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?

This describes it exactly.
I am not from England…

As a Scot I fully understand I’m British.

if there was a British football team I would support it.

however, I’m not English so why should I support England in football?

‘Laughing’. I didn’t see anyone laughing at the Scottish performance. Did you see it cause you wanted to?

This!!

Did you not see it because you didn't choose to?

And where do you come from?

Literally on this forum. I think my favourite was some English mumsnetter saying (on a thread of Scottish people talking about the World Cup) that “the Scottish just don’t seem to be any good at any sports, it’s a shame for you.”

The British (mostly English) army's role in the troubles wasn't that long ago though, was it?

I have nothing against most English people but I'll never be happy being part of the UK or support them in sports.

Living in NI we were ousted from the EU because of the English. We didn't vote for it. And we are essentially under the control of a government we can't vote for.

Henry Tudor was Welsh, though. Admittedly he spent hardly any time in Wales, but he was definitely Welsh.

Give an example?

I point out to my kids that per head of population were probably far better than the English at football, are head and shoulders above at rugby and endurance running (Laura Muir, Josh Kerr, Jemma Reekie, Jake Wightman, Neil Gourley). I teach them to be proud. Not to feel downtrodden.

An example of when a Scottish person shins they’re British? But if they lose they’re Scottish?

prime example = Andy Murray

only British if winning. Every time.

The same happens with Russia when it’s used interchangeably with the Soviet Union. Quite often by the other constituent republics who like to ignore the fact that their countrymen were active participants.

The capital republic/nation tends to inherit the entirety of the blame.

I’m English and I loathe a certain kind of Englishness. And this is related to thinking that by accident of birth you’re somehow better than everyone else and you don’t owe other nations any respect. So it’s the kind of people who whinge about immigrants and then go and live in Spain and don’t learn Spanish or mix with the locals. Or Ann Widdecombe and Nigel Farage taking EU salaries and then rudely waving their little flags in the faces of their neighbours.

It’s the thinking when you go abroad everything should be exactly the same as at home with fish and chips and roast dinners everywhere and talking about foreign muck. It’s Jacob Rees Mogg looking and sounding like he comes from a Dickensian novel but doesn’t bother to understand what the rest of us care about, worry about or live like.

They are most likely a minority of people and when I go round the country it doesn’t seem like that at all and I love meeting people from all round England. But those people who get on lampposts in the middle of the night and put up their St George’s Cross? Well I can see why people in other countries aren’t that keen.

No I get it. It’s like a national pastime.

Ie. It’s like English hate the French. Doesn’t mean we actually hate French people

😂😂
Yup, ok

Well that’s largely the Media and certainly not all English people. I’ve supported Andy throughout his career, well before his Grand Slam wins and I love his dry humour and proud Scottishness.

But the media have a lot to answer for with their casual xenophobia and whipping up hate for everyone who has a set back. Just read some of the stuff about Emma Raducanu. Andy had it easy in comparison.

How is any of that relevant? I’m talking about my dislike of the English because of the way they behave over sport, one of those things it to put Scotland down. You asked for an example. I gave one from mumsnet since we’re on mumsnet. And you reply with this. So what if you tell your kids that? This isn’t about your kids. This thread is why some people have an issue with English sports teams - one of my reasons is the way they talk down about the other home nations. It isn’t about what you tell your kids. That mumsnetter was talking bullshit, but that’s how the English behave despite any Scottish successes. So I don’t support them.

I certainly didn’t laugh at the Scottish football team. I was rooting for them and gutted they didn’t make the knock out rounds as it would have been a historical moment for them.

No nothing to do with sport.

Empire and English arrogance contribute.

Overly drunken Brits on holiday is the reason for many Europeans.

It’s become an acceptable phobia/ism to hate the English

On mumsnet we also see a lot of hatred towards Americans and all things American.

Because people in England and America are seen to be doing well on the whole, it seems to be ok to hate them. It’s not just a sports thing, it’s everything. It’s weird and not ok imo.

"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."

This is a big claim. The rest of the world dislike the English. Really?
I hope that isn't true. Frankly im.not sure it is.

And yet, the attendance on Saturday for Wales vs Fiji was just 16,500 - less than the average attendance of many League One football clubs including Cardiff.

The BBC report on the England football team more because more people in Britain care about them they do about Welsh rugby.

It’s fucking stupid, it definitely feels personal when it’s every single match, every single sport - I know from growing up that anything English is seen as inferior and morally lacking. the glee is revolting. Stick your Mexican hats up your arses you pricks.

I’m from Glasgow, my husband and kids are English and I just find it all really pathetic. It’s only a joke if everybody’s laughing.

As an Irish person I understand what you mean. And know people like this, though it's much less common in younger people. For whatever reason, colonialism was associated with England.