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Original poster

So embarrassed to be English today

999 replies

UpSlyDown · 12/07/2021 12:20

Usually I am slightly defensive of the criticism the English get but today I feel like I have nothing left to defend. Riots, defacing murals of wonderful role models for our children, racism, violence. Horrendous behaviour from a considerable number of English fans. We are just playing up to the thuggish, drunk, stupid stereotypes. That along with the decision to just open everything up which has been highly criticised for being bonkers, the never-ending shame of Brexit. For the first time I feel embarrassed to be English and associated with any of this. Having said that, I personally don't know a single person who behaved badly post match or spewed vile racism online (thank god). I also mainly socialise/spend time with left wing remainers it seems.

Does anyone feel the same? Are there any redeeming features of the English or are we doomed to be the laughing stock of the world? I was so proud of our football team (still am) and the unity and excitement everyone felt. Part of me thinks this would have been so different if we won but why should it be?! We should be able to respond to a disappointment like rational adults instead of abusive idiots.

OP posts:
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7
AlternativePerspective · 12/07/2021 12:53

@ Puppysharness Puppysharness you might want to look at what terminology you use yourself to describe people before casting insults.

Oh the irony.

Puppysharness · 12/07/2021 12:54

@pinkcircustop

Does this happen in other countries? Is it just us?

@Puppysharness 🤦‍♀️ You get dickheads in every country, hun.

@pinkcircustop I was talking about racist abuse of players, ‘hun’, which I’ve never seen reported in media during the years I lived abroad.
Ihatefish · 12/07/2021 12:54

You could always emigrate! What about France? Because obviously there is zero racism and intolerance there! Or maybe Italy who welcomed the win with a friendly restrained cheer.

Maybe the USA which is obviously devoid of any racism and has low crime rates.

So many utopias out there, you’ll have trouble deciding where to go.

Or maybe you could just wait until
Labour come to power with their widely acknowledged love of all people especially the Jewish community.

Now being ashamed to be human on this beautiful planet is an entirely more reasonable position to take

mbosnz · 12/07/2021 12:55

No, I think OP sounds fairly mired in despair and frustration, and I can totally sympathise with her feeling that way, particularly given that she works in the NHS. It can be hard to see the silver lining sometimes, when it's attached to a bloody great raincloud, and I imagine many, if not most, who are working in the NHS at the moment, are feeling frustrated, and exhausted.

AlternativePerspective · 12/07/2021 12:56

All this “I’m embarrassed to be English” is just virtue signalling bullshit.

There are ways of disagreeing with racism without having to claim to be embarrassed to be from a certain country.

The fault lies with individuals not the collective.

A lot of scam calls come from India, should every Indian be “embarrassed to be Indian”?

The “Nigerian prince” is well known, should every Nigerian be “embarrassed to be Nigerian”?

Most countries around the world are known for something and will have some negative behaviour associated with some of their citizens, that doesn’t make the country bad as a collective.

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 12/07/2021 12:57

I've also been embarrassed to be English for years, was made worse by Brexit and some of the scenes last night were disgusting

My fiance was there last night for work, he's been to hundreds of games around the world, loads of tournaments and last night was the first time he was genuinely worried about his safety and he hated being there

igelkott2021 · 12/07/2021 12:57

Agree with that the behaviour was terrible, but we are not responsible for the way people who happen to live in the same country behave.

And there is no such thing as a "national character". You are either a thug or you are not, nothing to do with what country you live in.

Teddy1970 · 12/07/2021 12:58

Puppysharness in Russia you have to be white to get in the national squad, so yes there is racism in every country

morepizzapls · 12/07/2021 12:58

@Puppysharness Racism in football in other countries absolutely happens.

Not even that long ago (qualifiers possibly for the Euros) a country we played had to have netting put at the top of the fan stands because they were being so abusive towards Raheem Sterling. The game also got stopped twice and threatened to be cancelled completely if it didn't stop. They then had to play their next game behind closed doors because the level of abuse and racism was so abhorrent. I'm not going to name the country because I don't think it is necessary to villainise a whole country for the behaviour of a small minority, it wouldn't be hard to find if you really wanted to though.

And that's the whole point. It isn't a whole country - there are many reasons I am proud to be English. I think it is disgusting how some of the fans have behaved but I am not them and do not share any of their morals or attitudes. I am not ashamed because I don't see why I need to take any shame on because some people are assholes and hold themselves so lowly. That is all on them and should be their shame. Hopefully (not holding my breath) some of them have woken up this morning and feel embarrassed at the very least by their behaviour.

