Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not support England?!

640 replies

Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 10:12

Live and work in England. Not English. My team didn’t qualify for the World Cup so I’m supporting Scotland! Lobe a plucky underdog, have some Scots heritage ( and some English to be fair) plus I NEVER support English sports teams. EVER.
Football has inevitably come up in the office and several colleagues are generally pissed off that I’m not supporting England, insist I should be etc etc. Stupidly I mentioned that I never support England … did not gone down well.
If you live here then you should etc etc

YANBU - support who you like!
YABU - you ingrate, you live in the country you should support the national team.

OP posts:
Original poster
Feetballislife · 12/06/2026 08:01

VivienneDelacroix · 12/06/2026 07:40

You don't have to name players to support a team. How odd to think you do.

Show quote history

Also - yes I can, I play football, I watch football and I coach football!

OP posts:
Original poster
Feetballislife · 12/06/2026 08:00

dannyufcfan · 11/06/2026 21:08

You can support who you like. Thankfully, we don't live in a police state.

You’d think!

OP posts:
VivienneDelacroix · 12/06/2026 07:40

JackGrealishsCalves · 11/06/2026 21:45

Honestly love, no one gives a shit who you pretend to support.
Bet you can't even name 4 players from your "adopted" team. Yay, go you

You don't have to name players to support a team. How odd to think you do.

VivienneDelacroix · 12/06/2026 07:38

I support France for men's football and England for the women's. No one has to support England at all. I find it bizarre that people are saying you should.

JacknDiane · 12/06/2026 07:38

Do what you want its not a big deal is it.

Strangerthanfictions · 12/06/2026 07:36

TheJuryIsOut · 11/06/2026 10:38

Why would English people want Scots to support England? Of course they're not going to. But the op isn't Scottish.

Show quote history

I can't speculate why, but they frequently do. It's regularly featured in the media around big tournaments that it's ridiculous the Scots don't support England. Then we had the year of the anyone but England T Shirts and that all kicked off. Our fans are very different to English fans, the Tartan army are beloved, fun, respectful but obviously do drink and party, the English fans are a bit edgy, there's a fear they'll kick off if they don't win or that they might cause trouble and be rowdy - they always seem to expect to win and have the chops to do it but then fluff it, there's an arrogance and and edge to some sectors of the English fan base that really is off-putting. I know many of us Tartan Army are prepping to get the hell out of Boston before the English arrive, if it was the Welsh or the Irish I am certain we'd be factoring in a joint party.

Sartre · 12/06/2026 07:07

Support who you like obviously but you live here so don’t know why you’d choose to support a different country you have tenuous links to…

I’m half French so always torn between the two and don’t mind who wins out of them.

Goditsmemargaret · 12/06/2026 07:04

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 11/06/2026 21:40

@Goditsmemargaret- you’re Irish yourself, aren’t you? 😂😂

I sure am! (I may have joined in with the taunting of DH too. )

Davros · 11/06/2026 23:34

Your pseudo lighthearted and jokey posts aren’t doing a good job of disguising your very clear bigotry.
Even if England don’t do well, they’ll be doing better than Italy 😹

Ndd1356387 · 11/06/2026 23:06

Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 22:09

Googled Norman tebbit he seems like a bit of a dick

Norman T was the MP bombed in the Brighton bomb attacks that disabled his wife. Back in the 80s

Original poster
Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 22:09

Googled Norman tebbit he seems like a bit of a dick

OP posts:
JackGrealishsCalves · 11/06/2026 21:45

Honestly love, no one gives a shit who you pretend to support.
Bet you can't even name 4 players from your "adopted" team. Yay, go you

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 11/06/2026 21:40

@Goditsmemargaret- you’re Irish yourself, aren’t you? 😂😂

Ilovemycatalot · 11/06/2026 21:26

🥱🥱

dannyufcfan · 11/06/2026 21:08

You can support who you like. Thankfully, we don't live in a police state.

Original poster
Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 21:07

Who IS Norman Tebbit?? Someone from
a 70s sitcom I’m assuming?

