To ask my neighbour about England flag bunting?

[nuffinthemule]

My neighbour is outside on a ladder attaching England-flag bunting to the lampost outside his house (on the pavement). Is there a sport-related reason for hanging bunting this weekend that I have forgotten about or am I right to be slightly wtf? We live in a very multicultural area and I think it looks a bit aggressive and unwelcoming, although I accept it might not have been his intention. I know the neighbour to say hello to only and although he's always been reasonably friendly I have tbh been keeping a bit of distance as I know other neighbours have fallen out with him. Would you ask him why he is hanging it, do you think? Or am I being paranoid? And if you agree it is a bit dodgy how do I get him to take it down?

Anyone who finds this aggressive & unwelcoming probably needs some sort of help tbh, either that or they need to emigrate to a Country they feel happy in.

Personally, it was having someone point at my partner in the street and make a loud show of their nationality that I found aggressive and unwelcoming. Can you understand that this kind of experience might make people a bit sensitive?

Only in the UK is our national flag considered aggressive. It will be world cup no doubt - some of the footie fans here are getting a bit overexcited with flags.

inabeautifulplace, I quite agree. We should ban streets.

As for the poster who said racist chanting is no longer prominent at football matches, I can assure you that it is

Would you care to name the ground and the match? Funny how so many of us have been to watch football matches over the years, but have never heard racist chanting, yet you attend a match and hear what we've never heard in watching 100s of matches each? I assume you reported it to stewards of course?

At all games the family area is different from other areas of the ground. If you ever sit in a drinking area you might witness very different things. The racist and homophobic thugs song

Now I know you're talking out of your hat, you can't drink in the stands at any league match. FWIW I have never sat in a family stand and even if I was, you can hear chants clearly at other end of the ground and I repeat, I have never heard a racist chant at a football match. Nor has anyone but you on this thread. Funny that.

Within the last two years I have been in the receiving end of EDL members shouting abusive things and behaving in a menacing manner whilst carrying st George's flags. A couple of my neighbours are displaying flags at the moment and that doesn't bother me because I know they are only being patriotic and are supporting the national team. My neighbours have never displayed any racism and are very nice people but I don't have the same opinion of everyone who waves the flag particularly if they are walking down the street with it tied around them and shouting racist abuse.

Well that sort of contradicts the whole thrust of your argument. The problem is not the flag they are waving, but the thoughts and behaviours of EDL wankstains. Just as your neighbours are nice, normal people getting behind the England football team (a team that at reflects multicultural England) by flying the English flag during the tournament. It isn't the flag, but the actions and intent of the person flying it. You argument is about as nonsensical as 'in the 70s Nazi Skinheads wore Doc Martens, therefore anyone who wears Doc Martens or has short hair is a racist.'

Excellent point Compos about not drinking in the stands. My bullshit-ometer was on high alert but I completely missed that

"inabeautifulplace, I quite agree. We should ban streets."

Nope, just the cunts who point at my partner in the street.

If the English reclaimed the flag, would it then become less attractive to EDL and BNP racist thug types?

During the last FIFA cup, i bought myself quite a few accessories with England flag. Sunglasses, earrings, etc. And the reactions i got from people... From thumbs up to "ewww, why wear that?"

uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pitchside/documentary-reveals-police-under-report-racism-football-matches-110006114.html

People generally don't drink in the family areas because, you know, they have children with them and therefore it is pretty much an alcohol free zone with mainly well behaved people who are only interested in enjoying some time with their children.
Do you think stewards do sniff tests on the plastic coke bottles that people take into the ground to see if it's really brandy and coke rather than just coke? Do you really think that drinking doesn't go on outside of the family area? Drinking does go on and the only place you can consider to be an alcohol free area is the family area. I dint realise that grown adults needed that explaining in such simple terms though as I thought it was pretty obvious that people drink at football matches despite whatever rules are in place.

A quick google will show you hundreds of pieces of research (some more reliable than others) which highlight that racism is very much alive at football matches. But you continue to live in your little world where everything is rosy coloured and smells beautiful and things like racism and homophobia are a thing of the past.

Nor has anyone but you on this thread. Funny that.

Have you asked every single person on this thread or is it just the two of you that have are adamant that it doesn't happen because you haven't heard it?

My best friend's SN child was violently attacked... For being a racist (he was wearing his favourite England shirt). So they now have England flag and bunting all year round -- because they won't be bullied into being afraid of their own flag.

There is no rational argument to be had with one so intransigent [shrugs]

Impatient again you're digging yourself in deeper, you can't bring bottles, even plastic bottles into a ground.

I notice you've still not named the game and stadium where you heard massed racist chanting.

I didn't say racism and homphobia is a thing of the past, just that mass racist chanting isn't something experienced in football stadiums since the 80s.

Sadly there are people who have had bad experiences. It's quite understandable that they will overreact at the sight of a flag, short hair, boots or maybe even a white face at the door late at night.

As has been said that doesn't mean that flags or boots are evil, and we can't solve the problem by hiding them.

We are dealing with racism, homophobia and such in this country. We're doing our best. Anyone who thinks we are not might want to do a comparison with other countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi and India.

I have had bad experiences on a light level (ie insults but never physical) ) when I walk to and from school wearing a headscarf (the only thing that saddens me is when this happens and the Dcs are with me) but I refuse to put everyone in the same 'racist' bag; it is just as bad to say English flag owner are racist than it is to say Muslims are terrorists or such and such nationality are drug dealers etc...

For each time someone shouted at me to "f... back home!" there are dozens of other people who have showed me nothing but respect and kindness.

NRTT

But honestly only on MN would it be considered aggressive to hang bloody flag bunting out. Is this really what we have been smashed down too?

I love flags, I would love it, if all the nationalities hung out their own flags on our street....there would be a huge range, from our own house we could hang out Italian/German and English and Polish.

Its shameful and embarrassing that we have been driven down to such political correctness that people worry about the bloody flag of the country we live in.

Dreadful.

I guess its going to become aggressive to cheer for your own football team next?

FFS

gorionine

Great post, we have had same experience but with disabled relative who looks different...for every odd horrid person had far far many who have been supportive and kind..

We are dealing with racism, homophobia and such in this country. We're doing our best. Anyone who thinks we are not might want to do a comparison with other countries like Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi and India and add tons of other places...

We should be proud in the UK there is very strong anti racist, disablist, sexist culture that runs through our land...

They will always exisit the world over but we do a good job of tackling it in our country...not so many many other countries round the world.

I have my flags out already in anticipation of us getting knocked out in the group stages so I must be the worst type of person in the entire world

My neighbour will be putting a German flag out because he wants Germany to win even though he is English.....and it doesn't bother me one jot.

If you can't fly your own flag in your own country without offending someone it's a strange strange world we're living in.

PS...If when England get knocked out i'd probably be supporting Argentina but haven't got a flag.

Aggressive bunting

I've yet to catch up on the thread, but just on a point of information, ComposHat, I've been to one football match in my entire life, at Craven Cottage about a year ago, and had no problem at all taking snacks and drinks in plastic bottles in. Maybe there was some special reason, IDK how it is usually, but that's how it was on the one time we went in,

Nothing aggressive about bunting at all. It's nice to see people take pride in and support their team/country.

Bunting is friendly and party-like

Was the container sealed though please?

Compos I can't remember, but it wouldn't have mattered either way because we weren't searched or anything.