England World Cup BS....

[segovius]

Ok, I need to vent.....

I work all day on my Mac. I like to listen to the radio while I do so. I love sport so I especially like to listen to BBC Five which is basically a football station. No problems, all is good.

But lately I have been subjected during my work schedule with to a barrage of obscenities on a daily basis - yes, it is the England World Cup arrogance turned to warp-factor 6745895

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

All day - every day: England will win, Rooney's F'ing foot, England will win, blah, blah. blah ad nauseum.

Ok - I can take the mindless arrogance that England have already planned their victory parade because this is just a joke and will make it all the sweeter when they go crashing out in humiliation to the Germans on penalties.

I can take the brawling offence of the racist 'Cross of St George' - blatantly stolen from the Catalans and St George was a Palestinian - though probably only because I no longer live in my occupied Celtic homeland.

I can even take the total ignoring of any sport/team/event that does not have an English (not British mind you - English) aspect but again this is because I live in a civilized country now and have access to in-depth objective analysis via the Spanish media of all football teams on an equal basis.

But what I cannot tolerate is this outrage that sprang up today: A Scottish MP is being pilloried throughout the media for saying he won't be supporting England.

Wtf ????????? :wow: :???: An Celt who supports England at anything whatsoever should be shot at dawn imho - pour encourager les autres.

An utter disgrace. The sooner this hubris is punished by the football gods the better.....and it's the BRITISH Broadcasting Corporation not "English" what the hell is wrong with the BBC?

Ok, that's it. Carry on. Feel better now.

[sandau]

This England thing, what is it? A type of Fruit?


:smokey:

[segovius]

Originally posted by sandau
This England thing, what is it? A type of Fruit?


:smokey:

Hehe - it's actually a vegetable - sometimes a turnip and sometimes a swede.

;)

[MarcUK]

yes, but we don't shag sheep! ;)

[segovius]

Originally posted by MarcUK
yes, but we don't shag sheep! ;)

That's true, but I went to an English boarding school and .....never mind....it's just not printable......

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by MarcUK
yes, but we don't shag sheep! ;)
Are you refering to the Celts or the Catalan?

Originally posted by segovius
That's true, but I went to an English boarding school and .....never mind....it's just not printable......
Snuggle buddy?

[MarcUK]

Originally posted by segovius
That's true, but I went to an English boarding school and .....never mind....it's just not printable......

Oh wait, that was you!, im so very sorry. Not.

So, did 'sheepland'™ even make it to the cup?

[segovius]

Originally posted by MarcUK
Oh wait, that was you!, im so very sorry. Not.

So, did 'sheepland'™ even make it to the cup?

I'm not personally aware of any country that is known by that nomenclature although I have heard that certain sections of the English community do seem to have a fixation with various forms of activity that centre around the rear area of numerous beasts. But we're back at the public school again...

[MarcUK]

Originally posted by segovius
I'm not personally aware of any country that is known by that nomenclature although I have heard that certain sections of the English community do seem to have a fixation with various forms of activity that centre around the rear area of numerous beasts. But we're back at the public school again...

Look, if you hadn't dressed up as a pantomime horse it would never have happened. Get over it.

So did 'Wales' even make it?

[segovius]

Originally posted by MarcUK
Look, if you hadn't dressed up as a pantomime horse it would never have happened. Get over it.

So did 'Wales' even make it?

No, we've got a crap team. This isn't about that - the results on the field speak for themselves and are fair enough. This is about a peculiar facet of the English psyche which they just cannot see and which I (and a lot of other non-English people) find hard to take.

Another example: Wales were in England's group in the Qualifiers. The teams all played on the same evening.

In England you could see the live England games and experience a pro-English build-up that took no account of the opposition whatsoever. All fair enough.

BUT: even though Wales were playing at the same time AND in the same group AND it was on Welsh BBC - we still had the England game and England build-up. Unbelievable.

Here in Spain I watched the CL FInal on Spanish TV and occasionally flicked to ITV. The Spanish had in-depth and objective coverage of Barcelona and Arsenal and was more interested in the spectacle - like English coverage is if there is no english team in the final. Needless to say the English coverage was utterly partisan.

