From
the BBC:
David Cameron has said he will fly the flag of St George over No 10 during the football World Cup in South Africa.
The prime minister told MPs that the move would not cost anything and he hoped would help unite the nation behind the English team.
No matter what part of the UK they represented, he said he hoped all MPs would be shouting "come on England".
Ah...good ole Bazzer, for one, would have a problem with that
simple request:
"England would be my least favourite team because...well, just because I hate anything English by instinct, rant, rant, rant and I’ll definitely not be supporting them, rant, rant, rant, (deep breath) I was born in 1966, when England last won, God how I hate them, and I’m fed up hearing about it ever since (spits on ground) they never shut up about it on the doorsteps of Coalisland, rant, rant, rant and I’m opting for Argentina because I admire the majesty of Lionel Messi and their fascist Junta's attempt in 1981 to free the Malvinas, rant, rant, rant but I’ll also be paying close attention to Tyrone in the All-Ireland because, because, because... and if they win, I'll...I'll...I''l paint a postbox green." - Barry McElduff, Sinn Fein politician
Although to be fair to him, so far he hasn't repeated his 2006 demand that World Cup charts and posters should be removed from Northern Irish workplaces on equality grounds, so a progress of sorts.
6 comments:
I have no objection whatsoever to the PM flying St George's Flag over Number Ten.
Were NI to distinguish themselves, he might even consider flying the NI Flag above Downing Street!
I wonder whether more use couldn't be made of St Patrick's flag, which features on the Union Flag?
"Simple request". Do I follow Man Utd in Europe just because they aren't there and Leeds aren't? No I do bloody well not. They remain particuarly despised because they embody obnoxiousness. Obnoxious fans, obnoxious management, obnoxious players. Though getting rid of Ronaldo helped.
And so it is with England. And that's before considering the English press and 800 years of oppression. This sin't real life anyway, it's football, and therefore *requires* a vague pantomine villan for extar enjoyment.
The only thing worse than England? Irritating types taht go on about how they are supporting them and how big it makes them.
Do you hate Utd because the manager is Scottish and the full-back French? Course not. Rivalry based on provincial *perceived* obnoxiousness is a whole different kettle of fish to that based on nationality.
And yet the other half of Manchestyer will dislike them based on prxoimity, and that's ok? You are tyalking nonsense.
Anywho, why shouldn't I get some schenfruede from the country that delivered countless piles of shite here? Particularly in panto villan stylee? It ain't like anyone gets hurt. Holier than thou tight asses are those with the problem.
The fact they make it stupidly easy to cheer the other side is just a bonus.
English keepers, though. Mwahahahaha
And yet the other half of Manchestyer will dislike them based on prxoimity, and that's ok?
I despise them with a vengeance but it's not a rivalry based on nationality.
If the ROI had qualified for the WC, there would have been an outpouring of "Anyone but the Republic" in large parts of NI. Considering their selection antics, part of the antagonism would have been acceptable, the part of it based on purely national (and sectarian) grounds wouldn't have been.
Rivalry basedon being the other half of a city, being the other big city nearby, being londoners, being Scottish, being German, it's all the same thing.
Why do French people support France? Because they were born there, and that's their nationality. Chuck that out and you've lost the World Cup. You can ignore the nationalistic feelig around it if you like, but it won't make it any less true.
Getting one over on historic rivals is all part of the fun, and adds a little edge. just as long as it doesn't get too far out of hand.
If people in NI see that as the Republic, then it disappoints me, because of what it says about the underlying state. But again, as long as it doesn't get out of hand, who am I to act as a humour free killjoy.
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