AIBU to wonder if anti-English feeling is mostly about sport

[Batsratscatsgnats]

If you support anyone but England in football or other sports do you dislike English people generally or is it just in sports?

*Britain’s violent history of colonialism.

But that said hating a country in 2026 because of the past is more than a little bit pathetic.

All to do with the media and nothing against English people or even the players really. It’s the perceived arrogance, mapping out the matches to the final before the England football team have even kicked a ball and then the criticism and turning on the team for being a disappointment. The pressure on the players must be huge.

Then there’s the constant England team chat during the World Cup matches when they could be talking about the actual teams playing. Sadly it seems to spill into everything else too. Claire Balding (who I really like) was interviewing Osaka after she beat Sabalenka today and couldn’t resist asking Osaka if she’d be supporting England tonight. Osaka just laughed, she’s Japanese and brought up in the US so why she’d be expected to support England is beyond me!

Totally agree.

You talked about the coverage by national media. A far bigger global sporting event is going to get more coverage. Why would that be surprising?

OP posts something goady... gets upset at the responses.

Enragement is engagement and the politics at the moment are designed to divide so we aren't paying attention to the actual issues i.e. how much money Farage is actually making.

I’m an #ABE but genuinely for me and mine it’s genuinely just banter. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🫶🏻

For football/soccer you Guys have an amazing Team. We just can’t let you get above your station though so become the daft thorn in your side. In many ways it’s the opposite of hate but more an annoying younger sibling dynamic.

Speaks volumes we thought it terrible Team denied a decent nights sleep and things were thrown at England coach etc. That’s too far and not on.

Soooo… my social media feed the night be all Go Mexico 🇲🇽… but genuinely at heart of it and I am still (deep down) hoping both sides have an absolutely brilliant time, brilliant game and a great laugh, including at dafties like me/us who prod the bear!

The English media will focus on the English team. If you watched the media in other countries, irrespective of who is playing, their national team will receive more coverage.

I think its you that needs a history lesson

Britain’s history.

OP if you’re in doubt check out this tongue in cheek Paddy Power video!!

3 Amigos in Graeme Souness, Charlie Nicholas & Gordon Strachan!

We don’t mean it so enjoy the game whatever the result!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19583EiL7k/?mibextid=wwXIfr

As an interesting exercise I asked AI if having an "anti-English" attitude is moral or ethical. It said no and gave this explanation:

The Fallacy of Collective Guilt

• Individual Responsibility: Ethics relies on the concept of individual accountability. A person is only responsible for their own choices and actions.
• The Intergenerational Gap: People alive today had zero control over the actions of the British Empire or colonial rulers from past centuries. Blaming a modern individual for historical atrocities is holding them accountable for events that occurred before they were born.

1. The Mechanics of Prejudice

• Generalisation: This mindset requires "essentialising" an entire population—assuming that every English person inherently possesses the traits, attitudes, or guilt of historical colonisers.
• Ignoring Diversity: It erases individual identity, morality, and political beliefs. Millions of modern English people actively study, critique, and condemn the harms of the British Empire.

1. Understanding vs. Justifying

Philosophers and sociologists make a strict distinction between explaining a sentiment and justifying it:

• The Explanation: It is historically and psychologically understandable why populations that suffered systemic oppression, famine, or cultural erasure carry deep generational trauma and anger toward the state that caused it.
• The Ethical Verdict: While the trauma and historical grief are entirely valid, converting that grief into active hatred or discrimination against random, modern individuals of that nationality is still morally flawed. It misdirects valid anger at the wrong target.

I suggest you read about the Scottish clearances and the Irish famine for a start. Very much English colonialism.

Obviously there’s no point in holding historical events against modern individuals but when the legacy if these events can still be seen and felt it makes it difficult to get on board with cheering and clapping for an english team.

The fans are more arrogant than any others, and as a group seem to behave like thugs. You’re also really desperate to shit on any other national team.

The British national press pretty much only report on England too. They’re meant to be national press, but they don’t give air time to the other home teams. Just the English.

The rest of the world seems to also dislike you, so that says something about the way the team and fans are perceived around the world.

But you really can't justify not liking/supporting the English football team because some very rich aristocratic English landlords contributed to the Irish famine nearly 200 years ago?

It would be like me saying that I don't support any African teams because some Africans collaborated with slave traders and captured and sold their countrymen.

I suggest you read about Scotland’s role in Ireland?

"Knuckle dragger" according to the dictionary means a stupid, primitive or uncivilised person and is generally used pejoratively.

I also fail to see how which football team one chooses to support is bigoted but hey ho!

No answer I see, as to why as a Scot I should be supporting the English football team.

Also the Highland clearances were the landed Scottish aristocracy clearing out the working classes so they could have more farming land. Not sure the English as a group are your target there.

As a Scot you should be eating tacos and claiming yourself Mexican for the evening and I fully support your cause even if I will be cheering on England this morning! I can’t bring myself to do it for the rugby though.

We’re all British though. Check your passport. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland mine says. It seems churlish not to support your brethren just cause you have a chip on your shoulder. I’m Scottish and I cheer them all on in every sport.

😂😂😂

Sombrero at the ready 😉

Should have name changed to José.

Remind the English of that. Anytime a Scot wins they are a British athlete wins, but when they lose, their Scottishness is suddenly being emphasised again.

Look at the way England were laughing at Scotland in this World Cup. And at the reporting differences in the national press.

I won’t support the men’s English football team because of the way the English behave. Why would I?

I’m Scottish, lived in England for 10+ years, English husband and kids.

And I’ll support ABE.

It’s not that deep, it’s an issue with the ‘UK’ media and the England football team. It’s boring to listen to and it happens every 2 years for the Euros/World Cup. Yes of course there are more English people than the other home nations but 16% of people in the UK are not living in England yet are forced to listen to the same old chat every time. Any coverage of England feels like they mean “us” and reporting of Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland they are talking about “them”.

I have seen a lot of posts on social media from English people delighting in Scotland getting kicked out too! It’s absolutely not a one sided thing!

Enjoy the game if you are staying up for it! I’m just getting my Mexican feast laid out 🇲🇽

Good for you, but you'd be considered traitorous and seriously weird among my friends and family. I don't identify as British and do not choose to be a part of the UK.

Not my "brethren" either.

I'm in the US and everyone loves England at this World Cup. Both the Scottish and English fans have been really well received. They're loud but well received.

I'm Scottish, don't dislike England, have English friends.

I'm not "Anyone but England" BUT do find the Anglo centric so-called UK sports coverage tedious. English football history being shoehorned into everything - it is tedious. So there's some trepidation that the further England get, the more likely there will be some event that will be added to sports coverage lore and mentioned constantly (even when England are not playing) in the way that the 1966 win and the 1986 defeat are.