Somehow 'Arsenal' became transmuted to 'England'. Why? This doesn't happen anywhere else.

This is why many non-English won't be supporting England. One reason anyway.

[MarcUK]

oh wait, i see Wales comprehensively out qualified Azerbaijan!!!

[segovius]

Originally posted by MarcUK
oh wait, i see Wales comprehensively out qualified Azerbaijan!!!

^^^^^^^^^^ I refer you to my reply above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Archstudent]

Originally posted by segovius
No, we've got a crap team. This isn't about that - the results on the field speak for themselves and are fair enough. This is about a peculiar facet of the English psyche which they just cannot see and which I (and a lot of other non-English people) find hard to take.

Another example: Wales were in England's group in the Qualifiers. The teams all played on the same evening.

In England you could see the live England games and experience a pro-English build-up that took no account of the opposition whatsoever. All fair enough.

BUT: even though Wales were playing at the same time AND in the same group AND it was on Welsh BBC - we still had the England game and England build-up. Unbelievable.

Here in Spain I watched the CL FInal on Spanish TV and occasionally flicked to ITV. The Spanish had in-depth and objective coverage of Barcelona and Arsenal and was more interested in the spectacle - like English coverage is if there is no english team in the final. Needless to say the English coverage was utterly partisan.

Somehow 'Arsenal' became transmuted to 'England'. Why? This doesn't happen anywhere else.

This is why many non-English won't be supporting England. One reason anyway.


zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Alex London]

An Celt who supports England at anything whatsoever should be shot at dawn imho
:err: Not funny, clever, cosmopolitan, modern,tolerant, intelligent.

[segovius]

Originally posted by Alex London
:err: Not funny, clever, cosmopolitan, modern,tolerant, intelligent.

You tell me then. Why should there be a media furore because someone of a different nationality - ie someone who is not English - does not support England?

Yet again, I have just heard the Scottish minister taken to task for not supporting them. Why should he?

[Alex London]

Perhaps because if an English Minister, or politician, thought that it was acceptable/funny/prudent to say that they would support anyone that was playing Scotland they would be seen as a small-minded arrogant twat.

[Alex London]

Seg, i didn't mean you by my last words, Sorry, But all this Celtic vs English stuff does my head in.
Edited for spelling.

[segovius]

Originally posted by Alex London
Seg, i didn't mean you by my last words, Sorry, But all this Celtic vs English stuff does my head in.
Edited for spelling.

No probs. I hope you realize I am not a real hardcore nationalist or anything - I used to be but since I have been living in Barcelona I have seen its ugly side: people not speaking to you if you speak Spanish - forcing Catalan in schools etc and various punitive laws against Spanish language.

I have changed my view a lot and find this sort of thing reprehensible now. Horrendously, as bad as the UK is under Blair, having lived in many European countries I do believe it is the most tolerant, cultural and advanced place in Europe.

I think it's because I am so much a part of Britain (or it of me) that I find it hard to take the negative path it is going down (in my view). So this comes across as a kind of hate. Apologies for that - it's just that the England and Britain I loved is long dead and I never accepted that.

But I digress, perhaps I worded this post wrongly and it was a bit misguided - I suppose what I meant was that when you live outside of Britain you realize how very insular and inward looking it is (like Catalunya and Wales too) and this manifests in sport.

And I think it would be better for England too if the media didn't continually heap the pressure of 'we're going to win' on the players. I really think this is a prime reason why england don't win more.

Wales don't have that excuse - we're just crap!

Anyway, apologies to anyone I may have offended. Can't promise I won't do it again but I shall certainly try not to.....

