So embarrassed to be English today

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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.

The irony is it is us that are the liberal non- racist country that gives nationality by birthright unlike the Italians who only give it by blood. Which is why the Italian team was all white. This of course makes a lot of racists mad and they get a lot of press and attention. Just don’t give it to them. Laugh at them till they wither in the margins. Be proud of your liberal country and tell the racists to get lost.

@snooky179

Are you crazy? You do know many of the 'waacist' accounts have been traced back to BLM? Tell me how premiership footballers are receiving abusive PRIVATE MESSAGES when there needs to be a mutual relationship in the protocols of the social media sites? As for "shame of Brexit" - Why don't you move to France? it's lovely. The Champs Elysees is lined with human waste and darling £5K a month haircut Macron & his granny is shooting his own citizens on the streets because they object to having their wages and employment rights raped. Meanwhile, Greek hospitals are keeping the lights off while your beloved EU insists it takes on extra debt to keep bankrupt Francj & Spanish banks afloat. Maybe we could ask Verhofsatwat to veto the FORTY THOUSAND BOTTLE EU WINE CELLAR?

There are so many things to take issue with here, but the most shocking for being completely unrelated to the content of the thread is the reference to Macron's granny - are you referring to his wife?? I do hope I have misinterpeted it.

So if this was going on in Italy and has barely been reported outside of Italy and is common behaviour in other tournaments, why is it the English fans getting the bad press on a global stage? Genuine question. If we are no worse or even much less worse than other countries why the infamy? Why do the U.K. media report it to the point that they're influencing the way the rest of the world thinks of us?

I can only speak from what I see here, but the English do cause more issues than any other foreign nationals. That may be to do with the numbers of English tourists here compared to other nationalities, but I've seen the behaviour first hand and not it's not just been a couple of people. All alcohol related. The Spanish police don't mess about though, so it's usually nipped in the bud before it gets too out of hand.

Totally agree! My 15 year old daughter was abused all night just for being English. Vile and senseless crap from her supposed football team mates (we live in Scotland and I am entirely Scottish). Why do people think it ok to spout anglophobic nonsense? Hate crime was mentioned to them!

Ridiculous to taint a whole country based on some very specific people’s behaviour. Be angry at them sure but not everyone !

I voted remain but all this I’m ashamed since Brexit is a bit wearing

Time to move on, if the left can’t say anything positive about their own country they’ll never get in.

I know someone who was at the match he said as soon as we lost the behaviour of fans became APPALLING! It wasn't just a small minority. It was scary hooliganism and racist abuse for a large portion of the crowd.

And no, it's not the same in other countries. My parents live in Germany and this doesn't happen with their own players, nor do German fans point lasers at the opponents' goal keeper!

Sorry ... response to person posting about vileness of Scottish fans! 😳

Anyone not ashamed to be English today needs to be totally ashamed of themselves .The disgusting behaviour by the low life parasites of racism and violence is unbelievable .Brexit and the gutter press have fuelled their get our contrary back mentality .Sickening behaviour ,the gutter press and boris need to have a good hard look at what they done to this society

It’s not a male problem. It’s not a working class / lack of education problem. It is a wider problem with underlying attitudes across all cross sections of society. Two sides of the same coin.
There was a disgusting thread yesterday with I assume quite middle class women being extremely derogatory about the players. The underlying prejudice ( class, race) was apparent. It was absolutely horrible.
Having said that, the majority are making their voices heard. Hopefully the tide is turning and some people will start to feel less comfortable spouting their bile.
To be ashamed of England though is histrionic. It also hides some of the nasty attitudes we saw yesterday on this site. Women being extremely nasty about working class boys who have achieved a lot already. It covers a lot of class prejudice.
I agree with the pp about twitter etc. They need boycotting. I wouldn’t head to any venue in real life that allowed entry to the kind of idiots regularly holding audience on Twitter so I won’t do it online.

@roders I am not ashamed to be English. I am not going to let those low level scum make me ashamed of my country and the majority amazing people in it. Now is our opportunity for the majority to now fight back and make a noise and a difference. I hope this happens. Then we will take a lead in the world because as my exDH currently in Italy was telling me today. Racism is just accepted there (and many other countries) as it was historically here.

@roders

why on earth would you say they were Polish they were the usual english parasites who have made the whole world hate us and have been fuelled on by the fantastic get our country back Brexit ??????????????????????????????

