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Original poster

To wish England hadn't won (almost)

999 replies

littlegreybird · 08/07/2021 05:48

I'm not a football fan but someone who tends to get swept along during big tournaments and a few years ago would have been thrilled by last night's result.

This year I hate it. I think the team and manager seem great, but the booing during the other teams' national anthems is sickening and makes me utterly ashamed. Then you just know it'll be jumped on by Johnson (already has) and the victory, or even getting this far, will become part of his populism. Then there's all the covid cases that will be spread due to all the mixing in pubs etc, more than would have been the case anyway.

I just feel nothing for this country anymore after the events of the last few years. Latest bit of shit news is that my daily commute will now be shared by exhausted lorry drivers who won't have had breaks thanks to Brexit, so that's a cheery thought.

When is anything good going to happen that isn't sullied by this utterly shit governement?

OP posts:
User135644 · 08/07/2021 13:13

@Hdhdjejdj

I hate all this ‘football is for thugs’ and all the shouting may hurt my precious kids ears. Its part of our working-class culture and a huge success story and for all its faults I love it.
Working class? Football came from Cambridge Uni.
User135644 · 08/07/2021 13:14

@Phantasmo

Booing anthems is revolting, no matter what nationality of fans it is doing the booing.
Funny how sections of the media choose 'taking the knee' as something to get upset about, but say nothing about this disgraceful act from the knuckle heads.
IcedPurple · 08/07/2021 13:15

@the80sweregreat

Would in motion is brilliant.
I don't think it was originally written as a football song at all, was it?

The lyrics don't have anything to do with football, other than the ones tacked on for John Barnes, among them:

"Catch me if you can 'cos I'm the England man
And what you're looking at is the master plan."

Absolute classic!

ThursdayWeld · 08/07/2021 13:16

Poor you, OP. To have such a joyless life.

Obviously, all countries except England are brilliant. I'm so sorry that you have to live in the only country in the whole world that isn't perfect Sad

ImMrNimbus · 08/07/2021 13:19

@emilyfrost

Oh calm down and stop being so miserable.

I’m proud of this country and I’m proud of this government. If you’re not and you think it’s so shit nobody’s making you live here.

😬😬😬 Proud of the government? For what? 😅
AllieBallyBee · 08/07/2021 13:19

I'm Scottish and I'm happy for them. It's been a shitty year and a half (or however long it is now - I've lost track) with Covid. Anything at the moment that brings a bit of joy to folk is surely welcome. Sometimes you've got to switch off from the politics and overthinking or you'll go mad with it all. That's speaking for myself.

Roussette · 08/07/2021 13:21

Seriously! Have a day off OP! People like you who "hate" their own country are part of the reason brexit and the tory government happened! Ordinary British people got so so sick of being told how shit we are and how shit our country is that they started to fight back. Brexit was the voice for millions and it was provided on a plate by the conservative government. If you hate it so much then move abroad, its not that hard to move to the EU even after brexit

Who else do you tell to get out the country if they don't like it? Just rude. Every one is entitled to an opinion. And no, it is not so easy to move to the EU now. Take Spain for instance... the rules are far far more stringent and complicated.

the80sweregreat · 08/07/2021 13:21

Many modern footballers went to grammar or private schools!

ThursdayWeld · 08/07/2021 13:21

@AllieBallyBee

I'm Scottish and I'm happy for them. It's been a shitty year and a half (or however long it is now - I've lost track) with Covid. Anything at the moment that brings a bit of joy to folk is surely welcome. Sometimes you've got to switch off from the politics and overthinking or you'll go mad with it all. That's speaking for myself.
That's lovely to read @AllieBallyBee! I must admit that I am guilty of assuming that all Scots hate the English and want us to lose Blush so it's lovely to see that I'm very wrong!

Good pointer to my own prejudices, there!

the80sweregreat · 08/07/2021 13:24

I didn't realize that ' world in motion ' wasn't a football song as such.
I did like the Scottish ' yes sir I can boogie' song someone did this year. I'm old enough to rem the original!

User135644 · 08/07/2021 13:26

@placemats

I hate all this ‘football is for thugs’ and all the shouting may hurt my precious kids ears. Its part of our working-class culture and a huge success story and for all its faults I love it.

I'm sure the Patels and Johnsons will love being described as working class.

England got through with an own goal and a soft penalty. Lasers pointed towards Schmeichel's eyes. Booing of National Anthems.

Good luck Italy on Sunday!

England fans and players utterly disgraced themselves yesterday with flagrant cheating and disrespect (booing the national anthem of Denmark).

Yet still people on here defend them. Unreal. Brainwashed sheeple.

placemats · 08/07/2021 13:26

There were two balls on the pitch at the time Sterling was racing into the penalty box. The referee didn't look at the incident again on the screen.

The penalty is a best described as Alan Shearer said, 'Soft'

a8mint · 08/07/2021 13:27

@the80sweregreat

Many modern footballers went to grammar or private schools!
What has that got to do with anything?
PhilSwagielka · 08/07/2021 13:29

Or maybe we just like our country's national team.

I swear, between the 'get out of our country if you don't like it, you woke scum' crowd and the 'all England fans are brainwashed sheep' crowd, MN is unbearable. Just let us enjoy things.

