Why England?

[aki13]

Hi

I was talking to a relation the other day, he's moved from Croatia where he married into my family.
He was asking me why I wasn't in favour of a UK team, rather than our 4 home nations. As being from outside the UK he doesn't understand why I object to the Idea. Although I told him that I am English, and although I keep an eye on the other home nations progress and will cheer them on, if they are playing. (Wales & Northern Ireland yes. Scotland not as much)
I am firmly English and only ultimatley care about England. I was wondering what other's thought on these subjects.

If you are English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish would you like to see a UK team or not?
If you would not, Why?
Any comments on the rivalry between the nations?
Would you would like to see the Home Championship started again?
With all the Football nations around the world playing us now, do you still enjoy a match against home nations as much as any against, Brazil, Germany or Argentina (I still find the atmosphere in these matches better than most others)?Thanks

[JackBastard]

If you are English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish would you like to see a UK team or not?

No.

If you would not, Why?

Because I'm Welsh, not British.

Would you would like to see the Home Championship started again?

Yes, it would be great to see us lose to England once a year instead of just when we're in their qualifying group.

With all the Football nations around the world playing us now, do you still enjoy a match against home nations as much as any against, Brazil, Germany or Argentina (I still find the atmosphere in these matches better than most others)?

Yes. More away fans for a start, and plenty of history between the countries.

[aki13]

I'm glad to hear you say Welsh rather than "British" all to often people say a british citizen, but your not British your Welsh, I'm not British I'm English and both proud of it.

Antway I'm to young to have seen the Home Championship when it stopped in 1983/84.

The way I see it is for example, in the time England play 3 Friendly's where no one's trying hard, and they end up saying oh well it doesn't matter. I would much rather have a match v Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, which would mean a lot and I would certainly want to win it rather than a Friendly v Denmark, with no atmosphere.
Although I fear England would struggle in these games as they seem very work shy, when in anything other than a "competative match" whatever that means. I want every game to matter to England's overpaid players.
Any way glad someone agree's.

[Colm]

There should never ever be a UK team. All 4 UK countries should keep there own team. Simple as that.

[sunny17]

Actually, there was an Olympic team. Well it was back in the late 19 century and early 20 century.

Plus if we had a british team it would consists of most of England squad plus these few players: Ryan Giggs, Craig Bellamy, and Craig Gordon.

BUT THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN

[three lions]

There should never ever be a UK team. All 4 UK countries should keep there own team. Simple as that.

Absolutely.....!!! Besides, the starters and reserves would be from England anyway.

[dustcowpoke]

Because I'm Welsh, not British.


I don't understand. Do you carry a Welsh passport, or a British one?

Sorry mate, I'm afraid you're British.

I don't understand why its seperate. I don't say I'm Texan, I say I'm an American, why can't Brits grasp that concept?

[sunny17]

I don't understand. Do you carry a Welsh passport, or a British one?

Sorry mate, I'm afraid you're British.

I don't understand why its seperate. I don't say I'm Texan, I say I'm an American, why can't Brits grasp that concept?

Your are so ignorant.

[Captain Grimes]

Your are so ignorant.

I don't see what's so ignorant about the yank's post. There are many people who still feel "British"... Some of us can trace our ancestry to more than one of the home nations...

Admittedly the English are not Scots are not Welsh are not Ulstermen, but I've always thought we have far more in common with each other than others.

Tribalism is soooo last century. :p

[aki13]

Also The UK was originally formed as 4 nations (seperate Counries) grouping together to form a alliance to strengthen their position in the world in the 17th & 18th Century's. It is surely no difference to Country's today joining the EU, in order to increase their standing and trading posibilities.

[leg_breaker]

If you are English, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish would you like to see a UK team or not?

Never. I would sooner give up watching international football.

If you would not, Why?

The same reason I wouldn't support an EU team, a G8 team, a NATO team, a Commonwealth team or any other combination. I'm English. Not Welsh, not Scottish. English. I couldn't care less about the forced, undemocratic political area which is Great Britain.

Ask your Croatian friend if he's in favour of a Yugoslavian team.

Any comments on the rivalry between the nations?

Not as bitter as it used to be because we hardly ever play them, they don't even qualify for tournaments anymore.

Would you would like to see the Home Championship started again?

It would be interesting, but the novelty would wear off pretty quick. Maybe if they only held it every four years, and played it under competitive conditions, it would be interesting.

With all the Football nations around the world playing us now, do you still enjoy a match against home nations as much as any against, Brazil, Germany or Argentina (I still find the atmosphere in these matches better than most others)?[/LIST]Thanks

The problem with playing the other home nations, is that if we win, it doesn't mean anything because we have such a bigger population, and if we lose it's humiliating. This means we don't have any benefit from it.

