England: How do you stand?

[Dan England]

Given the choice of Villa winning the league or England winning the world cup how many of us would actually choose England?

[The Situation]

Given the choice of Villa winning the league or England winning the world cup how many of us would actually choose England?

I think most would choose Villa winning the league... Villa fans attend home matches most weeks if they can, they've grown up more attached to Villa unlike England, where everyone who is English and lives in England supports England whether you're Man United fan or a Mansfield Town fan. Even people who prefer rugby or cricket to football still want England to do well and are happy if they're doing well in a major comp. I know for a fact all this nonsense about "I can't stand the English national team, they're all w*nkers (cue whatever Villa player plays for England)... but but I'm English and I'll still watch them play whenever they play a meaningful match" isn't true because 1) I've never ever come across someone like this and most likely never will 2) people on the internet say things which aren't entirely true 3) if someone came across a person acting anti-English despite being English everyone would just think you're a nob and a bit of a weirdo.

I'm not even 100% English and I find the concept of not wanting your country to do well in their national sport, quite simply mental.

[Chico Hamilton III]

But our national sport is Cricket

[badluckeric(gates)]

On my right leg, until my knee starts to hurt. Then I swap to my left and try to find a railing to hold on to.

[LeeS]

Given the choice of Villa winning the league or England winning the world cup how many of us would actually choose England?

I think most would choose Villa winning the league... Villa fans attend home matches most weeks if they can, they've grown up more attached to Villa unlike England, where everyone who is English and lives in England supports England whether you're Man United fan or a Mansfield Town fan. Even people who prefer rugby or cricket to football still want England to do well and are happy if they're doing well in a major comp. I know for a fact all this nonsense about "I can't stand the English national team, they're all w*nkers (cue whatever Villa player plays for England)... but but I'm English and I'll still watch them play whenever they play a meaningful match" isn't true because 1) I've never ever come across someone like this and most likely never will 2) people on the internet say things which aren't entirely true 3) if someone came across a person acting anti-English despite being English everyone would just think you're a nob and a bit of a weirdo.

I'm not even 100% English and I find the concept of not wanting your country to do well in their national sport, quite simply mental.

Oops that makes me mental then.

I went out to South Africa for the World Cup and even then I didnt bother watching England. I met fans from all 32 countries (even North Koreans) and the only ones I found irritating and obnoxious were the England fans. When they realised we were English they'd come over and ask inane questions like "have you heard Gerrard has been sleeping with his sister in law and is going to quit the team?"

Yes I had heard, no I dont give a flying fuck, and please will you now go away.

For me the day my love affair with the England football team ended was when 'Red' Gary Nevile said the players were considering going on strike over Rio Ferdinand's drugs ban. That was when I realised they believe they are doing us a favour by pulling on that white shirt. They dont give a fuck so why should I.

I drive a 260 mile round trip for every Villa home game. But I wouldnt get off my sofa to switch TV channels if England were on the other side. 

But then I am mental.

[Shrek]

Given the choice of Villa winning the league or England winning the world cup how many of us would actually choose England?

I think most would choose Villa winning the league... Villa fans attend home matches most weeks if they can, they've grown up more attached to Villa unlike England, where everyone who is English and lives in England supports England whether you're Man United fan or a Mansfield Town fan. Even people who prefer rugby or cricket to football still want England to do well and are happy if they're doing well in a major comp. I know for a fact all this nonsense about "I can't stand the English national team, they're all w*nkers (cue whatever Villa player plays for England)... but but I'm English and I'll still watch them play whenever they play a meaningful match" isn't true because 1) I've never ever come across someone like this and most likely never will 2) people on the internet say things which aren't entirely true 3) if someone came across a person acting anti-English despite being English everyone would just think you're a nob and a bit of a weirdo.

I'm not even 100% English and I find the concept of not wanting your country to do well in their national sport, quite simply mental.

Spot on post. Somes up my train of thought perfectly.

[adrenachrome]

Given the choice of Villa winning the league or England winning the world cup how many of us would actually choose England?