The whole world doesn't hate us, it's one thing to be ashamed of the racist behaviour of thugs But to insist we should all be collectively ashamed because of the behaviour of some is pathetic again look what's happening in Withington.

@roders mine was a sarcastic remark in response to a previous post

And no, it's not the same in other countries

Yes it is, as has already been demonstrated if you bothered to read any of the linked reports.

The fact that this is a wider problem across international football of course doesn’t mean we should just accept it. But to try and paint it as a uniquely English issue is just plain wrong.

@HmmmmmmInteresting

Yes, the NHS needs to be privatised. It is not fit for purpose.

Are you for real? The NHS needs investment, competent management and good governance. These are not always forthcoming in the private sector where shareholders and profit are the focus and workforce and patients are part of the wealth generation.

Don't believe me, look at social care. Competition & privatisation of services pushed down wages and standards. One example; a third sector organisation offering rehabilitation for people with long term mental health conditions which took most of its referrals from the MOJ offered a manager's salary of £23,000. For this they wanted appropriate qualifications, experience and a willingness to work some antisocial hours. The CEO wondered why there were only a couple of applicants.

The East coast railway line is another example. It only made a profit when it was directly run (renationalised). It was originally privatised in 1996, 10 years later Sea Containers (GNER) was stripped of the franchise
2007 contract given to National Express after Sea Containers is stripped of the franchise due to financial difficulties
2009 Taken into direct control due to financial difficulties (nationalised) starts to make a profit
2015 privatised Virgin/Stagecoach
2018 renationalised after Virgin/Stagecoach runs into financial difficulties.

Then there's probation, brought back in house after 2 tier privatisation fiasco.

The London Olympics security

PPE

I could keep going for hours.

Profit driven private enterprises aren't always (often) the right vehicles or personnel to run public services.

@roders

Anyone not ashamed to be English today needs to be totally ashamed of themselves .The disgusting behaviour by the low life parasites of racism and violence is unbelievable .Brexit and the gutter press have fuelled their get our contrary back mentality .Sickening behaviour ,the gutter press and boris need to have a good hard look at what they done to this society

This is exactly what I think

I have been ashamed to be English for a while now. Ever since the referendum vote when I realised how many people were small minded and selfish and entitled. Since then it’s becoming more and more acceptable to be racist, homophobic and xenophobic. The rise of the right is sending us backwards.

@Shell4429

I have been ashamed to be English for a while now. Ever since the referendum vote when I realised how many people were small minded and selfish and entitled. Since then it’s becoming more and more acceptable to be racist, homophobic and xenophobic. The rise of the right is sending us backwards.

If the left cannot think of a single positive thing to say about the country they want to represent it will get worse

@Shell4429

I have been ashamed to be English for a while now. Ever since the referendum vote when I realised how many people were small minded and selfish and entitled. Since then it’s becoming more and more acceptable to be racist, homophobic and xenophobic. The rise of the right is sending us backwards.

Absolutely this. You missed out jingoistic.

I’m not ashamed of my nationality. Neither is DH. He’s not ashamed to be French, despite the fact that ~ 30% of the French population voted for Marine Le Pen’s Front National, the equivalent of the BNP/NF in the UK.

@FloconDeNeige

I’m not ashamed of my nationality. Neither is DH. He’s not ashamed to be French, despite the fact that ~ 30% of the French population voted for Marine Le Pen’s Front National, the equivalent of the BNP/NF in the UK.

Good for you guys

@HmmmmmmInteresting

If you want to be ashamed of yourself, crack on.

[quote FloconDeNeige]@HmmmmmmInteresting

If you want to be ashamed of yourself, crack on.[/quote]
Thanks sweetie. You do you too

I'm so lucky I'm only part English! That behaviour & the racism shown towards 3 young black men is vile and disgusting. I really thought that Show Racism the Red Card was getting somewhere 20 years ago, however the Brexit debacle and our current racist government have opened the festering wound again and racism is once more overt and almost accepted.

Most racist football supporters who throw bottles and bananas are males, however there are women too & it transcends class. Johnson with his comments about "piccaninnies", "letter boxes" etc. and Patel "stoking the fires" and treating asylum seekers as criminals certainly doesn't help.

it transcends class.

Absolutely correct. As we’ve seen, the rot goes right to the ‘top’, as the monarchy have recently demonstrated.