Will you be cheering for NI tonight?

[The Real Laoislad]

I don't mind Wright that much..Glenn Hoddle annoys the f**k out of me though...

I hated that Hoddle p***k too, but that was for personal reasons.

Same here

[his holiness nb]

Lets be honest, no matter how much EG tries to paint the picture that the English fans in general are great and we are petty and small minded for disliking them, there is in fact a huge list of reasons to dislike them, ranging from political grudges, to their fans, to their media etc etc.

Strange how EG jumps on here to make these points, but of course he isnt on the wind up 

EG, also I'd like to point out that if my view in anyway corresponds with the view of T Fearon this is purely co-incedental and in no way indicitive of a homesexual desire towards this man, despite your bizzare suggestions on previous threads. I'm very happily married thanks. 

[Zapatista]

EG you just keep digging. I think you really can't see the forest becuase of all the trees.

This sort of rivalry is very normal in sport although Nationalism can make it much worse.

e.g Tyrone hate Derry and Armagh. They don't hate Fermanagh and will often support Fermanagh in games. Tyrone are somewhat surprised when they hear Fermangh hate Tyrone. (Hate is the wrong word but you know what I mean)

[Great Leap Forward]

I could give you 3 reasons why I hate England that has nothing to do with an 800 year old grudge as you call it.

Land of hope and Glory

Rule Britannia

God save the Queen

Surely in the 21st century it is embarrassing that dirges like these are heard in public.

Thereby proving my point entirely: they just see it as a football match, ffs, not a political, military, cultural or even musical rally  

Are you therefore saying that the English are a more open-minded race than the Irish then?

Not at all. I'm merely of the opinion that England soccer fans don't generally think in political terms when the ROI soccer team is playing, in the same way as some ROI fans appear to do when watching England play. That's all.

P.S. Only one of those three songs you cite is played at England games, so I fail to see how the other two might affect your attitude to the England soccer team, unless it is as part of an overall non-football related dislike of the country. 

If you listen carefully you will hear the other 2 songs either sang by fans or played by a supporters band at various England games. I have no problem with English people as individuals (I have several relations who are English) but as a nation they have a superiority complex and the songs I have mentioned enforce that notion.

I can understand your empathy with the English support as you share the same national anthem as them, and a lot or your supporters double up as England supporters during the big tournaments but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to support a team who have won '2 World Wars & 1 World Cup.'

[SammyG]

I can understand your empathy with the English support as you share the same national anthem as them, and a lot or your supporters double up as England supporters during the big tournaments but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to support a team who have won '2 World Wars & 1 World Cup.'

Any details on this accusation? I know loads of NI supporters and I don't know any that support Engerlund, in fact most actively dislike them and wouldn't support them in a game of tiddlywinks.

[full back]

You must have some affinity with them sammy - sure you use their national anthem

[SammyG]

You must have some affinity with them sammy - sure you use their national anthem

I've never heard Land of Hope and Glory at an NI match.

[AZOffaly]

I was cheering on NI on Wednesday night, and was sorry for them to go out, although it was always unlikely that both results would fall in their favour. At least they can say they played very close to their best apart from lapses against Iceland x 2 and Latvia away. They always seemed to give it their all, and busted a gut, which is all you can ask any team to do.

Northern Ireland end their tournament with their heads high, and looking forward to the WC draw.

The Republic of Ireland cannot say that they gave it their all, all the time, or that they can leave with their heads held high. Hopefully they'll change that now for the next tournament.

Edit: Oh yeah, re England, I hate their media, and the rubbish they come out with, but as ours is just as bad nowadays I don't see that as a reason to hate England. I like to see them do well, although with a local rival element to it, I don't know if I would like them to win anything

[behind the wire]

sammy most ni fans will support england, its a well known fact, well it is where i come from anyway. and they make no effort to hide it. evidence of this would be the amount of england gear being sold in the local sport shop where i work. (and just for the record very few people who buy the stuff are actually english)

i dont actually see whats wrong with it. the majority of ni fans are unionists who wish to be ruled by england so why wouldnt they support them in a game of groundball? it makes sense.

what really makes me have a good giggle is when i hear of a few ni fans from the town coming home from magaluf saying that the english gave them an awful hard time for being 'irish'. they were all away for a good brits abroad holiday with all their ni gear only to be met with the response "f**K off home paddy, you arent welcome here" - i had a great laugh when they were telling me.

[full back]

You must have some affinity with them sammy - sure you use their national anthem

I've never heard Land of Hope and Glory at an NI match.

Have you heard GSTQ?
Hence the affinity with the English

[Snowed Under]

I can understand your empathy with the English support as you share the same national anthem as them, and a lot or your supporters double up as England supporters during the big tournaments but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to support a team who have won '2 World Wars & 1 World Cup.'

Any details on this accusation? I know loads of NI supporters and I don't know any that support Engerlund, in fact most actively dislike them and wouldn't support them in a game of tiddlywinks.

I have heard numerous N.I supporters refer to England playing in terms of we and us!

[SammyG]

You must have some affinity with them sammy - sure you use their national anthem

I've never heard Land of Hope and Glory at an NI match.

Have you heard GSTQ?
Hence the affinity with the English

So playing the UK National Anthem (which as you're well aware I disagree with) means that we support Engerlund?? Right got that.  

[SammyG]

I can understand your empathy with the English support as you share the same national anthem as them, and a lot or your supporters double up as England supporters during the big tournaments but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to support a team who have won '2 World Wars & 1 World Cup.'

Any details on this accusation? I know loads of NI supporters and I don't know any that support Engerlund, in fact most actively dislike them and wouldn't support them in a game of tiddlywinks.

I have heard numerous N.I supporters refer to England playing in terms of we and us!

And you're sure they were NI supporters, how?

[Snowed Under]

I can understand your empathy with the English support as you share the same national anthem as them, and a lot or your supporters double up as England supporters during the big tournaments but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to support a team who have won '2 World Wars & 1 World Cup.'

Any details on this accusation? I know loads of NI supporters and I don't know any that support Engerlund, in fact most actively dislike them and wouldn't support them in a game of tiddlywinks.

I have heard numerous N.I supporters refer to England playing in terms of we and us!

And you're sure they were NI supporters, how?

Because they attend all the Northern Ireland games!

[AZOffaly]

GSTQ is the anthem of the United King(Queen)dom. England use it because, I presume, they feel they are the biggest and most important part of the UK. Scotland and Wales don't use it as their 'Sporting Anthem' (It *IS* the Political National Anthem of those countries as well) to differentiate between themselves and England, and to reinforce their own identities.

Northern Ireland shouldn't use it either as they, among all the UK countries, have the most reason to create a feeling that NI is NI for sporting matters. The fact that they continue to use the UK anthem (not the English anthem) is a bit self defeating in the whole PR battle I think. (By PR, I mean within their own country, and not alienating half the population).

I always thought the English 'sporting' Anthem would be 'Jerusalem'. Is that the one that goes on about 'England's Green and Pleasant Land'?