[Alex London]

Thanks Seg. If we judge Britain on it's media then, yup, we're fucked. Quite a few Celts work for the English press though, and I too , wish that the BBC wasn't seen as the the EBC. Peace and love. ( PS- victory parade???? Oh my sides. I shall raise a glass to you when we pluckily get slaughtered by ungrateful foreigners- roughly at the quarter-finals I'd say)

[MarcUK]

get real, England are going to win, because I've read it in all the papers :p

[segovius]

Originally posted by Alex London
Thanks Seg. If we judge Britain on it's media then, yup, we're fucked. Quite a few Celts work for the English press though, and I too , wish that the BBC wasn't seen as the the EBC. Peace and love. ( PS- victory parade???? Oh my sides. I shall raise a glass to you when we pluckily get slaughtered by ungrateful foreigners- roughly at the quarter-finals I'd say)

Cheers! The trouble is we are talking in the abstract - the horrible thing is that if it goes to a high tension penalty shoot-out AND IF England put in a Lionheart performance like the old days with Butcher and Pearce etc then you just get sucked in and you find yourself wanting them to win.

But then I think that's ok because they deserve reward. England never really play till it hits the wire though do they and then it's often too late.

Seriously though, I do find it difficult to judge how good England could be as a side because Eriksson is tactically naive and, imo, does not understand key issues. Hargreaves would be an example - why stick with him?

Anyway, just heard (not sure if it is true) that Rooney's scan was ok so that should cheer you up! And Ballack was injured tonight which is bad news for Germany.

[sandau]

i'm confused.. how does someone know if they are Celt, a Gael, Welsh, Cornish or a Breton?

Can they be all or more than one at the same time? What if they stand in the ocean?

[running with scissors]

segovius, your attitude towards the english would be much better if you would just give them a good thrashing and run them out of your country. we did it and now we are the best of chums.

:)

[Hassan i Sabbah]

Firstly I agree with everything you say about England being sick and Britain being very lame. I just got off a plane from Norway this evening, and my stay there reinforced my desire to abandon ship with urgency, no joke and no exaggeration. God. Heathrow. Even Heathrow.

But... ah, football. I want England to win, because I live here, and it'll cheer everyone up.

Also. If you think the BBC's coverage of Britain's sole entrant in the World Cup is partisan, arrogant and over the top then you should check out Brazilian media at World Cup time. "We will win again, because we are the best, and our skills are the best and no-one else is as good as us and if someone else wins it will be a crime against nature. We are Brazil; we are the best nation in the world." Ai ai ai, I'm sure Argentina's the same.

Secondly, out of England, Wales and Scotland, England are the best football team with the best chance of winning with the best team they've had in some forty years. So they're on TV more.

Also if Scotland or Ireland or Wales were in and England weren't, the English would support them. This would probably be because England having won all their wars with these countries aren't still nursing centuries-old grievances, but still.

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by sandau
i'm confused.. how does someone know if they are Celt, a Gael, Welsh, Cornish or a Breton?

Can they be all or more than one at the same time? What if they stand in the ocean?

Seriously. . . I could theoretically be celtic since the ethnicity itself orginated in the Anatolian highlands, and also was well represented in Scythia. By the time they got to the isles ... bastard children!

[midwinter]

Originally posted by MarcUK
Oh wait, that was you!, im so very sorry. Not.

"How it is I know not; but there is no place like a bed for confidential disclosures between friends. Man and wife, they say, there open the very bottom of their souls to each other; and some old couples often lie and chat over old times till nearly morning. Thus, then, in our hearts' honeymoon, lay I and Queequeg -- a cosy, loving pair.

"We had lain thus in bed, chatting and napping at short intervals, and Queequeg now and then affectionately throwing his brown tattooed legs over mine, and then drawing them back; so entirely sociable and free and easy were we; when, at last, by reason of our confabulations, what little nappishness remained in us altogether departed, and we felt like getting up again, though day-break was yet some way down the future.

