THOSE FUCKING ENGLAND FLAGS!

Having said that, I think people are being a bit disingenuous about Kate's objections. There's a level of aggression and testosterone watching football in stadiums and pubs that I can perfectly well see is intimidating and would not be tolerated by most in other circumstances. Now I can't stop think of Chris shouting "You dirty French cunt" at the television.

yeah but did you see the tiny little Japanese and Korean parents jumping up and down trying to get their children back from the English bastards who snatched their kids to put on their shoulders?

I often think, that as someone who claims not to be at all patriotic, I am a hypocrite for supporting the Irish football/rugby teams so strongly. I do think though at best there's a shared emotional ritual involved, and given not all the players are even Irish it's as much a matter of symbolism as actual patriotism. We want Ireland to win because they're the Irish international football team.

-- N. (nickdastoo...), September 12th, 2003

From Patriot Day

but then i watch athletics and it seems that some people think that spending hours learning to throw a pointy stick is a good use of their time. and expect grants.

> and surely there are far more negative outlets for it than watching football.

like rampaging through croydon? like the overturning of german cars after the last tournament? that to me is football *provoking* aggresive behaviour not being an outlet for it.

'I like the numpties who stick a Saint George flag out of all four of their car windows. (Their mental process tickles me: "Well, if I only have one, people might think I don't like England enough. I'll try two ... but what if they think I'm leaving the back two windows free for French flags? No, no, I need four, goddamit!")'

Well to my mind it's funny. I mean it's not as if the Swiss were neutral out of moral principals for fuck's sake! (ie they took blood money from the Nazis.)

Props to doc Baran for one of the funniest posts I have ever seen on ilx.

The violence in Croydon caused hundreds of pounds worth of improvements.

Mickey G not bad either.

That is witty, I think, of you, I mean.

Excuse me, sports fans in ENGLAND

The latter would have been funnier, I think, but both of them were pre-fall pride, obv.

Funny thing is, I thought the exact same thing: sitting in with those two narrow banks of four, hoofing the ball aimlessly upfield, desperately protecting a narrow lead, backs to the wall, etc. I was looking for wee Craig Broon in the England dug-out.

EVERYBODY here wheels out the anti-commentator thing. I sort of agree, sometimes, at least in 2002 I was happy when England beat Argentina and then quite anxious that they lose to Brazil given that the hype had increased so dramatically after the Danish match.

Nonetheless I'm not sure it's right to do this, and also as ever, why would I want Brazil to win.

This is such utter nonsense yes, as if they're even halfway as bothered or as interested in archaic national divides as the twats who allege this.

No, not as well. We're not that far off the pace, though. But I don't really see why this is so relevant. The point is that at one time we have been right up there at the top, and for a nation of our size and footballing interest, we should expect to be fighting for that place again. Scotland is much smaller and it would be unrealistic to place the same expectations. Denmark (about the same population) won Euro 1992, but no one expected them to constantly be repeating that achievement.