So embarrassed to be English today

[UpSlyDown]

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.

So is is complacent self satisfied smuggery!

@Elfblossom

I wish I was Scottish ... or maybe Swedish/Finnish ...

Anything but English!

All the flag shaggers have made anything with a union flag on it thorough cringeworthy & I even avoid buying stuff in the supermarket if its now got a flag and 'Great British Carrotts' on it ... eeewww! Can't they JUST be Carrotts?

This is pretty low standard isn’t it

This is what people want shame and idiocy like this. Depressing all round

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. There was no violence against people on Italian streets and neither was there that sense of menace and threat (actual physical harm) that was so palpable at Wembley. It's true these yobs are a minority, but a minority big enough to have tainted England's football supporters in the eyes of many countries outside of the U.K.

I have generally really admired the English squad and all they stood for, but I thought the players who took their silver medals off as soon as they received them came across as poor sports (something British people are great at). That's wasn't a good look at all!
To our English friends and OP, I would say: if you want to feel great about your country again, replay the Olympic Opening Ceremony of London 2012. That truly was a celebration about everything that is great and good about Britain and England and something to feel proud of. And yes, I am Italian!

@expatinspain

To the people who were saying Italian fans trashed cities in Italy, do you have a link? I haven't seen anything about that. I did see you usual suspects trashing London though. I also woke up to read the horrific racial abuse of the players on Twitter. We are pretty much universally despised and no wonder really when the world is watching this...and they are watching. I live in Spain and it's been reported here. I often see the behaviour of the English on Spanish TV, because they do the same shit here too. Thanks to Covid there aren't many tourists here at the moment, only residents, or Benidorm would have been trashed too on Sunday night. I feel proud of the team and how they performed, but there's definitely been a cloud cast over that feeling with the predictable aftermath. Sure Marcus Rashford et al would agree with that too.

www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2021/07/12/bare-bandiere-inglesi-bruciate-e-assalti-a-tram-e-bus-la-notte-di-eccessi-dei-tifosi-italiani-dopo-la-vittoria-a-euro-2020-video/6259237/

90% of racist abuse came from abroad.

That's right blame the foreigners.

I trust you are aware of proxies and VPN's being used to try and disguise people's IP addresses, and geographical locations?

I couldn't agree with you more, OP. My sense of alienation grows with each day. Of course today we've really excelled ourselves today by breaking our promise to the world's poorest by cutting foreign aid.

I’m proud to be English. I’ve been to plenty of football matches abroad and I can assure you there are thugs and racists everywhere. At least we have laws against it.
But those who hate England so much - why not try and emigrate? It would make space for the people who actually want to be here.

To the people who were saying Italian fans trashed cities in Italy, do you have a link?

Here’s one in Naples;
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.ie/sport/football/7279915/euro-2020-naples-violence-police-shot-italy/amp/

Must be fake news, eh?

www.lastampa.it/vercelli/2021/07/12/news/la-festa-per-la-vittoria-agli-europei-dimezzata-dai-vandali-rotta-una-cornucopia-del-monumento-a-cavour-1.40489328

I'm neither ashamed nor proud nor anything else of the country. It's just where I was born and live, nothing more.
Football culture has a long violent and toxic history, this is nothing new.

Yes agreed- we have a Prime Minister who refused yesterday to condemn the booing of other national anthems, refers to people as piccaninnies and water melon smiles. A Home secretary who wants to deport 'foreigners' and introduce a Borders Bill to remove asylum seekers to a 'safe' country.£4bn a year cuts to foreign aid which was vital to the people who received that help. How can we be as a nation proud of that? And do not start me on the vitriolic, divisive actions of UKIP and other Brexit groups which gave these racists a voice to crawl our from under their stone. It is a disgrace and this current government encourages this divisiveness as they know it wins them votes.

@FloconDeNeige

To the people who were saying Italian fans trashed cities in Italy, do you have a link?

Here’s one in Naples;
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.thesun.ie/sport/football/7279915/euro-2020-naples-violence-police-shot-italy/amp/

Must be fake news, eh?

I've already been called a liar on another thread today for posting about the man and his granddaughter shot during the celebrations in a town near me.

Maybe the England haters could go to South Africa, see if you like that any better.
Or France - just as long as you’re not Muslim, or you won’t be able to wear what you want.
Or Hungary - just as long as you’re not gay.