"Yes, we became very wakeful; so much so that our recumbent position began to grow wearisome, and by little and little we found ourselves sitting up; the clothes well tucked around us, leaning against the head-board with our four knees drawn up close together, and our two noses bending over them, as if our knee-pans were warming-pans. We felt very nice and snug, the more so since it was so chilly out of doors; indeed out of bed-clothes too, seeing that there was no fire in the room. The more so, I say, because truly to enjoy bodily warmth, some small part of you must be cold, for there is no quality in this world that is not what it is merely by contrast. Nothing exists in itself. If you flatter yourself that you are all over comfortable, and have been so a long time, then you cannot be said to be comfortable any more. But if, like Queequeg and me in the bed, the tip of your nose or the crown of your head be slightly chilled, why then, indeed, in the general consciousness you feel most delightfully and unmistakably warm. For this reason a sleeping apartment should never be furnished with a fire, which is one of the luxurious discomforts of the rich. For the height of this sort of deliciousness is to have nothing but the blanket between you and your snugness and the cold of the outer air. Then there you lie like the one warm spark in the heart of an arctic crystal.

"We had been sitting in this crouching manner for some time, when all at once I thought I would open my eyes; for when between sheets, whether by day or by night, and whether asleep or awake, I have a way of always keeping my eyes shut, in order the more to concentrate the snugness of being in bed. Because no man can ever feel his own identity aright except his eyes be closed; as if darkness were indeed the proper element of our essences, though light be more congenial to our clayey part. Upon opening my eyes then, and coming out of my own pleasant and self-created darkness into the imposed and coarse outer gloom of the unilluminated twelve-o'clock-at-night, I experienced a disagreeable revulsion. Nor did I at all object to the hint from Queequeg that perhaps it were best to strike a light, seeing that we were so wide awake; and besides he felt a strong desire to have a few quiet puffs from his Tomahawk. Be it said, that though I had felt such a strong repugnance to his smoking in the bed the night before, yet see how elastic our stiff prejudices grow when love once comes to bend them. For now I liked nothing better than to have Queequeg smoking by me, even in bed, because he seemed to be full of such serene household joy then. I no more felt unduly concerned for the landlord's policy of insurance. I was only alive to the condensed confidential comfortableness of sharing a pipe and a blanket with a real friend. With our shaggy jackets drawn about our shoulders, we now passed the Tomahawk from one to the other, till slowly there grew over us a blue hanging tester of smoke, illuminated by the flame of the new-lit lamp."

[Splinemodel]

Most of us just get drunk and ramble on to nothingness.

You overachieving dork.

[Gilsch]

Originally posted by Hassan i Sabbah
Also. If you think the BBC's coverage of Britain's sole entrant in the World Cup is partisan, arrogant and over the top then you should check out Brazilian media at World Cup time. "We will win again, because we are the best, and our skills are the best and no-one else is as good as us and if someone else wins it will be a crime against nature. We are Brazil; we are the best nation in the world." Ai ai ai, I'm sure Argentina's the same. I read the Brasilian papers almost on a daily basis...Jornal do Brasil, Folha de Sao Paulo, Oglobo, and I have yet to see those types of comments from the media. If anything I read Parreira's comments the other day and parting from the premise that on paper no one should be able to beat them in a tournament( general consensus everywhere) he sounded very cautious....as in we haven't done anuthing yet and the games have yet to be played on the field.
Brasil are admired and loved worldwide. I read they were training in Switzerland and sold an obscene amount of tickets to their....practice.

I think you might be thinking of the argentinians. Now those guys are classless and uber arrogant. Even racist when it comes to anything about Brasil by the way. Must be that inferiority complex.

I will be cheering for England, Brasil, USA and Holland. If Brasil,Holland, England or the US don't win it, I hope it is someone who has never won it. Trinidad and Tobago? Ivory Coast? Australia?
:D

[Matsu]

Originally posted by Hassan i Sabbah
If you think the BBC's coverage of Britain's sole entrant in the World Cup is partisan, arrogant and over the top then you should check out Brazilian media at World Cup time. "We will win again, because we are the best, and our skills are the best and no-one else is as good as us...

Except in Brasil's case it may actually be true. They're the only country I can think of that could field their entire second team and still be a contender to make the final. That said, they won't win it this year. European teams will play with something to prove after their universally poor showing in Japan/Korea last time round, and the refs will call a style of play more suited to their tactics, ie, physical, and with an actual understanding of tackles and off-sides.

