To think people genuinely hate England?

[beautifulblue]

Is anyone else sick of seeing the anger/hatred towards England in the World Cup? This 'anyone but england' mentality from almost every other country is disheartening honestly. I've seen every excuse under the sun, we haven't played a proper team yet, 200,000 signatures to re-play the Colombia match because apparently that wasn't fair, blaming a few rowdy fans for not wanting England to win. I'm especially surprised by the amount of Scottish/Irish/Welsh people who seem to feel like this (on social media) i know we'd so be routing for our neighbours if it was the other way round! So... AIBU to think everyone just friggin hates England?!

@ - So we celts should forgive the hundreds of years of oppression and cheer for you? Not bloody likely! (Parents are English but been here long enough to consider themselves Welsh. They wouldn’t cheer for England if their lives depended on it!

So your parents are English? Their ancestors were the ones that did the damage all those years ago then... along with mine I imagine. But you're better than us now because you don't live here anymore & consider yourself Welsh? 😂👍🏼 Way to dodge a bullet!

sailorcherries yeah believe it or not I like to do my bit too, stay behind after parties to help tidy etc (I know, I know you won't believe it being all English & entitled) but as you said that's a bit different to tidying a busy function for thousands. Let's face it, it made the news because it's not the norm!

Scotland benefited massively from empire, Dundee Jute anyone? No.

I'm from Wales and literally all my Welsh friends are pleased and excited England are doing so well.

However England does have a very dodgy history in its treatment of other countries, you must admit. Not surprised other countries don't like them. The Iraq war and Brexit have made it worse. Surely you must see this?

I guess it’s all to do with what your news sources are or who you mix with - this is the first time I have heard of this and I have only seen positivity and delight. I think it will be lovely if we win - and I loathe football.

Oh bloody yawn @ colonial England and invading blah blah.

Same as the numbskulls who equate Nazi Germany with Germany today - pathetic.

As to the OP's question - no I don't think 'people genuinely hate England - I think there are a minority in countries who are jealous and love to hate on those who are happy. Human nature - thankfully not mine as I support Scotland, Wales and Ireland in rugby

Compare how other teams react to a win. There's your answer.

For example I've always enjoyed watching the Irish soccer teams and their fans who travel far and wide, they usually scrape in, but a win's a win and time for fun and drinks and more fun! They also celebrate a loss as a time for fun too. Marvellous. Any excuse for a party.

I don't get that from English fans. Am I wrong?

It’s very amusing that one of the big issues people have with England Is the very much “we did what to you? Really? Well it was ages ago, get over it already” attitude and that while being told this OP is pretty much saying the same! I think England may have some way to go before reaching the self awareness required for understanding the problem.

You don’t understand but you need to just appreciate that people in other nations have different experiences. It’s nice that you would support your ‘neighbours’ but as the dominant country in the union you can afford to (and let’s face it, we’re not likely to get that far).

For the vast majority of people though, it really isn’t hatred. There are many English people that I like or love and if England winning made them happy I’d be pleased for them. It’s not a serious thing. In the event of an English apocalypse you all should come and stay in Scotland. When it comes to men playing football, ABE!*

*In all honestly, there are countries I’d rather see lose. But I’m hoping for Belgium 🇧🇪

Without the English we wouldn't have the modern western world as we know it.

There’s that arrogance again!

No one else things England invented the sport except the English. The Romans started off playing something like football and people all over played versions for cenguries.

Because the British did have the first railways they had the first league and so had some established rules. But those have changed many times since!

Scotland benefited massively from empire, Dundee Jute anyone? No.

Absolutely. Scotland has a relatively unique position both as colonised and coloniser. Both oppressed yet pivotal in the oppression. A look at Glasgow street names will tell you that. I suppose it boils down to a class issue. A poster said ypthread that her northern ancestors don't fall into the category of 'oppressor' and that's also true. Wealthy traitorous Scots did indeed benefit along with their English overlords. They are Scotland's great shame in my opinion.

Didn't most of the colonies come after the Union? It wasn't just England who colonised other countries. It was Great Britain.

Some would say Wales, Ireland and Scotland were first colonised by England though...

beautifulblue I never once made sweeping generalisations or accusations about all English people. I'd fully believe that you do.
I explained why I believe many Scots, Welsh and Irish (along with those from other countries) have had enough of the football. For me part of it is the attitude of the fans and the Japanese fans cleaning vs English fan mobs was a prime example as to the attitudes adopted.

