to think that if you're in Team GB you should sing the national anthem

[ClaireFromWork]

Ddail Mail I'm afraid but honestly, if you're in a team that represents the United Kingdom then surely you should be prepared to sing it. Esp if you're captain of the team.

linky

How do you become a.Scottish or welsh citizen?

When you get British citizenship as well.as the test you have to sing god save the queen.

I say YABU...cause no-one SHOULD DO it.

Loads and loads of other athletes do not join in singing their anthems whatever countries they're from.

YABU I have often watched sporting events and some like to belt out the song others dont, does it matter as long as they then play their best at the sport ?

Next time, there will be voices saying everyone SHOULD sing with as much passion as the Italians did during the Football Euro Cup OR even go a step further everyone SHOULD cry, as some do

Please, this constant pointing out of people who are NOT ENGLISH and yet represent the Britsh National team and seemingly not what, either British enough cause they are not up to par with English standards???

Well there's already enough moronic journalists who give out about the English football teams lack of "passhun" as though it has sweet fa to do with how well they play

mayorquimby

I would never sing the national anthem. Not because I'm Scottish, but because I'm not singing a song about how great the queen is.

I wonder if a lot of Scottish/Welsh/N. Irish athletes feel the same, there's a lot of republicanism in Scotland that you don't tend to see as much of in England.

Anyway, Wiggo didn't sing the anthem yesterday when he one and I don't see anyone crying about that.

*when he won

I have watched lots of medal ceremonies in the last few Olympic days and I would say 80 to 90 percent of the medallists have stood quietly, perhaps a hand on heart, and listened to their anthem and watched the flag, took in the moment or cried. I can only remember one chap and the South African rowers this morning who sang lustily along with their anthem.

I think it's completely ridiculous to insist people sing their anthem. You train 40hours a week for ten years, bust your guts, deal with the pressure, win a medal and then see how you feel if someone tries to dictate to you what you should do on the podium at the pinnacle moment of your life - if they want to stand silently and listen to the cheers, if they want to try to control their tears, if they want to do the fucking can-can, let them , they fuckin deserve it.

OP yabu.

They're not talking about a medal ceremony though toomuch they're talking about the anthem before the game kicks off.

Agree with your point though, who cares? Our anthem is shit anyway.

Yes, who cares!!!!

Everyone is different, and not everyone in church shouts out 'Amen' loudly for example, are they less of a believer?!

I myself get much more in the spirit of a song, when I am NOT singing, so I am not distracting myself and this is not a joke

The canoeists have just sung lustily on the podium. Although I think one sang 'God Save our precious Queen. Love him!

Maybe some don't realise how conflicted some Scottish/Welsh/Northern Irish (and no doubt English) people feel.

I feel Scottish and British. I would compete for Great Britain proudly (although rubbishly) and support British athletes at the games. If we were to become independent, I would still support Scotland AND Britain at the Olympics. If people ask me where I'm from, I sometimes say the UK, sometimes Britain and sometimes Scotland. I would, however, NEVER support the English football team and I would never sing the British national anthem.

It's not just a simple case of "you don't sing the anthem, you must hate Britain or be making some sort of point." I just think it's a stupid song, it's only about the queen and I couldn't give a fuck about the queen. It would be utterly hypocritical for me to sing it.

yelloraincoat you just made me snort as I remember taking my great granny to church when I had just passed my driving test, and being mortified when she turned tot he lady behind us and said, "you do know that you don't have to say your prayers extra loud so that God can hear you? Everyone knows you are here, even God!"

Now I just think it's funny and church stopped being as fun when she died and I love the memory of her being so awesome and saying what we all thought!

P.S. I am Scottish but married to an English DH live in England and sing the national anthem, and would support any of the home football teams in preference to any other nationality.

However in the census, I put my nationality and because I filled the form in, my DS as Scottish, and I consider myself Scottish first and British second. Sorry to anyone whom that offends, I am aware I have a British passport, and also I think Scottish independence is a ridiculous idea, but that doesn't stop me feeling that my "dual nationality" lies in that order.

yellowraincoat

I absolutely agree, that it is way too simplistic the way people argue in favour of singing the anthem, which is not even a British anthem which truly represents equally England, Scotland, and Wales or even a UK anthem which also would then represent N.I. (including both sides).

So as long some people perceive this anthem not to be representative of their cultural heritage, I think they have all the right to do as they please.

Plus, we don't even know why the one or the other doesn't join in loudly, as many, many others don't do it either for various reasons.

No, why should they? They're competing for Britain, not the queen, and I don't see what saving her has to do with anything here. It's not like the girl guides or something!

ILiveInAPineapple

Every single Scot I've met feels the same and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it!!!!

Wrong is, when people constantly lump being British with being English together.

I doubt if the national anthem would include N.I since the team is team gb and not team u.k plus most athletes from N.I represent ROI and not GB.

I don't mind when non-British people don't get the whole English/Scottish/British/UK etc etc thing. It is confusing and not really a normal situation.

I DO mind, A LOT, when British people don't get it. I have been asked so many times if I have an English passport...

bureni The national anthem isn't exclusively sung at the olympics though.

You don't have a choice but to compete as part of a country

I thought there were independants that came round on the opening night that were not with a particular country?

Its rarely sang at any other time in reality, how many british people actually know the anthem bar the first couple of lines?

wot yellowraincoat said

(possibly a bit surprisingly) I've never really thought much about the NA, beyond a bit of eye rolling; it's always just sort of been there, in a dirgey way

this time, even before the non-singing issue, I realised how utterly pointless it is

we really, really need a New One

...I'm afraid but honestly, if you're in a team that represents the United Kingdom then surely you should be prepared to sing it...

This what the OP stated and in my view, this is a reflection of an English person having no clue or no sensibility of what UK supposedly stands for and how the anthem is NOT representing neither the UK nor GB.