I pick Italy to win this year's tournament, England, France, Germany, to make good showings, and none of either USA, Japan, Korea to advance to the second round. At least one African country will surprise, as well may one Latin American nation (besides Argentina or Brazil). The soccer nations of the old world order are going to play with extreme prejudice after the humiliation of 2002...

[Splinemodel]

Italy is a good bet, but in my opinion we'll have a better idea after they play the sans-Shevchenko Ukraine side in the friendly a few days from now. Everyone seems to be very confident that Italy is going to win, but I think their team is too old to be consistent down the stretch. I actually think that England might just surprise everyone and win, one ugly game after another.

Also, the US will beat Czech in the opening match and make it to the second round. Then they will lose to Brazil. :\

[segovius]

Brazil won 8-0 last night :D

[durin oakenskin]

Originally posted by segovius
Brazil won 8-0 last night :D
Yeah, against a local Swiss football club that just was promoted into the Super League (premier Swiss football league).

The game was not tooooo bad, it was like the ancient Mac-PC Photoshop shootouts by Uncle Steve...

[Gilsch]

Originally posted by Splinemodel
Also, the US will beat Czech in the opening match and make it to the second round. Then they will lose to Brazil. :\

The US has played Brasil tough the last few years...same with Mexico....and the US will definitely make it to the second round. Hope it isn't against Brasil. :\

Chelski just bought Shevchenko. I hope they spend a billion pounds on players and never win a CL. I can't wait for MAUREENho to get fired. :D

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by Gilsch
The US has played Brasil tough the last few years...same with Mexico....and the US will definitely make it to the second round. Hope it isn't against Brasil. :\

Chelski just bought Shevchenko. I hope they spend a billion pounds on players and never win a CL. I can't wait for MAUREENho to get fired. :D
The way the groups are structured, the second place team in the Italy-Czech-USA-Ghana group plays the first place team in the Brazil-Croatia-Australia-Japan group. It would be an absolute coup if USA won their group, and it would be an even bigger coup if Brazil didn't win their group.

I have a soft spot for Shevchenko (and Ukraine) for a variety of reasons that aren't worth discussing. (No, I'm not queer). I'm actually glad that he moved to Chelski, since in the USA the coverage of EPL games is much better than the coverage of, well, any other league aside from MLS. We get very little as far as Serie A, and even less of the other European leagues -- mostly it's in the form of Champions League which is widely covered, but suffers from the fact that some Irish idiot commentates all of them.

In other words, Americans, avoid ESPN2 for the world cup unless you want to hear Tony Smyth.

[Gilsch]

Originally posted by Splinemodel
I have a soft spot for Shevchenko (and Ukraine) for a variety of reasons that aren't worth discussing. (No, I'm not queer). I'm actually glad that he moved to Chelski, since in the USA the coverage of EPL games is much better than the coverage of, well, any other league aside from MLS. We get very little as far as Serie A, and even less of the other European leagues -- mostly it's in the form of Champions League which is widely covered, but suffers from the fact that some Irish idiot commentates all of them. I've always liked Shevchenko, but unfortunately he's with the "enemy" now. Besides, Shevas is not Chelski...and I still hope they spend a billion pounds and never win another trophy.

If you're a big football/soccer fan, then you might want to check out the spanish packages that Directv, Sky and Dish have...you'll have enough options to make your head explode. Espn Deportes, Gol Tv, Fox Español.....

Ahh yes...Tommy Smyth is well....to put it mildly....horrrrrible. I was at a pub the other day and almost everyone shook their heads at least once watching/listening to Smyth. Cool pub...lots of fellow LFC supporters. ;)

I hear Bill O'reilly and Smyth will be teaming up to commentate some of the games. :smokey:

Now that would be suicide inducing.

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by Gilsch
I've always liked Shevchenko, but unfortunately he's with the "enemy" now. Besides, Shevas is not Chelski...and I still hope they spend a billion pounds and never win another trophy.
I see what you mean, but I need Sheva to score more goals than Henry next season (preferably a lot more) in order to, erm, win some bets. I hear they call it "punting" in England.