OP posts:
LizardyGuts · 11/06/2026 21:02

GlomOfNit · 11/06/2026 19:14

Ah yes, the Norman Tebbitt Index of Englishness: would you support England at cricket - or the Other Chaps? Grin

Sorry, I always tend to assume anyone trotting that one out is a bit racist.

I'm British but have a father who was born elsewhere. I'm not remotely bothered about footy but on occasion I do watch an international competition and generally shout for my dad's (and my joint) country of origin. We even have a flag, somewhere ...

Show quote history

Ahh. I'm Scottish, actually, and have no idea who Norman Tebbit is. I just imagined moving to another country and guessed how long it might take me to start feeling 'at home' there. Nobody has ever called me racist before so that's new!

Goditsmemargaret · 11/06/2026 20:20

Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 20:03

course they did. Pick the one English guy amongst all those placid Dutch. Irish don’t tend to shout wanker BTW. There’s plenty of things they might say but that’s not anywhere near the top of the list.

Show quote history

🤣🤣🤣🤣

I'm afraid you are very much mistaken. Where are you from in Ireland?

Ndd1356387 · 11/06/2026 20:15

Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 10:12

Live and work in England. Not English. My team didn’t qualify for the World Cup so I’m supporting Scotland! Lobe a plucky underdog, have some Scots heritage ( and some English to be fair) plus I NEVER support English sports teams. EVER.
Football has inevitably come up in the office and several colleagues are generally pissed off that I’m not supporting England, insist I should be etc etc. Stupidly I mentioned that I never support England … did not gone down well.
If you live here then you should etc etc

YANBU - support who you like!
YABU - you ingrate, you live in the country you should support the national team.

What a joy you sound. As do all the team ‘haters’. People like to bleat that they don’t support England because there is some ridiculous culture of envy going on. We don’t have the same back to Scotland because we are not envious of their sports teams. Wonder why.

Original poster
Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 20:14

IcedPurple · 11/06/2026 19:45

They were Dutch and VERY polite,

Are you sure they were Dutch?

Show quote history

Course they were, sitting there quietly while their team lost 2-1 in the semis and got knocked out by England. I bet they went and hugged OPs husband and bought him and drink then gave him the bumps while shouting ‘huzzar!’ 😜

OP posts:
Harhar · 11/06/2026 20:12

The goader and become the goadee!

Original poster
Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 20:03

Goditsmemargaret · 11/06/2026 19:39

You'll be losing that 500! They were Dutch and VERY polite, he got no shit whatsoever... until the Irish (Dubs) came in and roared 'wanker' at him at every opportunity. He deserved it obviously.

Show quote history

course they did. Pick the one English guy amongst all those placid Dutch. Irish don’t tend to shout wanker BTW. There’s plenty of things they might say but that’s not anywhere near the top of the list.

OP posts:
Goditsmemargaret · 11/06/2026 19:47

IcedPurple · 11/06/2026 19:45

They were Dutch and VERY polite,

Are you sure they were Dutch?

Show quote history

Oh...

We were at a holiday place. That's a good point actually.

IcedPurple · 11/06/2026 19:45

Goditsmemargaret · 11/06/2026 19:39

You'll be losing that 500! They were Dutch and VERY polite, he got no shit whatsoever... until the Irish (Dubs) came in and roared 'wanker' at him at every opportunity. He deserved it obviously.

Show quote history

They were Dutch and VERY polite,

Are you sure they were Dutch?

Goditsmemargaret · 11/06/2026 19:39

Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 19:02

‘they applauded their own team politely and nodded at him when England got a goal. All very civilised and sporting. He gave me a 'I told you so' look.’

I’ll take things that never happened for 500 🤣 famously fans supporting their national football team in major international finals generally politely clap their team while giving kudos to the opposition outplaying them.
AND THEN the Irish walked in… what was next? Bar fights? Did they throw chairs around? Presumably that little bit was thrown into the end of your tall tale because you’ve decided I must be Irish.
Cool story bro!

You'll be losing that 500! They were Dutch and VERY polite, he got no shit whatsoever... until the Irish (Dubs) came in and roared 'wanker' at him at every opportunity. He deserved it obviously.