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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that 'some' of the Welsh players were down right ignorant yesterday!

159 replies

mosschops30 · 16/03/2008 13:43

I went to watch the match at the millenium stadium with my (welsh) dh. It was amazing and I really wanted Wales to win, it was a fantastic day with great atmosphere.

However when we watched the tv coverage I noticed that half of the team didnt even acknowledge Prince William let alone shake his hand (although team captain and all round nice bloke Ryan Jones did twice ).

Now I know the welsh will say prince william shouldnt be there, but thats the way its working and even though I dont like the Royals myself, i think he's the best of a bad bunch. And if I had to be presented something by one of them I certainly wouldnt turn the other cheek because I have some manners.

I felt embarrassed by their ignorance, it was shameful. I get loads of abuse for being english living here and my general opinion of wales isnt great but this just reinforced the fact that some welsh people continue to be ignorant bigots where the english are concerned

OP posts:
scottishmummy · 16/03/2008 18:33

mosschops30 -don't know who what rattled yer cage but you are chunterring a lot of unrelated facts

royal's
welsh
turning the other cheek
alleged ignorance

offensive generalisations "some welsh people continue to be ignorant bigots where the english are concerned"...Wahey!what are you on about. strong stuff "continue to be" oh really

have you been sniffing the furniture polish again

har acknowledge the royals - what that bunch of inbred despotes -think not

as a celt i am delighted for the might welsh

tinylady · 16/03/2008 18:47

I didn't see it myself but I find blatant rudeness very embarassing, whatever form it takes.

welshdeb · 16/03/2008 19:09

hedge witch, I grew up in Ebbw Vale, although I dont live there now.

I saw the game and thought that PW was shoved behind a podium and those players who didnt shake his hand didn't see him as they were to over whelmed by the occasion.

I think if the WRFU wanted to make more of a fuss of PW then he should have been first in the row or been giving out the medals.

TheHedgeWitch · 16/03/2008 19:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
mosschops30 · 16/03/2008 19:28

ok to start again, lots of you have jumped to the defense of some of the welsh team, who can shake the hand of every other man in a row other than Prince William (and I dont give a toss who it was that they ignored, the fact they did it was rude). Ditto 'soo excited after they won against a team theyd not beaten for 9 years' so did they not beat them in the 2005 Grand Slam then??

I didnt notice or care at the match but watching the BBC footage that we'd sky+, even dh said it was unecessary ( a staunch welshman and rugby fan).

All the lanuguage stuff on here has nothing to do with me so will not comment.

Scottishmummy if you'd had some of the abuse Ive had whilst living here, or watched Rob Brydon's prog on the welsh a few weeks ago you'd see how deep that hatred runs. I have been insulted at work and at a wedding for being english. And for those who say the english do the same, well does that make it ok? Are we really that childish?

Any form of abuse, racism, ignorance should be discouraged surely?

OP posts:
policywonk · 16/03/2008 19:36

Why should they shake anyone's hand if they don't feel like it? As others have said, they had just achieved something quite extraordinary (in sporting terms). Why, in the immediate aftermath, should they be overly concerned about shaking hands with a bunch of corporate placemen and idiot royals?

The problem that a lot of Welsh people have with Prince Charles is that he bears the title 'Prince of Wales', but is not Welsh, and shows no sign of taking a particular interest in Wales. William will be taking this title when/if his dad gets promoted. This does rile a lot of Welsh people - quite rightly IMO. The title itself is (I think) the legacy of the defeat and annexation of Wales by England, something that a lot of Welsh people are still rather sore about

And that Three Feathers thing... what an unalloyed twat that man is.

Original poster
mosschops30 · 16/03/2008 19:40

Rather sore about??? I'm sorry when did that happen, can you even remember?

This was another point made on Rob Brydon's prog with Ruth Jones shouting 'YES BUT WHEN DID IT HAPPEN, WHY ARE WE STILL BEARING A GRUDGE' or words to that effect.

And the reason they should shake hands is because they are professional sportsmen on view for the world to see, I certainly dont want my children to think its ok to be rude to people like that

OP posts:
Overrun · 16/03/2008 19:59

Bloody hell, the usual trite being trotted out here. There is such an anti welsh attitude around, no don't call me paranoid.

I have lived long periods of time in England and in Wales, and am sure that there are idiots where ever you go. But
my view is that English people who are anti welsh do it from a mistaken view that they are superior some how, and these people can be down right unpleasant. Repetitive sheep, leek jokes aside, which really do start to grate after a while. I have been called a "welsh bitch" when celebrating a welsh rugby win in London. Been told to "piss off back over the bridge" I could go on and on...

Welsh people might have issues with the English, but however far back it might seem to some, it springs from a really heart felt feeling of being mistreated and belittled.

We are not just talking about Owain Glyndor, think back to the all the anti welsh jokes that were rife when Kinnock was running for prime minister.

tinylady · 16/03/2008 20:12

I don't think its a specifically welsh problem, overrrun.
The humour on these isles is such that everyone talkes the piss out of esch other.
Try being cockney, and see how many bad cockney accents you get, or liverpudlian- how many joy riding comments you get etc etc
I think people can be a bit over sensitive. I mean, most of us are a mixture of welsh, scottish, irish, english aren't we?
Why hate everyone because of what an ignorant elite did centuries ago.

