forsee a resurgence of patriotism in this country, whilst the current 'appeasing' government are in favour of devaluing the union, with the disparity of social provisioning between England, Scotland and Wales, the constant appeasment of minority races and pandering to the media liberals.

Right - I'm off to burn my union flag and hoist my Esswah one instead

[booforty]

You were a long way from home Phil

[chrisbin]

No need to look across the pond to find people showing pride in their country......and btw its nothing to do with being "cool"......

[beemerbird]

For my two penneth, I am proud to be English and always say I am English first, then British. This has come about because of 'being told' not to say one is English - bollocks basically.

I see what you're saying Phil, although I think the Yanks tend to go OTT a bit. When something is 'in your face', it invariably means that in truth lip service is being paid. Politics aside, in times of national importance I would still like to think that this country will 'band together' as our past history can confirm.

I honestly believe that the increase in 'flag waving' during the build up to various sporting events is a backlash to the attempted indoctrination by the wishy washy liberals who draw breath and spew forth their minority supporting, guilt ridden rants. We all have our breaking points.

Anyhow Phil, when are you returning to civilisation?

[big pimp]

yous werent so loud and prod when we (Northern Ireland) beat you

[jaspy412]

one thing i noticed was the sportsmanship of the yanks, no dirty fouls really and no diving (unlike the players from spain, italy, portugal etc)

[GarryF]

The yanks are brainwashed with the national anthem from an early age, it's played in school every morning etc and u have to stand up with hand on heart etc etc etc, it's played at every sporting event, concert etc.

And it really does get old, watching Jimmy Hill comparing the current game to 1966, etc etc, you can take bets on watching an england game how long it takes someone to mention 1966 and in general watching english games can be quite obnoxious if you happen not to be English

I recall going eurorailing in 1990 and we stopped for a pint in Monaco while England were playing and got lots of dirty looks from the locals until the team scored against england and we cheered with them, once they realised we were Scottish we got lots of hugs and free drinks etc, I'm not sure why the English piss the whole world off so much when it comes to football, but they do

[PhilR]

Originally Posted by booforty

You were a long way from home Phil

Yeah about 250 miles.

Work dictates the odd trip to "the smoke"

PhilR

[AlanQS]

Dervfan, you are quite right, maybe because you are the largest single grouping in the U.K, it's become O.K. to deprecate yourselves and let everyone walk over you. This "we don't count, we are English" culture has actually been around for a long long time - starting off with guilt about the abuses of the British (largely English) Empire. The Scots and the Welsh shout about themselves a lot simply because they are small groupings and feel often ignored (often wrongly) and also because, throughout the world you get the same thing between two nations - one small, one large - USA and Canada, New Zealand and Australia spring to mind.

Sometimes, when we smaller groupings feel we don't count, it's because of atitude the large group displays - such as referring to England when the context is Britain - like referrring to the Union flag as our (English) flag when it is in fact the Flag of St. George - (the clue is in the word "Union")
I think that when something is specifically English, you should take a leaf from your small neighbour books and say England not Britain - and stop feeling guilty because your in the majority and don't wish to appear the playground bully.

As a counterpoint to other comments, in casual conversation I will say I am Scottish but in any formal setting or situation, I will always say British.

[DervFan]

Good point Alan, I wasn't trying to be contraversial, but perhaps I was arrogant/ignorant to surreptitiously synonymise the Union flag with being English (rather than British), when in fact as you rightly state the the flag of St George is the "English" national flag - it wasn't intentional - see the flag in my profile

My real rant was regarding the hijacking of the Union flag (which is somewhat OT to the OP), which is why I appreciate the use of the Saltire and Welsh Dragon.

We all have ancestry/heritage to be proud of, it's just a shame that we seem to revel in exploiting the division between our cultures.

As for the English "football fans", I don't count myself as one, so would have been cheering with you