Weirdfan · 12/07/2021 12:58

Me too Puppysharness, felt sick last night knowing what abuse they were likely to get and even more sick this morning when I was proved right. I'm not ashamed to be English but I am ashamed of the contingent in this country who behave like that.

Like you OP most people I know watched at home with family, there was no violence and none of us have posted or said anything derogatory about any of the players, as I'm sure is true of the vast majority of us. By all means heap shame on those who deserve it but they don't represent our country as a whole despite what the media would have you think.

TheGenealogist · 12/07/2021 13:00

Just give over with the "laughing stock" nonsense.

Despite what English people think, the rest of the world has better things to do than spend their time laughing at you.

TillyTopper · 12/07/2021 13:00

No I don't feel embarrassed to be English. Why let a few twats which are in the minority spoil things?

igelkott2021 · 12/07/2021 13:00

I was talking about racist abuse of players, ‘hun’, which I’ve never seen reported in media during the years I lived abroad

Yes it happens overseas. It is frequently reported that supporters in some countries make monkey sounds when English club teams are playing and their FAs have been fined - in fact I think there was one game which was played behind closed doors because of it but can't remember where.

igelkott2021 · 12/07/2021 13:02

Cross post with pizza!

Horizons83 · 12/07/2021 13:02

The only English I’m embarrassed about are the ones that tie themselves up in knots wailing about how awful we all are and how we are the worst country in the world. The self flagellation is painful to watch.

Notsowise · 12/07/2021 13:02

@Puppysharness the Colombians assassinated a player that missed a penalty so….

youshallnotpass9 · 12/07/2021 13:03

I am disgusted by the racism shown by the minority of fans towards our players, other teams and other supporters.

I believe its becoming more open because of Brexit and the Prime Minister, but social media does not help and I would like to think the social media sites, either start to put things into place to stop it, or at least try and help the police in finding these people. That might give them a bit of a shock although will probably not stop them.

Nuuktown · 12/07/2021 13:03

Oh op get over yourself. By all means be angry at the scum that behave like that but this self-flagellating is just tedious
Perfectly put.

I’m English, you’re English, the players are English, the abusive twats on Twitter are English. There’s no collective ‘we’ about the abuse the players have received unless you were actually directly involved.

SmokeyDevil · 12/07/2021 13:03

The racist abuse of our own players is disgusting. Anyone defending that is equally as disgusting. One of those players helped get food to children in Britain last year. Pretty poor way to repay him for that.

MidnightMonsterMunch · 12/07/2021 13:03

Social media is utterly toxic. The police should investigate each and every instance of racist abuse and where possible, prosecute.

Applesonthelawn · 12/07/2021 13:03

If you are not a racist violent thug, and don't know anyone who is, then you are being very unreasonable firstly to be ashamed of yourself, and secondly to label it as part of being English. I don't know anyone like that, and if I did, I would intervene as positively as I could to stop it. Those people exist in all countries.

I'm sick to death of people thinking that had anything to do with Brexit. I don't think football hooligans are anything new, or anything exclusively British.

HmmmmmmInteresting · 12/07/2021 13:04

@igelkott2021

I was talking about racist abuse of players, ‘hun’, which I’ve never seen reported in media during the years I lived abroad

Yes it happens overseas. It is frequently reported that supporters in some countries make monkey sounds when English club teams are playing and their FAs have been fined - in fact I think there was one game which was played behind closed doors because of it but can't remember where.

Sounds great. Sounds like it's a white person problem
HmmmmmmInteresting · 12/07/2021 13:05

[quote Notsowise]@Puppysharness the Colombians assassinated a player that missed a penalty so….[/quote]
It was an own goal and turned out to be due to a gambling syndicate

igelkott2021 · 12/07/2021 13:05

@scottmichael

I'm embarrassed to be Scottish. The insults and words being shouted at the screen last night in the pub were absolutely vile. Vile. I can't stand the anti-English attitude around here, it's not OK.
Again, that's just a few idiots who define themselves by hating something. Nothing to do with being Scottish. It's all a bit silly anyway,. as the only way you'd tell a Scottish or English person apart is by their accents.
lynsey91 · 12/07/2021 13:05

It may be quite a large number of football fans are racist thugs but in no way is it the majority.

I can't stand football and neither can DH but lots of our friends, family and neighbours are fans and none of them go around fighting, rioting etc.

I am disgusted at the abuse the 3 players are getting but sadly not surprised. They would have got abuse if they had been white but being black has given the racists a field day.