International football apathy

[kopdan]

dismantle the whole system. its pointless in my opinion

[The Glove]

England fans generally support **** league teams so latching on to England is their only hope of glory as a football fan. Either that or they are from down south.

[Neil Young]

I used to supoprt England, but I realised that supporting Liverpool is stressful enough without the eternal disapointment that comes with England.

I have also grown to hate the nationalistic, bordering xenophobic side to English culture whenever there is a summer tournament. I hate the media coverage, especially the tabloids, I hate the deluded conviction that England are a superior team to everybody else, and I hate those stupid little flags that people put on their cars.

Apart from the bit about stress, I feel much the same. When I was a kid I supported England but the hype and nationalistic crap are revolting.

Living in England it makes it more exciting when England are playing in summer tournaments but it's hard to find a pub to watch games in without having to put up with mindless idiots shouting "ING-ER-LAND" and generally being obnoxious.

[fah-q]

I would have thought they would have had the games on in the old folks home though Neil.

[Red_Polo]

Are people really that apathetic when it comes to their national teams? Judging by the way folked have torn into each other over it on here, I'm not so sure.

[Neil Young]

I would have thought they would have had the games on in the old folks home though Neil.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

I suppose it depends if you were brought up with a nationalistic mentality.

I wasn't particularly.

But that doesn't mean I don't like to see us beat England at football. Not because I hate them, well I do hate them - those who follow the English national team that is - they are a compete bunch of flag waving mother****ers, it's as if as soon as England are playing football they become these self important gob****es "IN-GER-LAND TILL I DIE", they think they are the best at anything because they are English, this inbetween when they aren't moaning about their interest rates, the weather, muslims, immigration and the Diana trial. Then they bleat on about the War, it has nothing to do with you and your mobile phone and metrosexual haircut. That cunt playing the great escape on that ****ing trumpet - shove it up your arse cuntface. "Football's coming home" - no it ****ing isn't, get real. Fickle fans booing their own players when they don't meet their lofty expectations. Generic Fat ******* Geordies with tattoos. Our players getting injured for the Queens honour - ****in do one. Middle class v-neck wearing, golf playing bandwagon jumping cunts; jolly good show boys and all the rest. Ray Wilkins "we’ve got world class players". Glenn Hoddle "I didn't say them things, honest". El Tel plastic gangster cunt. Gary Lineker, your crisps are ****er than your ears and medal collection. Garth Crooks. 606 phone in spastics. Fortess Wembley complete with empty corporate seats. Sky Sports, Sky Sports News, The Sun, BBC Sport, The Daily Mail Seig Heil. And if you do win - haha - we never hear the end of it.

But apart from that I don't pay it any mind.

[fah-q]

The issue is when Patriotism turns into Jingoism

[dom9]

Are people really that apathetic when it comes to their national teams? Judging by the way folked have torn into each other over it on here, I'm not so sure.

Well I really couldn't care less about international football anymore. To me it just distracts from the important stuff.

[Red_Polo]

Well I really couldn't care less about international football anymore. To me it just distracts from the important stuff.

I totally agree. It's boring to watch as few teams show any real cohesion, I don't buy into any flag waving patriotic ****, and it just disrupts the club season. But judging by some peoples reactions on here, a forum that is for Liverpool fans and so people more likely not to be bothered by international footy, I don't think that indifference is shared by quite so many people as some suggest. From my experience almost all the part-time footy fans and a hell of a lot of fans of smaller clubs do care about their national teams.

[Neil Young]

I like a bit of international football during the summer. As long as it doesn't clash with the Tour of France.

Sydney seems to care an awful lot about international football.

[REDSCOUSER]

I have not had any hope for an England team since the 1996 Euros. Ever since they have underachieved massively. All the managers after Venebales have failed to get the team to at least reach a Semi Finals of a major tourney. On paper England have the best players in the world yet they fail on the pitch which means one thing. Bad management and tactics.
In addition, playing down in London for decades does not really help if you grow up in Liverpool or any Northern area.
Never in all my youth years living on the Wirral me dad/uncle ever thought of going down to London to watch Enger-land. THE REDS always took first priority.
Not gonna sit here and lie to you by saying I wont be happy if England won the Euros or World Cup but if they dont "indifferent" is the word that will best describe my feelings.

