Comments on: This sporting life

By: jamie

jamie — Tue, 11 Nov 2003 17:07:24 +0000

“This lack of national sporting allegiance is sometimes accompanied by a more wholesale national disindentification where, either attracted by the more romantic nature of the Celtic nations or repelled by postcolonial guilt, people who are plainly acculturated as English seek to identify as “really” something else (on the grounds that this or that ancestor was Irish, Scottish or Welsh).” As a completely non-celtic Stoke City fan, my tenderness towards the Irish team during the nineties was derived from the fact that they were effectively a representative non-premiership (with one or two exceptions) English league side. They represented the kind of journeyan players who the average football going fan went to see every week. Tonmy Cascarino would wander aimlessly between the halfway line and 18 yard box and I’d think, “yes, I’ve seen this so many times before…”

By: Chris Brooke

Chris Brooke — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 21:17:36 +0000

I’m glad to see that my disinclination to support England in the World Cup has prompted so much discusison, though I don’t think Chris gets the reasons quite right. More on this subject on my blog soon, probably. With reference to D-squared’s question: according to this page it was Philip Toynbee who said something like that: but the bomb has to be placed in the West Car Park, it’s for an international (rather than specifically for the Varsity match) and then only for one generation. None of which is incompatible with the thought that blowing up the Varsity match may save the country from fascism for two generations.

By: dsquared

dsquared — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 19:27:44 +0000

I can’t remember who it was who suggested that if someone detonated a nuclear bomb at Twickenham on the day of the Varsity Match, they would set back the prospects of Fascism in this country by two generations.

By: Thlayli

Thlayli — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 19:18:28 +0000

Meanwhile, the Gunners remain the only undefeated team in all the FA leagues. Because apparently there’s a rule that Thierry Henry is not to be called offside under any circumstances….

By: yabartleby

yabartleby — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 12:35:10 +0000

The reason this lefty Englishman will never support an English rugby team is simple class hatred. Look at the people who play the game. Look at the crowd at “Twickers”.

By: derrida derider

derrida derider — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 11:18:43 +0000

Nah, take it from me (an Australian) – the reason no-one supports the poms in the world cup is that they are boring. When they stop kicking and start running they’ll get more supporters.

By: Keith

Keith — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 05:44:06 +0000

This Welshman will be supporting France. I’d like to see a Northern Hemisphere team put the Southern down a peg, but wild horses couldn’t get me to support England.

By: Randy Paul

Randy Paul — Mon, 10 Nov 2003 01:24:23 +0000

DMM, Indeed. That was a golden opportunity for Heskey, which, had he made would have been his 100th in the Premiership. Meanwhile, the Gunners remain the only undefeated team in all the FA leagues.

By: dmm

dmm — Sun, 09 Nov 2003 21:16:55 +0000

Liverpool lost also because Heskey is unable to stay on his feet anywhere inside the 18-yard box.

By: metafizum

metafizum — Sun, 09 Nov 2003 20:59:25 +0000

at least stevie g. signed until 2007… or is this just a rumour? ;)

By: dismembermentplanfan

dismembermentplanfan — Sun, 09 Nov 2003 20:01:14 +0000

Good for you. And I will support NZ after my poor paddies got hammered, on the basis that those boys look damn fine in their black strips.