General Football Nonsense

[Mac76]

Equally this assumption that fans will have a problem with the FA appointing a German is a mistaken assumption held by left and right. The left because of the sneering contempt they hold the working class in, and the right who have equal contempt for them but want to utilise them as useful idiots…starting with the Daily Mail trying to rile up xenophobic sentiment on its back pages this morning.

Most people on the left are working class, Labour is a working class movement, so are the socailist Workers etc - i admit Momentum is a bit more studenty but I think that will fade out anyway

yes the right wing media (which is far by far most of it in this country) try and make being working class synonymous with being right wing and nationalist

but you can't tell me there's a fair few people in this country who don't think "I want England to win because I'm English and it's fun to cheer on your national team"

instead they think "I want England to win because England are the best country with the best football team"

we all know if England had pubbed the Euros there would have been none of "we were lucky" and all of "we deserved to win" etc

That's what I personally object to, it is a form of supremicism and in these decisive days it's yet more fuel to those who want to fracture society and impose mob rule

[HCZ_Reborn]

No I disagree completely, the current modern left is in no way working class whatsoever. It’s middle class, urban and city dwelling and university educated.

The old working class left has long since abandoned the left because of the way it looks down on them. This is especially true in America, where the vast majority of people who work in unionised labour are Trump supporters…and Trump is popular in the former industrial heartlands which used to massively Democrat voters but the Democrats instead now appeal to the professional class who live either in cities or the suburbs. And this is why they struggle more in states like Michigan and Pennsylvania and they are doing well in more gentrified states like Virginia, Colorado which used to be heavily Republican.


It’s cultural divergence.


On the whole England fan matter, when you go to the Emirates stadium and the fans start chanting “we are by far the greatest team the world has ever seen?” do you think the fanbase mean that literally or do you think it’s just hyperbole.

Every fan base thinks they have the greatest team, the Brazilians, the Germans, The Argentines etc. You can argue that because we haven’t had success we should be more humble but that’s not how football fandom works.

Despite the media’s attempts to paint England fans as thugs based on historical reputation, the fact of the matter is our travelling support are people from all walks of life going to a different country to enjoy themselves, support the national team and hope that it lasts as long as possible.

Not sure it’s something I’d do myself (although I do want to try and go to North America in 2026, not so much for England but to both catch up with family and see a World Cup match…as one of the venues Levi Stadium (the 49ers stadium) is quite near where family members of mine live) but I don’t see the need to sneer at it.

[Letters]

instead they think "I want England to win because England are the best country with the best football team"

I'm not saying that no-one thinks that way, but I don't think it's as common as it used to be.