Why did the England players put medals on and then take them off?

[Opalfeet]

I'm intrigued 🤔

@Veryverycalmnow

I actually understand why they didn't want to accept the medals. Does anyone think we have hope for next year?

Yes.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 will go into the next World Cup in 18 months time, which will be played in Qatar (don’t ask...) in winter, as one of the favourites. We will probably be in pot one for the draw, meaning we will be likely to avoid any other big teams in the group stage. Most of our current team will still be around, but young players such as Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho & Phil Foden will be pushing for places.

There's a vast difference between the Olympics and football. In the Olympics you compete to get a gold, silver or bronze. You hope for the highest of those, the gold, but placing silver or bronze doesn't make you the "loser". In a football tournament, you either win it or you lose it. I have never watched an international tournament where the losing team didn't take off their medal. They are devastated. They don't owe you, OP, or anyone else "good manners". If the way this team has conducted itself over the last month (never mind the preceding 4 years) in both their private and professional lives isn't "good manners" enough for you, then nothing will be. This nasty thread is just an excuse to kick a bunch of fantastic lads while they are down. It is you. OP, and everyone else putting the boot in, who should be ashamed.

Maybe it's just our honesty?
Yes that’s definitely something you should go with! Embrace that as a national characteristic! Perhaps start tomorrow by telling your child that actually they are of average intelligence, they’re not very pretty after all, and will probably end up doing a mid-level admin job for slightly less than the average wage when they grow up. I’m sure they will appreciate your honesty!!

No but you do teach them to be good sportsmen and women by accepting a final decision, and working on being better.

Learning to loose is as important as learning to win. You'll be defeated more times than you are crowned. Very few professional boxers retain a perfect 0 record, take AJ for example he knew once he lost his 0 he would have to come back twice as strong and overcome the defeat.

[quote Opalfeet]@GirlAloud well if this is the norm in sport, it's deeply worrying. I still say it's disrespectful.[/quote]
Won't someone please think of the children?

Bit too honest saying you don't want to be in second place for a moment longer than you have to be eh.

@TedImgoingmad

There's a vast difference between the Olympics and football. In the Olympics you compete to get a gold, silver or bronze. You hope for the highest of those, the gold, but placing silver or bronze doesn't make you the "loser". In a football tournament, you either win it or you lose it. I have never watched an international tournament where the losing team didn't take off their medal. They are devastated. They don't owe you, OP, or anyone else "good manners". If the way this team has conducted itself over the last month (never mind the preceding 4 years) in both their private and professional lives isn't "good manners" enough for you, then nothing will be. This nasty thread is just an excuse to kick a bunch of fantastic lads while they are down. It is you. OP, and everyone else putting the boot in, who should be ashamed.

2nd is first loser, no matter what sport you play/do were all taught that.

I mean everyone knows who the fastest man on earth is, do you know who the second fastest man on earth is?

Anyways. I think England did well, they were dissapointed with the result which is fair enough they lost.

@TheDinosaurMum Do you realise you are talking about grown men, not toddlers?

[quote Hdhdjejdj]@TheDinosaurMum Do you realise you are talking about grown men, not toddlers?[/quote]
Yes, and how many toddlers and young girls/boys will idolise those men?

@LavenderAskew

Not unique to England..

Mpost losing teams do it but on MN it's only wrong when England do it!

@CaledonianSleeper
You’re right.
It’s the English class obsession. Football attracts it all. Tennis and rugby are so much more civilised don’t you know......
To reach this level they would have been training intensively from a very young age. It takes huge commitment and most don’t make it to the top levels. They are anything but spoilt young men. Anyone commenting on the medals hasn’t watched much football.
They have exceptional talent and as such do earn accordingly. It’s a genuine meritocracy.

I mean everyone knows who the fastest man on earth is, do you know who the second fastest man on earth is?

Of all time? Tyson Gay. In a particular athletics championship? Depends, which one are you thinking of?

And well done to them all.

