Merged ABE: World Cup 2010 / "Anyone but England"

[Architect]

The ABE movement; innocent(ish) rivalry, understandable ire on the part of the celtic home nations at the pervasive jingo-ism flooding the media, or grossly unacceptable racism/sour grapes from those who didn't make the cup?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8733373.stm

Personal view? Fed up of this kind of crap:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3007569/Fly-the-flag-for-England-with-The-Sun.html

They've got adverts all over the place, not least Virgin 1. And they're not the only ones.

 

[funk de fino]

But Premier David Cameron vowed to back Our Boys in South Africa.

He told the Commons: "At no additional cost to the taxpayer, the flag of St George will fly above Downing Street during the World Cup."

I am on the ABE march here in Lafayette, Louisiana where I will be supporting the USA tomorrow in the game.

Just a laugh for me. Shame other people can't see it that way.

 

[Giz]

"Anyone but England"

From the BBC:

As the World Cup kicks off, many football fans from the UK's celtic nations say they will support ABE - Anyone But England.

To plenty of England supporters, the phenomenon is an unseemly grudge-fuelled display of bitterness by those with an inferior international record.

Meanwhile, to a certain breed of Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish fans, it is either a natural expression of friendly rivalry with one's near-neighbours or a necessary corrective to the perceived arrogance of an English-dominated media, which appears not to be able to discuss a soccer tournament without copious references to Bobby Moore and 1966.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8733373.stm


(Seems to me a bit like someone going to their school sports day and supporting anyone except their brother).

Anyhow, I am going to go out on a limb here - is there anyone other than the Scottish/Welsh Nationalists doing this? (As in, do any Scottish unionists feel this way?)

 

[Lothian]

As a Scottish unionist I find the whole Anyone But England thing a bit petty.











GO USA

 

[Giz]

That will be an fun game - watching it with my American fiancee and some (American) friends. (Not that many of them will care too much; in the South 'Football' is something college kids play with their hands)

 

[Ian Osborne]

What's really annoying is when jocks who live south of the border support England's opponents. Over the course of my lifetime, I've met a lot of people whose cultural or ethic origins lie outside the UK, and also a fair few people who have spent time living and working abroad. Without a single non-Scottish exception, they all support their adopted country as at least a second team.

 

[lionking]

Anyhow, I am going to go out on a limb here - is there anyone other than the Scottish/Welsh Nationalists doing this?

Former colonies as well.

 

[Lensman]

I'm Welsh I don't like sports of any kind, but if I was a footie fan I'd support England against any non-British team.

 

[sts75]

You yanks will be able to support england in the semis and the final seeing as how your team will no longer be in the competition.
Will you ??.
What about the britain/american special friendship.
Lets face it, no mutual deaths for oil, no special relationship.

 

[Tatyana]

I love the World Cup.

 

[Naddig74]

You yanks will be able to support england in the semis and the final seeing as how your team will no longer be in the competition.
.

That's kind of the reason the Scots especially are ABE. There's virtually no chance Scotland will get past the first round...just like always Remember Del Amitri's 'Don't Come Home too Soon?'

To be fair, we have similar prejudices in England...if France or Germany are playing we will _always_ cheer for their opponents, whoever they be. We don't have to be like that about Scotland because...well, see above

 

[geni]

In fairness it's not unknown for england to do much the same with it's arch rivals. England also has a statisticaly improbable number of Arch rivals.

 

[plumjam]

When I was 7 I greatly enjoyed supporting Scotland in the 1978 World Cup (England didn't qualify).
It took me a few more years to learn of the true nature and extent of Scottish petty-mindedness.

 

[Architect]

From the BBC:

As the World Cup kicks off, many football fans from the UK's celtic nations say they will support ABE - Anyone But England.

To plenty of England supporters, the phenomenon is an unseemly grudge-fuelled display of bitterness by those with an inferior international record.

Meanwhile, to a certain breed of Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish fans, it is either a natural expression of friendly rivalry with one's near-neighbours or a necessary corrective to the perceived arrogance of an English-dominated media, which appears not to be able to discuss a soccer tournament without copious references to Bobby Moore and 1966.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8733373.stm


(Seems to me a bit like someone going to their school sports day and supporting anyone except their brother).

Anyhow, I am going to go out on a limb here - is there anyone other than the Scottish/Welsh Nationalists doing this? (As in, do any Scottish unionists feel this way?)

Beat you to it, and in the correct topic.

 

[Architect]

When I was 7 I greatly enjoyed supporting Scotland in the 1978 World Cup (England didn't qualify).
It took me a few more years to learn of the true nature and extent of Scottish petty-mindedness.

Yes, because English petty-mindedness is soooo much better. See, for example, any BBC sports piece or SUN advert.

 

[Naddig74]

Yes, because English petty-mindedness is soooo much better. See, for example, any BBC sports piece or SUN advert.

The best thing about sports reporting here is the way sportspeople can miraculously change nationality depending on how they are doing. Remember Liz McColgan? (sp?) When she was in fourth place or further back she was a Scot...as soon as it looked like she might get a medal she was British.

Credential Establishment: My mother is a Scot, and my father is a yorkshireman. In the same world champs I competed for England and Scotland. And I gave myself a proper kicking, tartan wearing sassenach bam that I am.

 

[funk de fino]

When I was 7 I greatly enjoyed supporting Scotland in the 1978 World Cup (England didn't qualify).
It took me a few more years to learn of the true nature and extent of Scottish petty-mindedness.

That's exactly the kind if thing that causes it. SOHF.

Lets face it, a lot of people, especially when it comes to football, hate the English. They canny all be wrong eh?

I dont hate them, I like getting in on the ABE thing exactly because it hoses off the useful idiots who can't take a joke. I support England at the cricket unless they are playing footie as do most of my cricket buddies. Football - never. Ever. Too much fun to be had.

 

[plumjam]

Yes, because English petty-mindedness is soooo much better. See, for example, any BBC sports piece or SUN advert.

The problem is, by so automatically wanting England to do badly, the Scots freely choose and acknowledge a position of natural inferiority.
But, then again, most of 'em likewise freely choose to remain living in Scotland, (thus condemning themselves to an existence dominated by tobacco, sugar, batter and tight-fistedness) so it's not such a surprise.

 

[Soapy Sam]

I have no interest whatever in watching other people play sports.
But as a true Scotsman, I think it would be hilariously funny if the Yanks win.

 

[lionking]

We Aussies are hopelessly conflicted whenever our antipodean cousins, the Kiwis, play England in anything. We usually hope for a nil-all draw with a heap of injuries.