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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

There should be no England fans at final IMO

655 replies

LaserPointer · 08/07/2021 20:59

I cannot believe there is not more disgust at the actions of one (or more) English fan(s).

Aside from trying to cheat way to an England victory by distracting the goalkeeper during a penalty, lasers are phenomenally dangerous to eyes. The goalkeeper could have retinal damage.

I think a “lesser” nation would have been kicked out, but England won’t. But in my view the fans should be banned - there has to be consequences for criminal actions. Otherwise it will happen again.

Suspect I’ll be in the minority but it’s frankly embarrassing we have fans who do this.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 09/07/2021 01:32

@Bellagio40

OP is definitely not English
No, and won't say which country she's from.

She's hiding behind a name change, and I agree with @WorraLiberty. Cowards do that when they start threads intending to stir and goad, then go back to their safe and comfortable usual usernames afterwards.

tillytown · 09/07/2021 02:07

OP, google Sean Cox and then tell me if the Italian fans should be banned too.

Bellagio40 · 09/07/2021 02:56

Totally agree @ilovesooty

Lizzy1980 · 09/07/2021 02:56

DismantledKing, thanks for the tip 👍🏻

Grimacingfrog · 09/07/2021 03:34

I've never agreed with all class punishments, which are both incredibly unfair and don't produce the desired effect, i.e. they don't stop the rowdy kids from playing up because they don't care if anyone hates them for losing their playtime. Some people would love the notoriety of getting everyone banned.

Also, what's to stop other fans' causing trouble to get the other team banned. It's probably very easy to do the laser thing without being spotted.

But to say there's been no condemnation is just rubbish. Just go on Twitter, there have been tons of tweets from English fans embarrassed by the behaviour of a minority of fans. I'm one of them and have only been challenged by other countries' fans, who are so wedded to the English fans are all thugs mantra that they don't bother to read what I've written. Most English fans agree with me.

As for gamesmanship in sport, I don't agree with that either, but Sterling did receive contact in the area and footballers from all countries go down when that happens. Didn't you see the diving by the Italian player in the game against Spain, and he was rolling around on the floor until he saw they'd scored and he just got up and ran over to celebrate.

Or the fact that the Italians rolled around so much after they scored their second goal against Belgium that the ball was only in play for nine of the 21 minutes. Or against Spain when they rugby tackled the Spanish players several times because they were in a good position to attack. Or the Danish players who took out Sterling and Kane every time they were in a promising position. Denmark committed twice as many fouls as England. Is that cheating? Harry Kane was also taken out and probably should have had a penalty.

This condemnation wouldn't happen if it were Italy or Denmark but England is hated generally and gets far more criticism than any other country would.

UEFA need to be more consistent in having zero tolerance for racism and homophobia. They need to have harsher punishments for diving, such as retrospective punishments. But banning England fans for the behaviours of a minority is not the answer.

Grimacingfrog · 09/07/2021 03:46

As for the lasers by other fans argument by you OP, can you link to your earlier threads that you've started condemning it and calling for that team's fans to be banned? Or did you only start condemning it when it was an England fan doing it.

TheGobhoblin · 09/07/2021 03:59

Bonkers opinion, OP. If your boss was arrested for fraud I'm sure you wouldn't want to shoulder the blame too if you weren't involved.

BoredatHome321 · 09/07/2021 04:39

lol, you do realise he saved the penalty right? 😂

forinborin · 09/07/2021 06:13

It is generally interesting how football brings out funny sides in people. I cannot imagine any other thread on mn where an OP has expressed an opinion about a behaviour she didn't like and people started asking "but where are you reeeeeeallllly from?"
Made me think that maybe actually that's very beneficial for the society, to have a relatively harmless safety valve for xenophobia.

