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

bureni I disagree. I've seen it sung a fair bit. At the royal wedding, the Jubilee, Brownie and Guide shenanigans, some schools sing it, English football matches.

SpringHeeledJack

so then discussion like these and "peaceful resistance" by some athletes (don't know, if it is their reason for not singing though) and questioning the status quo is one good way of bringing change and more consensus, so I say again that I find the OP is being U

I don't think the national anthem inspires any loyalty to the country. It's all about the Queen. If we had a decent anthem and not a funeral dirge maybe people would be more inclined to sing it.

Viviennemary, could be worse. a least the national anthem has words you can sing, the unoffical anthem of N.I is just a melody with no words which makes it a tad difficult to sing lol.

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

It's almost as though people were looking for a stick to bash footballers with.

Well, Sir CHris Hoy didn;t sing it at his medal ceremony. I know you are talking about before the match, but, honestly, I'm not even sure why they are doing that - they don't for any other sport, do they? SO the footballers are being criticised for not doing something no other sthlete is asked to do...
It's a non-issue really.
Plus, it is more than possible to be proud ot be British (or to be Welsh/Scottish/N.Irish/English) but anti-royalist, as others have pointed out. In those circumstances it seems perfectly reasonable to be in the team but not want to sing about someone you consider at best irrelevant, at worst anti-democratic.

It's not a stick to bash footballers with, it's a stick to bash non-English people with.

yellowraincoat yep, I agree

And to offer a cross-national perspective here from the continent,

THIS attitude like the OP's and some others here who didn't think it to be unreasonable, is also the same attitude some Germans have about their football team members who are German, but not as "native" as them due to having parents or grandparents immigrated from somewhere else.

They and also the Daily Mail Fail by the way, are watching and observing every lip moving during the German National Anthem, and ha ha ha, if one of them does not sing according to their liking, it will then be pointed out as not being patriotic enough!!!!

very, very similar arguments and wordings

yellowraincoat I think you are right too. I was trying to rationalise and not inflame the 'British-is-English-really-and-the-rest-of-you-are-crap' brigade.

It's not a stick to bash footballers with, it's a stick to bash non-English people with.

I would agree but English footballers are routinely criticised for not singing in a way other athletes aren't

No you shouldn't. You should stand still and look respectful. It's not karaoke.

It's not karaoke.

hahaha this is hilarious 2rebecca thanks for adding some light-hearted fun here

Olympians have been avoiding singing the national anthem for years...from all parts of the UK too. Remember vividly Daley Thompson (sp?) getting slated for having the audacity to whistle along to it.

It has not just been Scots & Welsh so far who have not sung along so why is this focused on them??

and anyway...it is a bit dreich and dismal a tune...we need something we all want to sing along with

Because of unfortunate comments, and even worse, a reflection of beliefs having been presented here by posters as a response in favour of OP's original post.

...there is a Scottish athlete who is refusing to sing and making a political point of it. Great, if she wants independance for Scotland she should refuse to play for Team GB, but I guess her 'principals' only stretch as far...

Totally agree - both DH and I commented that it was very obvious that the 2 Welsh players were not singing, particuarly poor from Giggs as captain.

Great words (great to see all 6 verses!) but rubbish tune!

there is a Scottish athlete who is refusing to sing and making a political point of it. Great, if she wants independance for Scotland she should refuse to play for Team GB, but I guess her 'principals' only stretch as far

What has independence for Scotland to do with this anyway???

I'm not sure I could sing it after winning a medal, I'd be too emotional!

I am proud to be British. I wouldn't sing the national anthem.

As a Welsh agnostic anti-royalist, YABU.

Perhaps more of the Welsh athletes would show willing if there was some attempt to ACTUALLY INCORPORATE OUR FUCKING FLAG.

just sayin'.

OP, did you disappear or the other one who is keeping the tabs on the Welsh, where did you all go????

YABU - I'm British, love my country, proud of my heritage but could not sing it - as will be proved if they ever make sitting on your backside eating Jaffa cakes an Olympic sport.

Why does proud of your country = monarchist?

I wouldn't sing the national anthem because I don't give two hoots about the Queen and everything that the Royal Family represent. At any event, ever.

Why would any self respecting Scot want an anthem with a blatant anti Scottish verse stuck in the middle, as mentioned upthread, and as many Scots are aware of?
If we are going to stay together as a union we need to get rid of that miserable pile of crap as an anthem.
I bet the Queen loathes it too, she's been listening to it for decades, I'm sure she's got permanent earworm, poor old woman.
We need something happy and uplifting if we have to have a British one at all.

God Save the Queen is the national anthem of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is not the anthem of England. I grew up in Scotland (although haven't lived there for 20 years) and I grew up learning that God Save the Queen was our anthem.

Scotland DOES NOT have a national anthem - Flower of Scotland is an unofficial anthem.

I am DISGUSTED by the Scottish and Welsh athletes not signing.

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.

bureni I'm sure you have this totally wrong. They are calling it - erroneously - Team GB, but it includes athletes from NI.

ROI is a different country.