[leg_breaker]

Also The UK was originally formed as 4 nations (seperate Counries) grouping together to form a alliance to strengthen their position in the world in the 17th & 18th Century's. It is surely no difference to Country's today joining the EU, in order to increase their standing and trading posibilities.

Then why not have an EU team? That'd make as much sense, and people would be just as passionate about it (i.e. not at all).

[comme]

Then why not have an EU team? That'd make as much sense, and people would be just as passionate about it (i.e. not at all).

This point, like most of yours, is a crock of shit.

People will support whatever is put in front of them. If you got rid of the sports teams, very few people would have any particularly English or Scottish or Welsh identity. That is what holds the whole national (rather than British) identity together.

People ultimately don't care about this stuff as long as they are winning. That is why English people are willing to support Andy Murray despite the fact that he is Scottish. Why they were willing to support Lennox Lewis and Greg Rusedski, who were Canadian.

It is why they are willing to support anybody at the Olympics if they have a chance of a medal. It is why they are willing to support a European golf team in the Rider Cup.

Most people would kick up a fuss about losing the national teams, but ultimately if it meant they had a genuinely better chance of winning the World Cup they would pipe down after a couple of years.

[CherryBomb]

Isle of Man gets no respect in these conversations. No respect at all.

It makes me wonder sometimes, how deep is your love? How deep is your love, mate?

0Jih9PrQjLQ

[el_urchinio]

This point, like most of yours, is a crock of shit.

People will support whatever is put in front of them. If you got rid of the sports teams, very few people would have any particularly English or Scottish or Welsh identity. That is what holds the whole national (rather than British) identity together.

This is the stupidest thing I've heard on this board in a while. You're trying to tell me that somehow, if there was no such thing as a Norn Iron and RoI footie team, there would be no problems in NI, because the Catholics would not feel very Irish, so we'd have one happy NI where everyone is British?

Plaid Cymru got 1/8 of the vote in Wales in the last parliamentary election. Not much, you might say, but do you think those 12.5% of people vote for them because, shucks, they just feel so Welsh when they see Craig "I'm a drunken psychopath" Bellamy and Ryan "I get injured before every friendly game" Giggs don the red shirt? Or do Plaid Cymru maybe, just maybe, attract the amount of people they do because a quarter of the population of Wales has a certain command of a language that has nothing in common with English? That maybe some of those people feel a little uneasy about being in the same country with people who for hundreds of years assaulted from every direction their culture, language, and identity?

What about SNP? They're the second biggest party in Scotland, and you're going to tell me that's because of this pathetic excuse for a football squad that calls itself the Scottish national team, composed of second-rate Premiership players, Championship starlets, and anyone born in England with "Mc" in their name, but not good enough to play for England? Or maybe people vote for them because of Sean Connery? Or maybe for many of the same reasons people vote for Plaid Cymru, including even the language issue which is admittedly much less important in Scotland?

Or maybe, maybe, some people in Wales and Scotland have enough of a brain left in them to think that, hey, if England let Ghana, Canada, India, Ireland, and all those other colonies go, maybe it's time that they let us go on our merry way as well.

Or maybe, as you said, it's all just footie. :rolleyes:

[CherryBomb]

...some of those people feel a little uneasy about being in the same country with people who for hundreds of years assaulted from every direction their culture, language, and identity?

Welsh have the most pathetic, ********y sob story in the history of all mankind.

"They gave us jobs and made us speak English!" Cry me a river.

[el_urchinio]

"They gave us jobs and made us speak English!" Cry me a river.

Yes, because all Welsh were unemployed sheep-shaggers before the English came.

[RichardL]

Then why not have an EU team? That'd make as much sense, and people would be just as passionate about it (i.e. not at all).
he was arguing against having a UK team, not for having one.


The fact is the countries are distinct countries. If people from outside the UK can't grasp that idea then that's their problem.


And historically, although Scotland and England came togother as a union, largely due to Scotland's attempt at building an empire being even more embarrassing then their hooped shorts in 1986, the Welsh and Irish had rather less say in the matter.

[CherryBomb]

Yes, because all Welsh were unemployed sheep-shaggers before the English came.

Yes because your story compares to any of the hundreds of now extinct, or completely desolate cultures around the earth. I'm sure starving peoples all around the third world, gnawing on mud cakes, and dying of AIDs, think to themselves, "Thank God at least we didn't suffer the fate of the Welsh!"

Get ahold of yourself.

[lanman]

Actually, there was an Olympic team. Well it was back in the late 19 century and early 20 century.

It was actually the England Amateur Team entering the tournament as Britain's entrant. There was no combined team.