England Thread

[Joel`]

Meh, I don't 'support' anyone as such in International tournaments. Until the knock-outs, most International tournaments aren't worth a **** and bore the living **** out of me anyways. But it's good to have some 'interest' in someone if you are to watch. (Normally Italy for me as it's a Country I've always been fascinated by. Shrugs.).

'Morally wrong' ..... Interesting POV. The short answer for me would be if you came from this City, and had years and years of being looked down on by the rest of the Country, and had your City down trodden by successive Governments growing up; you'd have a better appreciation of saying 'F THAT!' when those same people expect everyone to come together and support the Nation when it comes to football. Then you can take that wider and even if I were England inclined, as a fan I'm polarised again as everything is geared toward the Southern based England fan with most every game at Wembley. Try getting back North on a Wednesday night from there! And that's not to say a lot of people here won't be keenly following England next month. They will. I just personally have no interest for the above reasons that get a lot deeper when you get into it. I don't wish England to lose. I just aren't arsed if they do. Just nonplussed and uninterested either way.

International footie bores me most the time. There's just little I can get out of England that I don't get out of my own club in Europe. I've seen most every top player live. Been to too many different Country's and stadiums to mention watching my team. You look around the average England game and it's all little clubs and provincial towns. England trips for them are like European trips for me that they'll never get the opportunity to be on and experience outside of following England. And the insular, xenophobic. 'little Englander' neanderthal 'fan' that still blights the National side I'd rather not be associated with anyways but that's another story.

Why does Liverpool seem to be unique in this viewpoint despite it being true for almost any northern city and town? You can be patriotic and anti-government.

 

[Mike.]

Why does Liverpool seem to be unique in this viewpoint despite it being true for almost any northern city and town? You can be patriotic and anti-government.

Indeed, far from the only Northern town to be left to fend for itself

 

[Tyton]

I'd love if someone left our mining region to fend for itself, but unfortunately we didn't have Thatcher so government is still seeping billions of taxes from rest of the country to keep the unprofitable operations running. Despite that most of them think they are being treated unfairly and actually want independence, to which the rest of the country says - **** yes, please do.

Grass is greener and all that.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Why does Liverpool seem to be unique in this viewpoint despite it being true for almost any northern city and town? You can be patriotic and anti-government.

I wasn't aware it was specifically unique to L'pool. I know a lot of Mancunian Utd fans in particular don't care for England. There's many parts of big City's that feel totally disenfranchised from their Country. I do know if you really got into it we were particularly hit under Thatcher especially being as we were one of the very few Citys to actually stand up to her and fight back. She gained a grudging respect the end of the day but hated us all the same.

But it goes far deeper than that for me and kust the general populations view on us over the years through personal experience. Tired sterotypes stick however inacurate. You'd have to talk like me and be from here to really appreciate the amount of prejudice that is thrown your way even today as soon as you open your mouth around this Country. But we're all 'as one' come an International tourny? Thanks but no thanks. But this isn't a political forum and thats a whole other topic.

All down to personal choice and you'll still find a good percentage here that will be baccking England the summer.

But you'll also find a large percentage that don't associate themselves with being English at all but Scouse. Which IS a unique thing to this City born out of all the above and more over the years.

 

[Tezzz]

What the **** have I just read, what I assume to be two Englishman in here saying they will be supporting Germany or even worse, Republic Of Ireland???

If I saw an Englishman in a pub wearing one of them two tops and watching an England game you'd be in serious trouble.

No matter how much you may hate the FA you do not stop supporting your national team, that is just morally wrong. Yes we may feel as fans that we are cast aside or may not be the biggest fan of the manager. But I'll always support my country, especially the players who quite clearly give their all. That's personally what I am excited about with this squad, yes it has flaws but I expect virtually every player (bar maybe Sturridge) to work as hard as possible to deliver us results.

That's one reason I am gutted for Drinkwater, inexcusable given the season he had. But Rashford I am absolutely delighted for and I believe he can contribute from a variety of attacking positions whether that be striker or out-wide, to be honest that was probably the tipping point for Roy taking him.

Ironic coming from a United supporter mate.

 

[Tezzz]

If I saw an Englishman in a pub wearing one of them two tops and watching an England game you'd be in serious trouble.

Walkabout Liverpool Concert Square, 22nd of June 8:00PM. Although I must warn you I train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and have a professional Muay Thai record of 1 win 0 losses.

Bring it *****.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Walkabout Liverpool Concert Square, 22nd of June 8:00PM. Although I must warn you I train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and have a professional Muay Thai record of 1 win 0 losses.

Bring it *****.

Be easier to say yers just gonna' go all scall on his ****. XD.

 

[Tyton]

1 win 0 losses.

So how old was the girl you were fighting against?

 

[Tezzz]

So how old was the girl you were fighting against?

She just turned 10 but that is irrelevant

 

[Tezzz]

Be easier to say yers just gonna' go all scall on his ****. XD.

Haha I think the terminology I used is better than sounding like a thug!! I'm upper class me mate.

I kick off when someone says cage fighting as well. It's mixed martial arts you bastards.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Walkabout Liverpool Concert Square .....

Where'd yers end up watching the Sevilla game?

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Well I can see your point partially, but you have to realise that the politics of football (or generally) in relation to our country is a totally different entity to being connected to the country on a humane level.....

You're presuming most Liverpudlians consider themselves English to start with to have that connection.

 

[Tezzz]

Where'd yers end up watching the Sevilla game?