TheTallOakTrees · 08/07/2021 13:29

@the80sweregreat

Many modern footballers went to grammar or private schools!
Actually that is true of rugby, cricket and some other sports but not football.

A report in 2019 found that 2% of female footballers went to private school, and 5% of the men, whereas nationally 7% attend private school - very much still a state school background. Our local private schools play rugby and cricket for their main sports and don't actively pursue football.

IcedPurple · 08/07/2021 13:29

I don't think anyone is defending booing the Danish anthem, are they?

As for 'flagrant cheating', the only (arguable) example of that is Sterling's penalty. You'll find players from every single national team doing the same on occasion. Should all Brazilian fans boycott the national team because of Neymar's antics (far worse than Sterling)?

Don't pretend you're all principled about 'cheating'. You just hate the England team and are angry at their success.

GolfEchoRomeoTangoIndia · 08/07/2021 13:29

Of course World In Motion is a football song.

placemats · 08/07/2021 13:30

Look, if England had won fair and square, I'd be watching a match on Sunday between two great football teams.

In all honesty, I dislike getting through with the attitude 'it's about time England got through with a bit of luck.'

PhilSwagielka · 08/07/2021 13:31

@a8mint It's suggesting that footballers these days are middle-class. Maybe for some of the English ones, but working-class players do exist, and plenty of foreign players - a lot of African and South American ones, for one - grew up in poverty. Luis Suarez worked as a street cleaner when he was a child, Yaya and Kolo Touré shined shoes, Roberto Firmino and Richarlison grew up in deprived areas where gang crime is a serious problem and black boys are shot by police. Sadio Mané is very loved back in his home village in Senegal because of all he's done for it - he gives a lot back.

IcedPurple · 08/07/2021 13:31

@GolfEchoRomeoTangoIndia

Of course World In Motion is a football song.
Sure, it became the 'anthem' of the England team, with the John Barnes 'one on one' rap added on.

But I don't think it was originally written as a 'football song' as such.

User135644 · 08/07/2021 13:31

@placemats

There were two balls on the pitch at the time Sterling was racing into the penalty box. The referee didn't look at the incident again on the screen.

The penalty is a best described as Alan Shearer said, 'Soft'

Lee Dixon on ITV said it was a dive but he doesn't care (this is what England has been reduced to - celebrating cheating). This translates to the fans, like with the laser pen.

Micah Richards also said it was outrageous that VAR didn't overturn it (and he's a City fan who loves Sterling).

The likes of Stanley Matthews would be turning in their graves at the antics of England players and the fans these days. It's sad to watch.

placemats · 08/07/2021 13:33

Soft penalties in crucial matches are given all the time. However, it dampens the victory, no matter the club or the country.

SicParvisMagna · 08/07/2021 13:33

This is why I love not being on social media, or having a tv licence. I don't have to follow, or have any interest in this :D lol. To be fair, we are not a football household at all, and haven't watched nor followed anything for donkeys years. It's just not us. But it used to be. I used to be at the pub, in my team/England shirt leaping around getting covered in beer, cheering or commiserating if we lost, which was often. Over the years though, it just got too much. The endless attitude of "well we'll win because we're England! And ergo, that somehow makes us better doesn't it?" got too much. The players were all too egotistical, too much focus on their wives etc. Ugh.
The problem I have with football, is it does tend to bring out the total plebs. The loud mouths, and the drunks who just need any excuse to get pissed up and be obnoxious. We don't read newspapers, so I have no idea if the team are good/bad whatever but there are a couple who popped up last year who have my respect (Rashford etc) because they stand as the total antithesis of what the actual leaders of this country represent.
I just hate that whole air of superiority that a lot of fans and English in general have, that just because you're English, it means you're better than Europe, or whoever. There's a lot I truly like, and love about my country, there's a lot I detest and over the last 6 or so years, I've felt more and more like an outsider in my own land and that's hard to get to grips with. Being told by my own father that if I didn't like it, to leave just after the referendum (i.e move abroad) after they voted to make that harder for us, was a bitter pill to swallow, and I hate the short sightedness that Brexit seems to focus on. The government will take any excuse to jump on a bandwagon. IF the team are as wholesome and decent as many have described, then I'm thrilled for them, and hope they do well. It's of no interest to me really, but if they do win, and the Torys try to claim some form of responsibility for it, I hope they are told to stick it.
I don't think it makes you a fun sponge if you see that this will lead to problems down the line, but also, for kids and stuff (mine couldn't give a stuff) its nice to have something to focus on that brings joy. As usual, it's the adults who spoil it!

Hdhdjejdj · 08/07/2021 13:33

England won the match fair and square. They were all over Denmark. Sterling caused them so many problems all they could do to stop him was foul him.
World In Motion was specifically written as a ‘football song.’

User135644 · 08/07/2021 13:34

@placemats

Look, if England had won fair and square, I'd be watching a match on Sunday between two great football teams.

In all honesty, I dislike getting through with the attitude 'it's about time England got through with a bit of luck.'

Imagine if England had been playing Italy last night and gone out after extra time to a dive (with 2 balls on the pitch) and then Italian fans shine a laser in the England keeper's face.

We'd never hear the end of it. Poor Denmark are angry at the England antics, but taking it with the class and humility you'd expect from them in this tournament.