@TheDinosaurMum They are grown men. Professional sportsmen who have had to excel at every point in their lives in order to get into the England team. They acquitted themselves brilliantly on the pitch and brilliantly off the pitch. They have brought the nation together in a way that’s completely unprecedented. And that’s still not enough for you.

Come to think of it boxing is actually rather harsh, you loose your world title belt there's no runner up belt, you have to hand it over there and then and that's that. 🤔 Never mind 1st 2nd 3rd or runner up medal, you leave that ring with nothing and still have to do a press conference afterwards. Ouch...

How are we meant to teach our children about not being sore losers when they won’t accept 2nd place.

The medal of participation mentality doesn't create champions. It's all nice and fair and friendly but it's meaningless in elite sport. When it's a sport which a large proportion of country follows, with a structure that gives a clear winner and a not winner, that you've lived and breathed from a young age, the idea that you should 'rise above it' when you make a mistake or don't win a match just to teach children how to lose at monopoly is ridiculous. They don't play for second place. The don't play for a pat on the head and a 'better luck next time'. They wouldn't be where they were if they did.

They aren't playing to teach your children a lesson about being a 'good' winner. They don't owe anyone that. They're playing to represent their country in elite sport and after over an hour and a half of running around a pitch that size, the tension of penalties, and the pressure of a nation on their shoulders, if they aren't happy with second place then so be it. Let them take off their medals. It's more than the rest of us would have won.

I mean all the kicking them when they're down etc. It's all a bit dramatic. I'm not there, I have no impact on their lives...its just a post on Mumsnet. I'm amazed it's a thing and I would have said it about any team doing it. It's just I noticed tonight.

[quote Blackberrycream]@CaledonianSleeper
You’re right.
It’s the English class obsession. Football attracts it all. Tennis and rugby are so much more civilised don’t you know......
To reach this level they would have been training intensively from a very young age. It takes huge commitment and most don’t make it to the top levels. They are anything but spoilt young men. Anyone commenting on the medals hasn’t watched much football.
They have exceptional talent and as such do earn accordingly. It’s a genuine meritocracy.[/quote]
Yes. People can't stand to see (mostly) working class boys advance above their station. I've got friends with sons and one with a daughter who play in football academies for Premier/Championship sides. The training schedules are relentless.

[quote Hdhdjejdj]@TheDinosaurMum They are grown men. Professional sportsmen who have had to excel at every point in their lives in order to get into the England team. They acquitted themselves brilliantly on the pitch and brilliantly off the pitch. They have brought the nation together in a way that’s completely unprecedented. And that’s still not enough for you.[/quote]

Im not denying they did well, they got to the final and played well. They owe me nothing. I'm just discussing the medal issue.

But I'll fold, clearly in the wrong, fine to remove your medal after being awarded it.

The medal thing looked a bit strange, but the most shocking thing in the match was the assault on Saka when his opponent deliberately pulled him to the ground by the neck of his shirt. A terrible example of the "sportsmanship" in professional level football, viewed by millions of young people. The Italian responsible should be ashamed of himself.

Oh yes the Italian played dirty, every match I've seen them play in euro or world cup I've witnessed very similar behaviour. That at least is one of the things the England team cannot be accused of, they always seem to play fair...no dives etc.

@EverythingWillFallInLine

Agree about Saka. That young lad got assaulted and then stood up for a penalty. He's had a hell of a night. I hope he has support.

Runners up don't keep their medals on. You just didn't notice before because you've not seen it before because none of the previous England squads got this far.

Assaulted?? 😂

@TheDinosaurMum You obviously don’t watch much football. Most teams do the same in cup matches. It is basically a message to the fans to say we share your disappointment. Don’t compare them them to toddlers.

I think it's shameful that these grown "men", many of whom are idols to so many kids around the world are teaching them that it's not okay to be second, what about being proud of yourselves for getting so far, what about sportsmanship and showing kids it's taking part that's important..what are they teaching young fans around the world with their ridiculous petty behaviour..acting like spoilt sulky brats

@LobotomisedIceSkatingFan

I don't much care for it, but I guarantee you most of the Italian team would've done the same.

Really? Are you Mancini? Or...even Italian? You can't guarantee it??!