@Bagamoyo1

I’m proud to be English. I’ve been to plenty of football matches abroad and I can assure you there are thugs and racists everywhere. At least we have laws against it. But those who hate England so much - why not try and emigrate? It would make space for the people who actually want to be here.

This is always the comeback to people who raise concerns about the UK. It's not that easy to leave, especially since we can't just up and go to another EU country easily. Plus, why do people always want people who disagree with them to emigrate? We're all entitled to moan about whatever we like. (and a lot of the people who say "just leave then" are the same ones who don't want any immigrants coming in- not saying it applies to you, but the link is strong!)

Football culture has a long violent and toxic history, this is nothing new.

We as a nation have this, long before football started.

@JustforMum

I'm sorry but I have to disagree. There was no violence against people on Italian streets and neither was there that sense of menace and threat (actual physical harm) that was so palpable at Wembley. It's true these yobs are a minority, but a minority big enough to have tainted England's football supporters in the eyes of many countries outside of the U.K.

I have generally really admired the English squad and all they stood for, but I thought the players who took their silver medals off as soon as they received them came across as poor sports (something British people are great at). That's wasn't a good look at all!
To our English friends and OP, I would say: if you want to feel great about your country again, replay the Olympic Opening Ceremony of London 2012. That truly was a celebration about everything that is great and good about Britain and England and something to feel proud of. And yes, I am Italian!

Devi leggere un po' meglio i giornali cara. O non hai visto telegiornale ieri?

Yes agreed- we have a Prime Minister who refused yesterday to condemn the booing of other national anthems, refers to people as piccaninnies and water melon smiles. A Home secretary who wants to deport 'foreigners' and introduce a Borders Bill to remove asylum seekers to a 'safe' country.£4bn a year cuts to foreign aid which was vital to the people who received that help. How can we be as a nation proud of that? And do not start me on the vitriolic, divisive actions of UKIP and other Brexit groups which gave these racists a voice to crawl our from under their stone. It is a disgrace and this current government encourages this divisiveness as they know it wins them votes.
well done do you get a bonus from labour HQ for that.

[quote Geamhradh]www.lastampa.it/vercelli/2021/07/12/news/la-festa-per-la-vittoria-agli-europei-dimezzata-dai-vandali-rotta-una-cornucopia-del-monumento-a-cavour-1.40489328[/quote]
Wait, I thought overseas football fans were paragons of virtue?..(sarcasm)

www.fanpage.it/attualita/foggia-ucciso-in-strada-mentre-festeggia-per-la-vittoria-dellitalia-col-nipote-di-10-anni/

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/worldcup/world-cup-2018-two-football-fans-killed-in-france-as-police-clash-with-revellers-in-paris-amid-world-cup-celebrations-a3887796.html%3famp

People were actually KILLED in the violence in France after the WON the world cup.

For the past 4 weeks the town where I live has been trashed after every single Italy match. Not going to link to those articles as, in MN parlance, could be outing.
But just because you haven't read about it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Like the booing of anthems and opponents. Italians have never done that right? And Juventus didn't remove their second place medals last year? Etc etc.

Twats are twats, whatever their nationality. And they all need condemning and banning for life.

Comparing (some of) the England fans outrageous behaviour with that of other countries is a total cop out IMO.

We are not responsible for their behaviour at all, just our own and it is an easy thing to hide behind by saying nah nah nah nah, they were worse so it's ok for us to do the same.

Sickened by it all TBH, but there is an element of football hooliganism that never exited stage left at all.

Oh, and while we’re at it, here’s the news reports of the racist abuse of Kylian Mbappé when he missed a penalty for France and saw them exit;

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.rfi.fr/en/france/20210707-french-police-probe-racist-abuse-of-football-stars-on-twitter

It is disgusting mumsnet is allowing xenophobic crap on here, exactly the same as racist threads should be removed this should be too. Xenophobia is a hate crime btw but certain people don’t seem to realise this. Hypocrisy at is finest

I don't understand this mentality sometimes. Why do you allow a small minority of people dictate how you feel about your country. I am disgusted by a few but have you seen the wonderful way a majority have turn it around like with the Rashford mural?

Yes stand up and condemn the racisim but don't forget to have pride in the good things too. I was not born in the UK but have spent over half my life in England and I take pride in a lot of what happens in this country.