As for the television, I might look into it. Thanks for the heads up. I have to admit that I am a bit surprised by your mentioning it, because I thought you lived in Liverpool (still?). I hear, though, that on that side of the pond there's a button on the remote that brings up "fanzone." I saw the fanzone replay of the Chelski Man Utd match at the end of the season. Priceless.

[Gilsch]

Originally posted by Splinemodel
I see what you mean, but I need Sheva to score more goals than Henry next season (preferably a lot more) in order to, erm, win some bets. I hear they call it "punting" in England. Ok. Let's just have Sheva win the golden boot but nothing else? :) As for the television, I might look into it. Thanks for the heads up. I have to admit that I am a bit surprised by your mentioning it, because I thought you lived in Liverpool (still?). I hear, though, that on that side of the pond there's a button on the remote that brings up "fanzone." I saw the fanzone replay of the Chelski Man Utd match at the end of the season. Priceless. Nah, never lived in Liverpool. I'm in the good ol' US of A. That fanzone thing sounds cool. Haven't tried it yet. Maybe in a few months when I do my "pilgrimage" to Anfield. :)

[segovius]

Apparently Milan sold Sheva to fund buying Gerrard. There is also a clause that 7M gets knocked off the price if he gets injured in the WC.

And now they are trying to buy Carlos!!!!!

It's just crass and tasteless. This is why they're called chavs - their fans like to say it is because people are jealous but really it is because they have no concept of style.

Chelsea are heading for a train-wreck and I'm going to love it! There is no way they are going to contain all those egos - they can't now. Huth and Drogba are p'ed off already.

Ballack is the world's biggest prima donna (along with Mou) and they will go head to head. Nothing like a bit of strife in the dressing room to unstettle a team (not that they are a team - more a teenage boy's fantasy shopping list really.

[valmad]

Australia v USA final. The arrogant old world would go into meltdown. I would love to see how the BBC ran that story.

[Hassan i Sabbah]

Originally posted by valmad
Australia v USA final. The arrogant old world would go into meltdown. I would love to see how the BBC ran that story.
Aww. You're not very good at football in Australia, are you?

:)

[a_greer]

Originally posted by segovius
Ok, I need to vent.....

I work all day on my Mac. I like to listen to the radio while I do so. I love sport so I especially like to listen to BBC Five which is basically a football station. No problems, all is good.

But lately I have been subjected during my work schedule with to a barrage of obscenities on a daily basis - yes, it is the England World Cup arrogance turned to warp-factor 6745895

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

All day - every day: England will win, Rooney's F'ing foot, England will win, blah, blah. blah ad nauseum.
Hey, we get treated to the same thing over here in the US when it comes to jock-talk stations...nothing quite as annoying as wanting to get the scores on sunday afternoon and having to listen to the blowhards on WSCR bitch about how their poor Chicago Bears suck...it is a universal thing i guess...

The thing that makes them really sick is they still talk about their 1985 chamionchip as if it just happened yesterday!

[a_greer]

Originally posted by valmad
Australia v USA final. The arrogant old world would go into meltdown. I would love to see how the BBC ran that story. Let me speak on behalf of the US as a whole, if our team wins, that is cool, but we could give a flip less...we like REAL football...where the action stays on the field and you dont need riots to have fun; without the ever looming threat of a riot breaking out, a soccer game would be a great ensomnia treatment...

(ducks)

[segovius]

Originally posted by a_greer
Let me speak on behalf of the US as a whole, if our team wins, that is cool, but we could give a flip less...we like REAL football...where the action stays on the field and you dont need riots to have fun; without the ever looming threat of a riot breaking out, a soccer game would be a great ensomnia treatment...

(ducks)

Get all those overpaid robocops to lose all the padding and go full out for eighty minutes non-stop against a combined Wales/England/France/Scotland/All Black/ Wallaby/Bok rugby team and then we'll talk.