Are you actually serious? You have no idea why Irish people might not be fans of England? I don't know how old you are but you have a lot of learning to do.

As pp said some Irish people do want England to do well.

I hope those Belgians don't win...you know they behaved appallingly in the Congo, ffs....what's he like that Leopold.

However England does have a very dodgy history in its treatment of other countries, you must admit. Not surprised other countries don't like them. The Iraq war and Brexit have made it worse. Surely you must see this

Last time I checked, The Iraq war and Brexit was not just an English decision.

Other countries in Europe did too. Portugal and Spain were major ports in that era I believe (correct me if I'm wrong).

Yup. And Britain was at the forefront of the slavery abolition movement (even though of course it's true that it had profitted from slavery for many years).

Also, England was never a colonial power. Britain was. And the Scots were represented in the colonies, particularly in banking and trade, in numbers highly disproportionate to their population. So logically, if people despised England because of 'colonialism' they would have to despise Scotland too.

Personally I'm not convinced that there is this great global hatred of England anyway. In my experience most peopl are very positive about English culture, language, football, the royal family etc. It's mostly a cohort of self-despising English Guardian readers who think the English are hated. In other words, they are projecting.

The Germans have been forgiven because of the hard work they have done to clamp down on attitudes from the 30s and 40s. Though there are neo-nazis in the country, mainstream politicians and writers have been doing their very best to distance themselves from them.

What we see in England atm is that apologists for colonialism in the press and in academic circles are becoming stronger and stronger and more and more mainstream. It is not many weeks ago since an Oxford academic/clergyman gave a pro-colonial sermon from the pulpit. It is becoming more common in the press. This really doesn't feel like a good time to be saying "oh, but it was over 100 years ago".

The only people I have seen on social media promoting the #anycountrybutEngland have been Welsh. And considering how common it is to see English people moaning on social media about the Welsh using their own language in private conversations or on bilingual signposts and how those views are not only found on social media, but given a platform in the press, and considering the history of the suppression of the Welsh language, well I'm not really surprised. I find the English hostility towards Welsh culture absolutely breathtaking.

I really don't think it's that deep, you'd never get this with rugby, people definitely cheer for the English then (providing their own team are out obvs ),it's the football fans, people hate them not the whole country, and while they might be a minority there is definitely enough of the violent lager lout swilling obnoxious thugs around to piss people off

This has nothing to do with England and everything to do with the appalling way that a very large part of the England soccer fanbase behaves.

Although, as I see it, there is an increasing cheapness and coarseness exhibited by a larger and larger section of English society. It's not a surprise white English children's educational achievement is below that of children from every ethnic minority. Less than 50% of 16 and under white English children in England live with both their parents, and among the 1/3 of households with the lowest incomes that percentage is less than 30%. I guarantee you that many of the travelling English fans in Russia are the same feckless fathers who don't support their children financially but expect the rest of us to do so. Sick sick sick.

It [Western World] would probably be a lot better, fairer and more just [without the English]

Do you have any basis whatsoever for that belief?

Without the British, Napoleon would have conquered Europe.

Without the British, Nazism would have triumphed.

I guess if despotism, concentration camps and eugenics is your definition of better and fairer...

It’s the media that causes the divide. You don’t know anyone who wanted Scotland to leave the UK, but ..

But for me, all radio shows that had phone in’s, during the run up to the referendum, had English people saying awful things about Scotland.

It’s not representative, but causes animosity.

Last time I checked, The Iraq war and Brexit was not just an English decision.

Aye? Who made these decisions then?

Some would say Wales, Ireland and Scotland were first colonised by England though...

With the possible exception of Ireland, they'd be wrong. Where were all these English 'colonies' in Wales and Scotland?

keyboardkate
I agree. When Wales did well at the Euros I was just so happy to be there! My husband's English family all make "banter' comments about Wales not qualifying for the world cup but we literally have no expectations so don't give a shit.

The English media put so much pressure on the team and chat so much shit in the run up to every tournament and every game that it's bound to get people all wound up. Particularly people who don't normally watch football and don't have a clue.

I've been lucky enough to watch 90% of this tournament's games as I'm on maternity leave. England have been mentioned in the studios during every game I've watched. I don't give a shit about the build up to England/Panama when watching Colombia/Japan!!