Sloaneslone · 09/07/2021 06:51

@forinborin

It is generally interesting how football brings out funny sides in people. I cannot imagine any other thread on mn where an OP has expressed an opinion about a behaviour she didn't like and people started asking "but where are you reeeeeeallllly from?" Made me think that maybe actually that's very beneficial for the society, to have a relatively harmless safety valve for xenophobia.
Well that's not true.

Op didn't just express she didn't like the behaviour. She expressed that ALL England fans should be banned. No one disagrees that they behaviour was poor. They disagree with banning all the fans or kicking England out of the final together.

And people are asking about where she is actually from has nothing to do with xenophobia. It's to do with the fact that she said she would be horrified and embarrassed if fans from her country acted like that.

People want to know where she is from, because you can gaurentee that some fans from her country have, infact, acted like dicks. People want to know because she brought it up. If op is making out her countries football fans are perfectly behaved at all times, people are going to want to know which country.

The OP name changed for this, so it's not going to out her. But the fact is, some people act like dicks. But when it's England fans, people want something done. When it's other countries people act like 'it just one of those things'.

I am Irish and I can see that.

Babynames2 · 09/07/2021 07:26

I’m not even a football fan but all the england hatred is getting annoying.

Have a look on the Wikipedia pages for any euros/World Cup OP and you will see that fans from all countries have behaved badly, and other countries have had fines for fans behaviour, not just England.

RuggerHug · 09/07/2021 07:43

@Ratalie

RuggerHug I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say but, if it's that the English press and much of the fanbase are often hyper critical of the team (and particularly it's black players), only to jump on board the bandwagon as soon as they're doing well - I completely agree.
Ratalie that's exactly what I was trying to say thank youSmile. It's not just angry/bitter whatever people want to say other countries 'having a go' it's an internal issue aswell that seems to be glossed over on threads like this.
RuggerHug · 09/07/2021 07:43

That's meant to be a smile face not an angry one that's showing for me....

remy3 · 09/07/2021 07:50

Oh what a surprise - the OP is still too cowardly / ashamed / dishonest / bitter to even state what country she is from Grin

So much to say - anonymously of course - yet still too scared to even admit to her own county?

Totally disingenuous.

Come on OP - what is “your country?”

Your English is fluent- I’m guessing, erm ... ooh, could you be from Scotland?

Should I conclude all Scottish are bitter as a result your evidence on here?

You’d better say where you’re from or people will just start taking guesses - and that’s not fair to Scotland. You are embarrassing them.

forinborin · 09/07/2021 08:19

And people are asking about where she is actually from has nothing to do with xenophobia. It's to do with the fact that she said she would be horrified and embarrassed if fans from her country acted like that.
I will admit I haven't RTFT, but there's nothing like that in the OP, and "where are you from" starts pretty much immediately after. She mentions that a "lesser nation" would probably be punished more severely for behaviour like that (which is subject to debate - but not abuse) and people immediately assumed she's from a "lesser nation" and bitter.
I don't know.... would someone living in England for the majority of their adult life, but not English, be allowed to express an opinion about how English fans behave? Or how does one qualify to be allowed to hold an opinion on this matter?

TheRosesOfSuccess · 09/07/2021 08:26

@Marzipanfruit

Bit worried about the singing of 'Sweet Caroline' too. Not sure if you all know the Rangers (generally English supporters) fans version....
I really wouldn't worry yourself about Sweet Caroline. It's had a resurgence in English football because it's played so much at T20 cricket. Nothing to do with Scottish football sectarianism, nor the words they have apparently used.
SlipperyDippery · 09/07/2021 08:28

@forinborin

And people are asking about where she is actually from has nothing to do with xenophobia. It's to do with the fact that she said she would be horrified and embarrassed if fans from her country acted like that. I will admit I haven't RTFT, but there's nothing like that in the OP, and "where are you from" starts pretty much immediately after. She mentions that a "lesser nation" would probably be punished more severely for behaviour like that (which is subject to debate - but not abuse) and people immediately assumed she's from a "lesser nation" and bitter. I don't know.... would someone living in England for the majority of their adult life, but not English, be allowed to express an opinion about how English fans behave? Or how does one qualify to be allowed to hold an opinion on this matter?
I have read the thread and OP said this:

Personally would have been mortified if my own country’s fans had done this

No one is saying she can’t have an opinion. People are saying it’s ridiculous to single England out for this, and asking where she is from that she has apparently never had cause to feel mortified about those fans’ behaviour.

