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AIBU?

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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:
Brefugee · 11/06/2026 12:15

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 11/06/2026 10:23

i think it’s the commentators and pundits that really put people off, from what I’ve gathered.

They’re just so OTT! Not saying other countries don’t have this too but it’s excruciating.

Except for Ian Wright who is lovely of course

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Meh. It's the ABE that put me off.

CheeseNPickle3 · 11/06/2026 12:14

One way to say you support and value a country is to support the country's national sports teams. For some people, actively saying you don't support them is saying that you don't support the country. Does that apply to other things as well? What about a war?

If we're supposed to have a cohesive nation where everyone who chooses to be here "belongs" equally and we don't "other" people based on their origins, how do we square that with those who live here for a long time and talk about another country as "my country"?

If someone can say "I'm not English, I just live and work here", would it be acceptable for someone else say "you're not English, you just live and work here" to someone who has a different country of origin?

Obviously I'm not equating support of a sports team with citizenship, nor am I suggesting that you change nationality and forget your heritage the instant you land in a new country.

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 12:13

SerendipityJane · 11/06/2026 12:07

And if Scottish, the role Ireland played in Scottish history ....

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Oh yes slavery too.

TheKittenswithMittens · 11/06/2026 12:12

Whatever the game, I will pick a team to support. I have lived in NZ, I will be supporting NZ in all their games, but not if they play England. I tend to support England in Football, but Ireland if they play England in the Rugby.

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 12:12

Delphiniumandlupins · 11/06/2026 11:55

We might have to switch after the group stage once Scotland are knocked out. There's a lovely atmosphere around just now, lots of enthusiasm and flags (from different countries, as though pubs have just bought a job lot of foreign flags and stuck them up). I don't think expectations are high though, which is quite nice really.

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To be fair most English fans don't have high expectations contrary to the belief of Scots etc. I agree though. Quite low key.

JustGiveMeTheNoodles · 11/06/2026 12:11

I am Welsh. I dont usually support england in any sport (especially rugby), but I will support them in the world cup.

Differentforgirls · 11/06/2026 12:08

SpudGunToo · 11/06/2026 10:42

Chippy chippy celts, so easy to wind up.

Edited
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So sad trying to 😂

SerendipityJane · 11/06/2026 12:07

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 12:04

If she is Irish she would be daft to not understand the role of Scotland in the reason why NI is like it is now.

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And if Scottish, the role Ireland played in Scottish history ....

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 12:04

IcedPurple · 11/06/2026 11:43

It would be odd to support Scotland if you disliked football teams due to a 'dash of colonialism', given that the Scots participated in the British empire in numbers very disproportionate to their population.

You do know that it was a British empire, not an 'English empire'?

Or maybe you don't.

Also, most Western European countries also indulged in colonialism so I guess they're off your list too?

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If she is Irish she would be daft to not understand the role of Scotland in the reason why NI is like it is now.

Walkyrie · 11/06/2026 12:03

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 11:56

I have a suspicion we have seen this OP before with similar threads......

Perhaps the ‘why are English people all cheats’ one? Anyone else remember that 😂

ChaToilLeam · 11/06/2026 12:01

People get so bloody silly about football. I'm Scottish, living in Germany. Of course I'm supporting Scotland. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 I'm half English too, so I hope they do well, but I'm not jumping up and down for them.

aperolspritzbasicbitch · 11/06/2026 11:58

Feetballislife · 11/06/2026 11:47

Sensitive bunch the English. I work in a job where I get paid a shed load of money so there’s that. Also - not anywhere have a said anything about the country of England other than I don’t support your sports teams.

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But the reasons you listed for not supporting any English sports team aren’t sports specific issues.

if they bother you enough to mean you can’t support England in any way, surely they are big enough problems to mean you’d want to avoid us completely?

i guess your morals and values have a price.

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 11:58

Of course you don't have to support England but to say it out loud in your work place is just a bit stupid. Might be worth working on your social skills.

maidai78 · 11/06/2026 11:56

Lottapianos · 11/06/2026 11:52

Also Irish, living in England. I find the 'anyone but England' nonsense incredibly tiresome. And no it's not just sporting bantz - it's meant sincerely, and it's really unpleasant. That's why I asked the OP whether she's Irish - her attitude sounds very familiar!

I think it's absolutely fine not to give a shit about the football either way, but I think it's really odd to announce to English colleagues that you won't be supporting England in the World Cup.

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That’s exactly how I feel. It’s fine to not care but it’s rude and childish to be making a big deal of “not supporting them”.

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 11:56

I have a suspicion we have seen this OP before with similar threads......

Delphiniumandlupins · 11/06/2026 11:55

Cece92 · 11/06/2026 11:38

I’m behind you as a Scottish persons I’ll obviously be supporting Scotland 😂 however prior to Scotland qualifying I have always supported England. I don’t get the big hooha about Scottish people supporting England all part of the UK xx

We might have to switch after the group stage once Scotland are knocked out. There's a lovely atmosphere around just now, lots of enthusiasm and flags (from different countries, as though pubs have just bought a job lot of foreign flags and stuck them up). I don't think expectations are high though, which is quite nice really.

SerendipityJane · 11/06/2026 11:55

IcedPurple · 11/06/2026 11:52

Who knows? We know nothing about the OP's country other than that they're shit at football.

A common tactic on these boards is for an OP to be coy about their country of origin while slagging off Britain/England. It's quite tedious.

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The only people who appear to get really vexed about people allegedly insulting England are people who are so miserable their only joy in life is making other people just as miserable.

DontBuyAnotherBook · 11/06/2026 11:55

Rage bait.

Viviienne · 11/06/2026 11:55

I can understand op, you aren't English so feel no affiliation with the England team.

I'd be the same if I worked in a foreign country.

KeepAwayDaphne · 11/06/2026 11:54

I'm English but have lived abroad for over 30 years. I support England and the team of the country I live in, plus I've always had a soft spot for France (lived there briefly too) and the Netherlands (no particular reason, just like them).

Don't see why it has to be a big deal either way?

Tryanalogue · 11/06/2026 11:52

It’s a game. It doesn’t control who you are allowed to like!

Lottapianos · 11/06/2026 11:52

maidai78 · 11/06/2026 11:47

I’m Irish and I live in England. I cheer for both teams, also cheered for France when I lived there. I don’t like the “never support England in anything” crowd

Also Irish, living in England. I find the 'anyone but England' nonsense incredibly tiresome. And no it's not just sporting bantz - it's meant sincerely, and it's really unpleasant. That's why I asked the OP whether she's Irish - her attitude sounds very familiar!

I think it's absolutely fine not to give a shit about the football either way, but I think it's really odd to announce to English colleagues that you won't be supporting England in the World Cup.

IcedPurple · 11/06/2026 11:52

fintangel · 11/06/2026 11:49

Are you Irish by any chance? Irish people living in England always like to make a thing
about how much they hate the English and are definitely not one of them.

Who knows? We know nothing about the OP's country other than that they're shit at football.

A common tactic on these boards is for an OP to be coy about their country of origin while slagging off Britain/England. It's quite tedious.

Signalbox · 11/06/2026 11:50

You aren’t being unreasonable supporting who you want but you do sound a bit annoying so I can understand why your colleagues seem annoyed by you.