BTW, when I was in Wales during some football tournament or the other there were signs in supermarkets and everywhere urging england to get knocked out.
I was quite shocked by that-wouldn't happen the other way round
And the free prescriptions seems unfair to me as even those of us with chronic ilnesses don't get free prescriptions in England.
I wouldn't hold it against every welsh person though

policywonk · 16/03/2008 20:22

'Rather sore about??? I'm sorry when did that happen, can you even remember?'

It was a joke mosschops

policywonk · 16/03/2008 20:27

FWIW it happened in the thirteenth century I think. I'm quite elderly, but not that elderly.

Seriously, the English people's history of conquest all over the globe does affect how people see them. I'm not saying it's particularly fair on present-day English people, but it's the truth. English people who refuse to acknowledge the sensitivities of nationalities that have previously been ruled by the English (or, as with the Welsh, those who are still ruled by the English) are going to get it in the neck from the natives.

Kewcumber · 16/03/2008 20:32

if I could just be allowed a brief Ebbw Vale'ist moment "Ebbw Vale does not have a huge Welsh speaking population FWIW"... "Ebbw Vale does not have a huge Welsh speaking population" and be equally accurate [GRIN]

tinylady · 16/03/2008 20:33

I think most English people are very sensitive to other nationalities on the whole.
I have travelled far and wide around the world and it amuses me that so many people assume you wear bowler hats and have tea at 4pm.
Once they get to know you, nationality melts away and its more about humour, attractiveness etc
The Welsh know better than this. I find a nationalism with a hatred of another nation at the core of it quite destructive.

moondog · 16/03/2008 20:34

I'm half English and very proud to be so.
One of the things that has cheered me greatly over the last few years is that the English are slowly and cautiously doscovering that it is ok to be proud of being English.

It does not detract from the fact that 'Prince' William is a twerp (albeit a fairly inoffensive one) and ,his father has neither done anything useful for nor taken any particular interest in Wales.

Ergo for most Welsh people they are an irrelevance.

Kewcumber · 16/03/2008 20:42

I lived in wales full time for 15 years and suffered the odd bit of racism which is hardly surprising given my posh accent. Certianly have had more hassle in the foloowing 15 years in England over not very much difference at all!

In 15 years I never felt that people swicthing to speak welsh was particularly rude. Anymore than I would htink it rude of a Fench speaker. If all shopkeepers and pub owner are so rude as to deliberately piss customers off then they would lose business pretty fast - and I speak as one whosemother was a shopkeeper (english) who struggled a little in eisteddfod week, but people were very paience with her 5 words of welsh. I can't imagine moving to a small town in France, living there for 20 years (as she did) never bothering to learn the language and them being half as polite as our neighbours were to my mum.

Kewcumber · 16/03/2008 20:43

oh and moondog - fewer comment about masturbating with cucu,bers in fuure please, it maed me feel quite (thats a queasy emoticon btw)

moondog · 16/03/2008 20:45

Will desist in future.

Piffle · 16/03/2008 20:57

PW would far rather have been watching his bessie mates England... Bet he was equally not thrilled to be there. Does his dad being prince of Wales not going for nuffink?
anyway P Willie is royal vice patron of welsh rugby. So they better get used to him.

Princess anne always gets popular welcomes at Scotland or appears to.

MadameCh0let · 16/03/2008 21:18

Ha!
Funny thread. I'm Irish and for the record, I like the English . It's the French I can't bloody stand. Humourless bunch of moody bastards. Can we start a lovely xenophobic thead about the French now? Just for fun

MadameCh0let · 16/03/2008 21:21

btw, I was out in Dublin the night the Welsh played Dublin, and they were all so friendly and calm. Loads of them had brought wives and girlfriends with them, which doesn't normally happen when the Scots and English teams come over. Then it's predictably a more laddish invasion! I thought the Welsh seemed really nice, but then, they thrashed us! so they could afford to be gracious that night!

FourPlusOne · 16/03/2008 21:21

But I think the difference there is that Princess Anne is known to be a big supporter of the Scottish team. Wills does not support Wales despite being our supposed future 'Prince', and taking on the Patron role at the WRU.

Piffle · 16/03/2008 21:24

I'm a kiwi and even given our all blacks thrashed the ass off the welsh we were hugged and loved all round Cardiff. Great time gorgeous people.

saltire · 16/03/2008 21:24

In defence of Weslh people, I have had some fab nights out in Cardiff when there for the rugby, and likewise in Edinburgh when the Welsh fans have been there.
And they all spoke English

Shaniece · 16/03/2008 21:46

Only read OP. I agree mosschops30, some Welsh people are ignorant bigots where English are concerned. I caught the end of the match - I noticed how ignorant the players were towards Prince William too!

I am Welsh, but class myself as British not Welsh. Some people are so narrow minded, it really is pathetic.

moondog · 16/03/2008 21:46

Er..yes.All Welsh people do speak English believe it or not.

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