I think most would choose Villa winning the league... Villa fans attend home matches most weeks if they can, they've grown up more attached to Villa unlike England, where everyone who is English and lives in England supports England whether you're Man United fan or a Mansfield Town fan. Even people who prefer rugby or cricket to football still want England to do well and are happy if they're doing well in a major comp. I know for a fact all this nonsense about "I can't stand the English national team, they're all w*nkers (cue whatever Villa player plays for England)... but but I'm English and I'll still watch them play whenever they play a meaningful match" isn't true because 1) I've never ever come across someone like this and most likely never will 2) people on the internet say things which aren't entirely true 3) if someone came across a person acting anti-English despite being English everyone would just think you're a nob and a bit of a weirdo.

I'm not even 100% English and I find the concept of not wanting your country to do well in their national sport, quite simply mental.

Oops that makes me mental then.

I went out to South Africa for the World Cup and even then I didnt bother watching England. I met fans from all 32 countries (even North Koreans) and the only ones I found irritating and obnoxious were the England fans. When they realised we were English they'd come over and ask inane questions like "have you heard Gerrard has been sleeping with his sister in law and is going to quit the team?"

Yes I had heard, no I dont give a flying fuck, and please will you now go away.

For me the day my love affair with the England football team ended was when 'Red' Gary Nevile said the players were considering going on strike over Rio Ferdinand's drugs ban. That was when I realised they believe they are doing us a favour by pulling on that white shirt. They dont give a fuck so why should I.

I drive a 260 mile round trip for every Villa home game. But I wouldnt get off my sofa to switch TV channels if England were on the other side. 

But then I am mental.

Let's all go fucking mental.

I would rather pay to go to Hamburg and watch St Pauli than go to Wemley to watch Engurland.

Here is the Sankt Pauli FC song:

And that's the way I like it.

We have a better flag as well.

[Dave Cooper please]

I think most would choose Villa winning the league... Villa fans attend home matches most weeks if they can, they've grown up more attached to Villa unlike England,

You started off so well.

where everyone who is English and lives in England supports England

No they don't, I don't for a start, so that's not everyone is it?

Even people who prefer rugby or cricket to football still want England to do well and are happy if they're doing well in a major comp.

Wrong again. I know a few rugby and cricket fans, and of those who give a shit about football at all, a few were delighted when England fucked up in South Africa. Not all, some were upset of course.

I know for a fact all this nonsense about "I can't stand the English national team, they're all w*nkers (cue whatever Villa player plays for England)... but but I'm English and I'll still watch them play whenever they play a meaningful match" isn't true because 1) I've never ever come across someone like this and most likely never will

So you've never met one (or more likely they think you're a knob and avaid you but that's another thread) so therefore it's a fact? Uh-huh.

2) people on the internet say things which aren't entirely true

Sometimes they say 'yawnz' and 'lolwhut' too but I won't hold it against them.

3) if someone came across a person acting anti-English despite being English everyone would just think you're a nob and a bit of a weirdo.

It's not anti-English to not care about the England football team, it's anti-England football team! I can imagine the type of people who would think it strange, I tend to avoid them if I can.

[KevinGage]

I don't think I actually believe you all.


Maybe O'leary was right about Villa fans, I mean we seem to have an awful lot of fair weather fans.

Yeah maybe O'Leary was right.

Or maybe we have supporters who don't even know what the F word means and just throw it -or terms relating to it- around as a general insult now.

We used to have a word filter around these parts with a dictionary definition. Perhaps we need it again to avoid the confusion.

If someone thinks Ashley Cole, Stevie G, JT and co are twats regardless of whether they're playing for their club or country that shows a level of consistency. If one was to ridicule them when they're playing for their club side but then crack out the party hat and poppers when they're playing for England that could be viewed as changeable. Or even fi....

[KevinGage]

And I'd like to add that the treatment the Champions of '81 side got by the then England manager was a fucking disgrace. The FA and 'Team England' can fuck right off, leave my club alone, leave football fans alone and carry on throwing concerts at that giant shithole in north London you spunked nearly a billion quid on to help pay the money back.

Hard to disagree with any of that.