And if you read the thread you might see more of why people think she is bitter.

jasjas1973 · 09/07/2021 08:31

@remy3 If the OP is so cowardly/scared as you suggest, why would she tell you the truth about her country of origin? plus despite your and others anger at her, 48% agree with banning fans or our they all nasty foreigners too?

Lemonmelonsun · 09/07/2021 08:38

Grimacing, good post.

Sounds like sour grapes to me op.

On diving though I did wonder if diving is part of football training!

Bovrilly · 09/07/2021 08:42

@forinborin

And people are asking about where she is actually from has nothing to do with xenophobia. It's to do with the fact that she said she would be horrified and embarrassed if fans from her country acted like that. I will admit I haven't RTFT, but there's nothing like that in the OP, and "where are you from" starts pretty much immediately after. She mentions that a "lesser nation" would probably be punished more severely for behaviour like that (which is subject to debate - but not abuse) and people immediately assumed she's from a "lesser nation" and bitter. I don't know.... would someone living in England for the majority of their adult life, but not English, be allowed to express an opinion about how English fans behave? Or how does one qualify to be allowed to hold an opinion on this matter?
Maybe you should RTFT then. One person jokes "are you Danish" and then there is no mention of where the OP is from until she says

Personally would have been mortified if my own country’s fans had done this.

Naturally after that everyone wanted to know where OP came from, where the football fans are so well behaved.

YouJustFoldItIn · 09/07/2021 08:55

Naturally after that everyone wanted to know where OP came from, where the football fans are so well behaved.

Well it certainly won't be Italy, Poland, Turkey, anywhere is South America...

It's probably a country where soccer isn't really on anyone's radar, and for the few who do support it, they support Man United because it's the one most people have heard of.

In which case it's so easy to be sanctimonious and say 'people in my country would never do that.' But show me the country and I'll show you examples of something akin to football sectarianism or hooliganism or just general yobbishness and racism imbedded somewhere in the national psyche. Human beings are basically the same everywhere when it comes down to it.

remy3 · 09/07/2021 08:57

Come on OP. What part of Scotland are you from?

Parky04 · 09/07/2021 08:58

@MrsGRamsay

I give up with you lot: to paraphrase - “I’m sure the laser pen was green so not a blinding / anti pilot one”??

See how that goes when Police home onto the next tosser trying to blind a pilot into Heathrow.

To you lot lot that don’t understand - “Ingerrunnd” fans are despised in Europe; and certain clubs will never be forgiven.

@MrsGRamsay what utter rubbish! I travel all over Europe to watch the local football and we are not despised at all. Yes, we have a few idiots, but so do other countries.
Romanoff · 09/07/2021 08:59

Not sure anyone is disputing some English people also feel the way the OP does. The would slso be unreasonable. No one is syaing the op is unreasonable because she isn't English.

Do people realise that plenty of people disagree with op, are also not English?

As for the voting, its odd that the people agreeing with op aren't really commenting. Or very few are.

YouJustFoldItIn · 09/07/2021 09:02

In fact in addition to my post above, I'd say that the more highly developed the country the more likelihood of this sort of behaviour in sport because there is less need for actual tribalism or fighting over territory and some sort of sense of cultural 'honour' than there is in less developed parts of the world. Anthropologists and psychologists have written whole books about it. It's an outlet for the modern man with nothing much else to get his adrenalin up for, since most reasons for fight or flight sort of died out centuries ago. It's an opportunity to indulge their latent caveman.

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