[Maestro]

I suppose it depends if you were brought up with a nationalistic mentality.

I wasn't particularly.

But that doesn't mean I don't like to see us beat England at football. Not because I hate them, well I do hate them - those who follow the English national team that is - they are a compete bunch of flag waving mother****ers, it's as if as soon as England are playing football they become these self important gob****es "IN-GER-LAND TILL I DIE", they think they are the best at anything because they are English, this inbetween when they aren't moaning about their interest rates, the weather, muslims, immigration and the Diana trial. Then they bleat on about the War, it has nothing to do with you and your mobile phone and metrosexual haircut. That cunt playing the great escape on that ****ing trumpet - shove it up your arse cuntface. "Football's coming home" - no it ****ing isn't, get real. Fickle fans booing their own players when they don't meet their lofty expectations. Generic Fat ******* Geordies with tattoos. Our players getting injured for the Queens honour - ****in do one. Middle class v-neck wearing, golf playing bandwagon jumping cunts; jolly good show boys and all the rest. Ray Wilkins "we’ve got world class players". Glenn Hoddle "I didn't say them things, honest". El Tel plastic gangster cunt. Gary Lineker, your crisps are ****er than your ears and medal collection. Garth Crooks. 606 phone in spastics. Fortess Wembley complete with empty corporate seats. Sky Sports, Sky Sports News, The Sun, BBC Sport, The Daily Mail Seig Heil. And if you do win - haha - we never hear the end of it.

But apart from that I don't pay it any mind.

What an excellent rant - you didn't have a job as a football commentator on Norwegian TV in the 80's, did you?

[El Jefecito]

Why are so many football fans apathetic with respect to their national teams?
I'm mainly referring to english football fans but I've even seen a prominent Swede say he wasn't arsed about international football.

Indeed, I rarely go out to watch an England game and I'm only ever interested in international tournaments.
So? Why is it?

I think it has to do with a long history of under-achievement. I find it hard to believe we'd have any Brazilian LFC fans say they don't give a **** about international football, the same goes for Italy and in recent times France.

I think if England had the record of Brazil we'd see a lot more football fans in this country giving more than just a cursory glance towards the national team. I don't think anyone would be a country before club fan but I think we'd take more interest.

Any thoughts?

Is this primarily an England thing? I think it is as I don't see the same apathy among the welsh, scots and irish.

How many of the English on here are TRULY proud to be English?

[machiavelli]

[QUOTE=CharlieMansonsSquint;792780]I suppose it depends if you were brought up with a nationalistic mentality.

I wasn't particularly.

But that doesn't mean I don't like to see us beat England at football. Not because I hate them, well I do hate them - those who follow the English national team that is - they are a compete bunch of flag waving mother****ers, it's as if as soon as England are playing football they become these self important gob****es "IN-GER-LAND TILL I DIE", they think they are the best at anything because they are English, this inbetween when they aren't moaning about their interest rates, the weather, muslims, immigration and the Diana trial. Then they bleat on about the War, it has nothing to do with you and your mobile phone and metrosexual haircut. That cunt playing the great escape on that ****ing trumpet - shove it up your arse cuntface. "Football's coming home" - no it ****ing isn't, get real. Fickle fans booing their own players when they don't meet their lofty expectations. Generic Fat ******* Geordies with tattoos. Our players getting injured for the Queens honour - ****in do one. Middle class v-neck wearing, golf playing bandwagon jumping cunts; jolly good show boys and all the rest. Ray Wilkins "we’ve got world class players". Glenn Hoddle "I didn't say them things, honest". El Tel plastic gangster cunt. Gary Lineker, your crisps are ****er than your ears and medal collection. Garth Crooks. 606 phone in spastics. Fortess Wembley complete with empty corporate seats. Sky Sports, Sky Sports News, The Sun, BBC Sport, The Daily Mail Seig Heil. And if you do win - haha - we never hear the end of it.
QUOTE]