"Stand up if you hate Man U" at an England game when you have 5 Man U players on the park?

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Answers

Would seem a tad counterproductive to me, if you went there to see England do well! But who knows what is going through these people`s minds! Not a lot, I suspect! (:o)

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

I agree, Galaxy. I mean, I loathe Man United and Sunderland and a season's worth of loathing takes some burying even during England internationals but it just has to be done if you want England to win things. 30000 morons chanting abuse at the Man United players has to account for why they never turn on their best games for England. You can't imagine the Dutch Ajax fans bawling "Stand up if you hate PSV" can you?

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Very sad that Dougal and it shows just how much more important to us our club football is than the national team.

England has become less important to me in recent years (I feel alienated from it as a Northerner) but I do want them to win their games (I guess that should be "our" games) and I would never sing that kind of nonesense if I was at an England match.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Jonno, I think you're right. England games are a distraction during the dry season and internationals generally an opportunity to see great talents from all over Europe and the globe but I don't think too many club supporters (other than those of the London teams) would shed too many tears over England being knocked out at an early stage. Maybe it's because Engalnd has come to symbolise thugs waving the flag of Saint George while petrol bombing a family-run pub that has been open for generations in some wonderful piazza in Southern Europe. Maybe it's because we have become more tribal than we were a few years ago. Whatever, the Toon beating Coventry at home would get my pulse racing far faster than anything England could ever serve up. I wonder how many BBSers feel the same?

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

I was fortunate enough to get invited to the England V Germany Semi at Euro '96. The atmosphere that night was truly special.
Incidentally, I also had two tickets for the Final, so our demise in that penalty s/o was even more distressing that it might otherwise have been.
Other than that I've only been to one England game, a number of years ago at Wembley v Uruguay. It finished 0-0, and was a World Class bore.
The thing that really intrigued, and ultimately depressed me, was the crowd. They all seemed to know each other - much like season ticket holders at SJP - and clearly were regular attenders. I've never, ever come across a more negative, cynical, unsporting, unsupportive crowd.
Significant numbers of people around me were all over John Barnes, even before he'd had the chance to do anything wrong. Then about 20 minutes in, and for no apparent reason, they started giving the same treatment to Peter Beardsley. I'll never forget the puzzled and disappointed expression on Peter's face as he came over near to us to take a free kick.
It was all a very sour experience, and made me realise how utterly wrong it is for England to play all their home games in front of such a complacent, uninspiring, unknowledgable and unsporting audience.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Clarky, I have to agree with you: the Euro96 games were the only games I've ever done with England that I've enjoyed. People laugh at the New Football aspects of 3 Lions and Football's coming Home but at least there was an element of innocent, honest enjoyment about the whole tournament that was distinctly lacking from the Euro2000 qualifiers. I remember the latter mainly for "No surrender to the IRA" and booing Shearer before he'd even kicked a ball.

-- Anonymous, May 29, 2000

Are you sure it wasn't the Neville family singing that? After Gary's comment about how togetherness and teamwork are helped by the 'nobody likes us' culture, nothing would surprise me.

Seriously though, your average England fan (aided and abetted by the press) is incredible fickle and negative. It's like providing excuses for inevitable ineptitude beforehand. A few good performances and they'll all be unimpeachable heroes.

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

Seen England 3 times - 2-0 v W Germany - Supermac got 1 5-0 v Cyprus - Supermac got 5 4-0 v Hungary - just before Mexico W Cup I think - can't work out why I went.

Can't work up the enthusiasm to go really. Strange as I'm always champoing to watch on tele. Could be as has already been said the crowd always seem to pick on somebody for no real reason and Wembley is really a piss poor excuse for a stadium.

Oh yes I also saw Pop Robson at SJP for the U23s many moons ago - he went off and reappeared with a bandaged head if my memory serves me correctly.

Ho hum - it'll still be fun to beat the Germans

-- Anonymous, May 30, 2000

I see Shearer is saying that that he'll not be staying at home watching England on the telly but that he'll be there cheering them on like a fan. Like a fan? He's a literal-minded geezer so look forward to seeing him at England games booing Robbie Fowler, doing the Nazi salute during the national anthem, singing "No surrender" and shouting "you're not singing any more" at the 25 Luxembourgers who have made the journey to see their team.

-- Anonymous, May 31, 2000