Walkabout mate haha. We were bladdered by the time it started.... going to Cava for tequilla shots was a bad idea. Especially when they're a quid each. Concert square had a good atmosphere. Then kick off came and most places were crowded but Walkabout had no que to get in and a big screen.

It was good for the atmosphere though I guess. Apart from the Unifags who were singing bad wool songs cos they'd come to Liverpool Uni and bought a home top. Tried to get the Lucas song going and no one was onto it. Was shaking my head.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Yer took yer arl' fella in CaVa for shots? LOL. Now that I'd of like to of seen.

Please tell me he didn't get TOO adventurous haha.

 

[Joel`]

I wasn't aware it was specifically unique to L'pool. I know a lot of Mancunian Utd fans in particular don't care for England. There's many parts of big City's that feel totally disenfranchised from their Country. I do know if you really got into it we were particularly hit under Thatcher especially being as we were one of the very few Citys to actually stand up to her and fight back. She gained a grudging respect the end of the day but hated us all the same.

There's certainly other people across the country who would feel the same, it's just an observation I've noticed through the years that a lot more people than the average in other cities feel like so. Every northern city was hit under Thatcher. Newcastle has lost most of its shipping industry, Lancashire most of its manufacturing, Sheffield lost its mining. As for fighting back, Sheffield is the poster child for anti-thatcherism and the unrest at the time. I just find that some northern cities are making fantastic efforts to regenerate (Northern powerhouse! ), and succeed in spite of what happened, whereas others seem content to wallow in self pity - it's all a bit woe is me.

But it goes far deeper than that for me and kust the general populations view on us over the years through personal experience. Tired sterotypes stick however inacurate. You'd have to talk like me and be from here to really appreciate the amount of prejudice that is thrown your way even today as soon as you open your mouth around this Country. But we're all 'as one' come an International tourny? Thanks but no thanks. But this isn't a political forum and thats a whole other topic.

Basically every county and home nation has stereotypes attached to them, and their accents mocked. I don't see the point in taking it personally. IMO the welsh stereotype is far worse than the scouse one, but you don't see any welsh people not supporting the Lions in rugby. Although I'll concede that as you say, I'm not a scouser and can't experience it.

But you'll also find a large percentage that don't associate themselves with being English at all but Scouse. Which IS a unique thing to this City born out of all the above and more over the years.

Liverpool does have an enviably close knit community, I'll agree.

 

[ninjaskill]

So apparently Leeds have had 6 managers since Wilshere last completed 90 minutes in a match

 

[epic terrorist]

So apparently Leeds have had 6 managers since Wilshere last completed 90 minutes in a match

only 6 Pfffft

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

There's certainly other people across the country who would feel the same, it's just an observation I've noticed through the years that a lot more people than the average in other cities feel like so. Every northern city was hit under Thatcher. Newcastle has lost most of its shipping industry, Lancashire most of its manufacturing, Sheffield lost its mining. As for fighting back, Sheffield is the poster child for anti-thatcherism and the unrest at the time. I just find that some northern cities are making fantastic efforts to regenerate (Northern powerhouse! ), and succeed in spite of what happened, whereas others seem content to wallow in self pity - it's all a bit woe is me.....

Don't think Sheffield ever came close to wanting to completely break away from the UK like the City did under the Labour Council in opposition to her back in the early '80's. (Not long after Thatcher had been advised to completely abandon all funding for Liverpool to 'managed decline' by her senior advisers. One of the most traditional Tories of all Michael Heseltine was ironically the one member of her cabinet that stood up for us ). Sheffield started alongside in coalition along with Birmingham and a few others campaigning against the cuts of the time. But they all steadily gave in and left L'pool standing alone.

Hatton and Militant had the right idea. They just couldn't ultimately sustain it without the funding from Central Government. And when the likes of Sheffield gave in, the money borrowed from abroad to offset the lack of Central Government funding just couldn't be repaid.

One thing we've never done is wallow. Hillsborough's the most recent glaring example of that. I honestly think if that had happened to any other club or City then the Establishment's lies would of won out and people wouldn't of had the fight to take the whole system on to it's highest level. Standing up and fighting for what you believe to be right is an inbred thing here.

But it's that kind of desertion, Thatcher looking at us as if we weren't really English, stood out on the edge and not really mattering, that just added to the 'outsider' feeling here. This City's always been International down to it being at one time one of the Worlds great ports with far more in common with the likes of Dublin and Belfast and Glasgow than London through my lifetime. The Celtic influence has always been far more prominent than the English one. We've traditionally always looked to America and Ireland far more than London. So when Tezzz say's he'll be donning an Ireland shirt this summer, I totally get where he's coming from.

It's hard to explain unless you've gone through similar experiences and it's in you but this City is completely unique and unlike nowhere else in England in so many ways and our identity and individuality is a major part of that. It may say on my passi I'm a 'British Citizen', but I feel little connection with the biggest Country in the British Isles.

And it's also one of the most politically savvy/ active places there is but we're branching too much into that for a footie board so I'll leave it alone.

 

[LFCMarshall]

Think Woy has got it pretty much spot on for tonight.

I'd personally have Clyne over Walker and perhaps Bertrand over Rose but that's not a huge difference.

 

[Joel`]

...

I'll stop replying in the thread because it'll go very off topic (I miss when the general chat got used quite a bit on here). Just gonna say I didn't mean it as offensive any way, just something interesting I've always noted.