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

foreverondiet

You clearly have not read all the other posts from this thread

However, you're entitled to your opinion of course as anyone else is, but your point has already been taken apart and dissected already

there should be a national anthem then.
In football and rugby god save the queen is english Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau is the national anthem of Wales and deatable is O Flower of Scotland for scotland

This is totally off note, but I am really surprised and a little bit and and about so many people not having their facts straight when it comes to differentiation of terms such as Great Britain, UK, etc.
Even confusion with ROI, as it being a different country alltogether .

A little bit sad or weak, however one wants to look at it.

Seems like basic education is missing

Sorry about being so rude here

highlandcoo you are correct - Team GB is an abbrieviation of "the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic team". The Northern Irish are very much part of team GB.

Kellamity and highlandcoo

Of course it is, and to say otherwise and even going as far as bureni saying that most of them are in fact part of the ROI team, well that is

I don't see how the fact that the UK consists of 4 different countries is at all "confusing". I once explained it to an Australian by demonstrating that referring to Britain as 'England' is the equivalent of referring to Australia as 'New South Wales'. Australian in question was from Perth and got the whole concept remarkably quickly.

I don't get confused over the fact that the continent of North America consists of 2 countries, Canada and the United States of America. I know that if I'm not sure if someone is Canadian or American then I can refer to them as being 'North American' and I won't be wrong. Not exactly rocket science.

No, no rocket science at all

And you can even refer to a Mexican as a North American as well and Latin American, but not South or Central American.

I don't care, if people generally know this or not, but on these threads discussing about these kinds of topics and being originally from the UK, me thinks, it would be good to have this basic knowledge?!

I was wondering about Northern Ireland too. Couldn't they have called it team GBNI?

worldcitizen, bureni is not totally wrong at all. Although you seem very sure that ROI is a separate country, are you aware that people born in NI can apply for either a British or Irish passport - they are free to choose.

Similarly some athletes who are geographically from NI are in team GB and some are in team Ireland - there is also someone who previously competed for one and sat three years out of competing so that he could then get selected for the other. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19019557

SecondRow, I am not disagreeing with your statement, not at all.

Of course, ROI is a seperate country, please do not throw the republic of Ireland into the same category with GB or the UK.

And yes, I am very aware of the fact, that people of N.I. have the opportunity (thanks to peace talks etc.) to choose their nationality, however the ones who would choose the Irish passport are of course then going to compete for the ROI whereas the ones who choose to be "British" would be allowed to compete in the British team .

Yes, I am aware of it. And please, what has been written here so far, even if it is a shortened version and does not repeat all the little details anymore, is in context to this entire thread.

Really, have you seen the passports of all the NI athletes in the BBC slideshow I linked?
I think there might be considerably more pragmatism involved than that. In terms of funding available, rankings, selection procedures, the level of competition that affect what chances a particular person has of getting selected for one team or the other.

If there was a song that said, "la de da, GB is nice, we like beer and meadows" I'm sure more people would be happy to sing it. However, it specifically slags off one section of the people who are supposed to be included. How many English players would sing it if it said, "God save us from those arseholes, the English"? Not many.

As an English person of Scottish descent, I support the non-singing. Especially as I like Great Britain but not organised religion or the Royal family. The whole song is pro-Royalty and pro-God and one verse is anti-Scots.

People on the last night of the Proms always belt out Land of Hope and Glory. It is so much more rousing and 'patriotic' than God Save the Queen so would make a better English National Anthem. As for sportsmen and Sportswomen not singing GSTQ during awards ceremonies, everyone is expected to stand up quietly while the music is played.

I'm British and Welsh and republican, and I won't sing GSTQ. Mainly because it's all about the queen, also because it's the English and British anthem, and my main sporting interest is rugby, so it feels wrong to be singing the anthem of 'the enemy' (in rugby termis). I will stand and be respectful while it it's sung as with any anthem. In fact at the rugby I will join in with any anthem except GSTQ!

I'd happily sing a truly British anthem without monarchist sentiment. I think it's up to the athletes whether they sing, it's a shame there isn't more singing at the medals ceremonies though.

Most n.i. Athletes do compete for roi. Due logistics we tend to have island wide athletics associations etc.
Sure half our Olympian medalists are from Belfast

I just don't understand why athletes are being slated for not doing something they don't have to do!

And I personally don't care whether they do or don't sing the national anthem.

And I'm quite sure Lizzie doesn't care either.

As long as they win us those medals

p.s. Not liking the fact we're at 6 6 6 on the league table!

MrsTerryPratchett, I would DEFINITELY sing a song that went "God save us from those arseholes, the English," in fact I may start every morning with that from now on.

I'm JOKING. I love England and its people.

SecondRow, people from Northern Ireland can have both Irish and British passports, they don't even have to choose. My friend has both.

yellowraincoat

Oh that's interesting to know, I wasn't aware of that possibility.

I have to say that all the Northern Irish friends I have, have chosen the Irish one and that is also their only one, but that really has to do with their convictions about their heritage, culture and religion, so they would and they do, perceive themselves as Irish only who happen to be born and living in the "North of Ireland".

I also have close Scottish friends who clearly identify as Scottish first and British second and dear English friends who sort of not only identify as English, but also sort of like to use England, GB, and UK interchangeably, however it's more habit than not knowing the geographical/political/historical facts .

But none of the above would sing the anthem, due to the various reasons mentioned here, and also thankfully my English friends have lots of sensibility and abilities to self-reflect their culture and their country's legacies (positive and negative), like many, many on this thread thankfully.

Does no one realise that Mae Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau directly translates as "Save us from those arseholes, the English"?.

What an awful thing to sing

ivykaty, I'm joking, of course. The English are a wonderful people, I admire them so much that I married one. We just had special clauses popped into the marriage vows regarding rugby internationals.

"I promise to love and cherish you and not smirk too hard when your team loses."

Yep those were mine. His were to worship, obey, and agree that the ref was a twat and we wuz robbed in the event that Wales loses. It's working well for us!

Channel 4 news just said "England now 3rd in the medals table".
Honestly is it any wonder the Scotland, Wales and N Ireland get pissed off with it!