Will you be cheering for NI tonight?

[full back]

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

No, no sammy boy
I said 'have an affinity with' not support

[Great Leap Forward]

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.

Well Sammy, I know 5 people in my village who have both Northern Ireland & England shirts.

I worked with a guy who admitted that he went to the NI v England game at Old Trafford with an England shirt underneath his NI Jersey. When England scored he took off his NI top and celebrated the England goal. He also wore an England jersey into work during the World Cup and went out to watch the games with his mates, who all attend NI games.

I am not tarring you all with the same brush Sammy. Perhaps a lot of you guys that go to WP for every game don't suscribe to this way of doing things but you would be burying your head in the sand to say it doesn't happen within the wider NI 'Fanbase.'

[SammyG]

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).

Agreed

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

Can't see Jerusalem ever being accepted as the English anthem, far to left wing for a section of their support.

[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.

Well Sammy, I know 5 people in my village who have both Northern Ireland & England shirts.

I worked with a guy who admitted that he went to the NI v England game at Old Trafford with an England shirt underneath his NI Jersey. When England scored he took off his NI top and celebrated the England goal. He also wore an England jersey into work during the World Cup and went out to watch the games with his mates, who all attend NI games.

I am not tarring you all with the same brush Sammy. Perhaps a lot of you guys that go to WP for every game don't suscribe to this way of doing things but you would be burying your head in the sand to say it doesn't happen within the wider NI 'Fanbase.'

I'm niot burying anything. I know loads and loads of NI fans and have never met any who support Engerlund (as I've already said most are actively anti). There are some people in NI who support Engerlund (the same as there are some who support the RoI) but they aren't NI fans.

[AZOffaly]

I thought I'd heard it played/sang a few times at things like the second last Rugby World Cup and even at things like Cup Finals and the Euro 96?

[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.

Well Sammy, I know 5 people in my village who have both Northern Ireland & England shirts.

I worked with a guy who admitted that he went to the NI v England game at Old Trafford with an England shirt underneath his NI Jersey. When England scored he took off his NI top and celebrated the England goal. He also wore an England jersey into work during the World Cup and went out to watch the games with his mates, who all attend NI games.

I am not tarring you all with the same brush Sammy. Perhaps a lot of you guys that go to WP for every game don't suscribe to this way of doing things but you would be burying your head in the sand to say it doesn't happen within the wider NI 'Fanbase.'

I'm niot burying anything. I know loads and loads of NI fans and have never met any who support Engerlund (as I've already said most are actively anti). There are some people in NI who support Engerlund (the same as there are some who support the RoI) but they aren't NI fans.

That's pure rubbish - as I said I know numerous.

[Great Leap Forward]

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.

Well Sammy, I know 5 people in my village who have both Northern Ireland & England shirts.

I worked with a guy who admitted that he went to the NI v England game at Old Trafford with an England shirt underneath his NI Jersey. When England scored he took off his NI top and celebrated the England goal. He also wore an England jersey into work during the World Cup and went out to watch the games with his mates, who all attend NI games.

I am not tarring you all with the same brush Sammy. Perhaps a lot of you guys that go to WP for every game don't suscribe to this way of doing things but you would be burying your head in the sand to say it doesn't happen within the wider NI 'Fanbase.'

I'm niot burying anything. I know loads and loads of NI fans and have never met any who support Engerlund (as I've already said most are actively anti). There are some people in NI who support Engerlund (the same as there are some who support the RoI) but they aren't NI fans.

So how would you describe the guy I worked with? Is he confused?

[SammyG]

So how would you describe the guy I worked with? Is he confused?

Not at all, he sounds like an Engerlund fan who lives in NI. Certainly doesn't sound like an NI fan if he's celebrating somebody scoring against us.

[SammyG]

I thought I'd heard it played/sang a few times at things like the second last Rugby World Cup and even at things like Cup Finals and the Euro 96?

Heard it at the rugby but can't remember hearing it at an Engerlund football match. Could be wrong though (wouldn't be the first time)

[Snowed Under]

So how would you describe the guy I worked with? Is he confused?

Not at all, he sounds like an Engerlund fan who lives in NI. Certainly doesn't sound like an NI fan if he's celebrating somebody scoring against us.

What about the N.I Supporters I know, who constantly refer to England as we and us when they are playing?

[nifan]

Snowed under - i understandably know a lot of NI fans.
I do know of some who support england as a second team, not that many however.
I know some more who like to see england scotland and wales do well.
And I know the vast majority who want to see england lose - when results are read at half time and full time at NI games England wins get roundly booed.

The ones you know must be unusual, as ive never heard any NI fan refering to england as we.

Id class someone like that an England fan, who supports NI as a second team.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Know loads of Six counties fans who would be closet England fans also.

BUT, will back Sammy up for once here!  
Was working on Wed evening, finished at 9pm, thought I'd pop into the Globe to watch the second half of the English match, knowing they where 2-0 down,  
Got nervous when I got to the front of the pub as their were a group of Wee Six fans outside, singing about burning Tricolours etc..., turns out they were from Portadown!
Anyway went into the pub and it was full of Wee Six supporters, I thought sh*te, but ordered my pint, England scored twice and about a half a dozen of them cheered, when Croatia scored the third, the place went ballastic, most cheering like fcuk, and the half dozen or so Wee Six jersey wearing England supporters got the sh*te slagged out of them.

[Bensars]

All of this is irrelevant  tit for tat point scoring anyway.

Northern Ireland. Out. Improvement on other campaigns, capable of an upset at windsor park, realistically thrid tier and beyond. Too heavily dependent on yer man up front ( cant remember his name ) . Well supported and momentum/ feel good factor probably carried forward to the WC qualifiers

Republic Of Ireland. Out. Terrible campaign, mangerless, leaderless on the pitch. Support and interest seems to be at as low a level as i can remember in the last 20 years.

England. Say no more. Just delight at their turmoil.



Any word on the new seedings?

[Great Leap Forward]

So how would you describe the guy I worked with? Is he confused?

Not at all, he sounds like an Engerlund fan who lives in NI. Certainly doesn't sound like an NI fan if he's celebrating somebody scoring against us.

Could you explain why he would want to go to NI amtches on a regulaer basis then?

I guy like this doesn't help your cause any.

[Snowed Under]

Snowed under - i understandably know a lot of NI fans.
I do know of some who support england as a second team, not that many however.
I know some more who like to see england scotland and wales do well.
And I know the vast majority who want to see england lose - when results are read at half time and full time at NI games England wins get roundly booed.

The ones you know must be unusual, as ive never heard any NI fan refering to england as we.

Id class someone like that an England fan, who supports NI as a second team.

And I do know N.I Supporters who constantly refer to England as we and us and love to see them win!