:D

[a_greer]

Originally posted by segovius
Get all those overpaid robocops to lose all the padding and go full out for eighty minutes non-stop against a combined Wales/England/France/Scotland/All Black/ Wallaby/Bok rugby team and then we'll talk.

:D Rugby...now THERE is a sport; sadly Fox Sports international gave up rugby and changed their name ot Fox Soccer world...so no rugby for us!!!

DAMN YOU RUPERT MURDOCK

[dutch pear]

Originally posted by segovius
Ok, I need to vent.....

.....

All day - every day: England will win, Rooney's F'ing foot, England will win, blah, blah. blah ad nauseum.

......
.

I Can totally relate to your sentiments...
After all, this will be the first time the Netherlands will be world champion.
[fake German accent] Ze Orange will be ze WELTMEISTER!!! [/fake German accent] :smokey: :smokey: :smokey:

:D [ducks and hides....]

[Bergermeister]

Japan tied Germany in a friendly yesterday, only not wining because their defence (their weakest link) fouled twice leading to free kicks. They certainly gave Germany a run for their money, and are really starting to look good. The press of course excuse the tie, but the truth was in the smile on Zico's face at the end of the game; he knew what the result was. THe Japan team also recently drew against Brazil, so we might have an interesting couple of weeks here. The fans are already going crazy, as are the tv commerials for everything from soap to beer using a soccer theme.

[segovius]

This is just utter madness:

They are banning the flag of St George now (http://forums.theargus.co.uk/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5352).

Much as I am less than enthusiastic about English Nationalism and doggedly anti -Nazi (of which this flag has traditionally been a symbol) I cannot agree with this banning.

We should all be able to fly our flags - English, Welsh, Scottish. What's the problem?

Besides, no-one is banning Welsh or Scottish flags, just the English. This is just stupid.

[Placebo]

We can't fly Confederate or Nazi flags. Go figure.

[segovius]

Originally posted by Placebo
We can't fly Confederate or Nazi flags. Go figure.

Well that's good. I hate Nazis.

The thing is that this flag is England's national flag - ie the equivalent of the Stars and Stripes.

The Nazis sequestered it because they are Nazis and nationalists but they don't own it.

[DenverKirrane]

Originally posted by segovius


Ok - I can take the mindless arrogance that England have already planned their victory parade because this is just a joke and will make it all the sweeter when they go crashing out in humiliation to the Germans on penalties.

This is standard practice for all tournamants, West Ham and LIverpool both planned there FA Cup Parades 3 months before the final and before they were even in it. They have to do this becuase of organisation and security.

Do you reckon you could organise a parade like this in under a week.

Stop reading tabloid papers and making your opinion based on what they say. I'm guessing you switched to Labour when "The Sun" did.

Enjoy watching us play in the World cup, it may only be for three games but it will be more than your team will be doing.

Stick to eyeing up the sheep you Mug

[segovius]

Originally posted by DenverKirrane
Stick to eyeing up the sheep you Mug

Hehe - that's more like the English we used to know - the wit, the repartee, the intellectual capacity....

Empire is not dead....

:lol:

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by segovius
Chelsea are heading for a train-wreck and I'm going to love it! There is no way they are going to contain all those egos - they can't now. Huth and Drogba are p'ed off already.

Sounds like sour grapes. I'll be the one laughing when Chelski bodybag Barcelona next year in the Champions League. ;)

[Splinemodel]

Originally posted by a_greer
Let me speak on behalf of the US as a whole, if our team wins, that is cool, but we could give a flip less...we like REAL football...where the action stays on the field and you dont need riots to have fun; without the ever looming threat of a riot breaking out, a soccer game would be a great ensomnia treatment...

What I don't understand about most Americans is that they can't seem to realize that it's OK to watch US football and world football, and like them both. You can also like rugby. I like all three, but soccer is definitely the most accessible to play, and the TV coverage is definitely the best. Rugby doesn't watch as well on TV, at least for me, since I played wing and am more interested in what's going on in the back field than what's going on in the scrum.