[paul_e]

I'll always watch england games but I'm genuinely not bothered when we fail, whereas with Villa (or with the national cricket and rugby teams) I'm in a bad mood for days afterwards.  The only thing I can put this down to is the fact that I'm fed up of being told that rooney, gerrard, lampard are world class when they're clearly nowhere near that standard.

The problem comes from the fact that passion and work ethic is good enough to make you a good player in the prem but as soon as first touch and vision become important we fail because this just isn't taught to young english players.  I think if english football (fa, media, fans in general) was willing to take a look and say 'we know we're behind the other top sides and this is what we're doing about it' and develop a team for the future I'd be more interested.  As a nation we've shown the ability to do this with swimming, cycling and to an extent rugby (it hasn't translated to the main side yet but the potential is there and the clubs are producing more top young players than ever before) but with football there is a national delusion that winning a group against people like croatia shows that everything is going well and we've finally got a chance of winning something.  Whilst this exists (and is perpetuated by the media) we're never going to see the fundamental changes that are required.

Once english football is honest with itself a lot of the apathy from the fans will disappear, but so long as it's in the best interests of the FA and the prem for rooney, gerrard, etc to be tagged as world beaters nothing will change.  Wilshere will be the next one, the press have made him their next big thing and will just push and push for him to get into the squad/team regardless of whether he's the most deserving player or not.  The FA then go along with it because they can make a fortune off his back in advertising.

This has happened for years, ask any villa fan from the 80s how robson and hoddle were automatic picks ahead of cowans if you need an example, it's just getting worse now because english football gets so much exposure.

[dave.woodhall]

How difficult is it to acccept that some English-born people who like football and would describe themselves as patriotic don't care for the England football team?

[The Situation]

I think most would choose Villa winning the league... Villa fans attend home matches most weeks if they can, they've grown up more attached to Villa unlike England,

You started off so well.

where everyone who is English and lives in England supports England

No they don't, I don't for a start, so that's not everyone is it?

Even people who prefer rugby or cricket to football still want England to do well and are happy if they're doing well in a major comp.

Wrong again. I know a few rugby and cricket fans, and of those who give a shit about football at all, a few were delighted when England fucked up in South Africa. Not all, some were upset of course.

I know for a fact all this nonsense about "I can't stand the English national team, they're all w*nkers (cue whatever Villa player plays for England)... but but I'm English and I'll still watch them play whenever they play a meaningful match" isn't true because 1) I've never ever come across someone like this and most likely never will

So you've never met one (or more likely they think you're a knob and avaid you but that's another thread) so therefore it's a fact? Uh-huh.

2) people on the internet say things which aren't entirely true

Sometimes they say 'yawnz' and 'lolwhut' too but I won't hold it against them.

3) if someone came across a person acting anti-English despite being English everyone would just think you're a nob and a bit of a weirdo.

It's not anti-English to not care about the England football team, it's anti-England football team! I can imagine the type of people who would think it strange, I tend to avoid them if I can.

You're living on another planet buddy.

1. Yes, if you're English, you support England, why would you not support England when you're English. I litterally cannot get my head around that. Imagine England winning the World Cup, someone see's your miserable face and asks "why do you look suicidal?" and then you reply with an English accent "I don't like or support England"... I can assure you, I know quite a diverse crowd from all different backgrounds and they would all think you're a fcuking idiot and would actually pity you that you have that sort of mentality. You don't even have to like football to support England as long as you're English it doesn't matter! I was surrounded by girls in their early 20's who don't really know much about football, but like David Beckham and his looks, but still, they cheered when England played USA going wild when Gerrard scored.

2. It's internet speak, all the cool kids use it. I'm not back in school in English class.

3. Anyone being anti-English (despite being English lolwut?) when it comes to sport is an idiot and hypocrite as far I'm concerned. In all honesty, I don't believe a word your saying about being anti-England national team, I think you're just being a wind up merchant wanting attention.

@Paul_e good post, I agree with what you're saying.

@DaveWoodhall being patriotic but not caring for the England football team... lol, nice oxymoron.

[dave.woodhall]

I think there's only one wind-up merchant on here. Or someone who's incredibly stupid. 

[PeterWithe]

I really don't like the word lolwut.