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The "We are not English" PageThis page has been developed to illustrate some of the differences between the Scots and the English. Scots are always keen to publicise the fact that English and Scottish fans and football teams are entirely different. A section of the English fans (not an inconsiderable number!) are violent and unfriendly whereas the Scots fans are generally welcome back wherever they go (therefore, some of this page gives a sort of 'compare and contrast' viewpoint)!
Why do Scotland and England have separate national football teams? by Kenny Bell
I am often asked this question, particularly by people who know little about football. So here I have tried to explain the reasons.
1. Scotland and England are separate countries in football Scotland and England have separate leagues, cup competitions and football associations. Until the Bosman decision, English players playing in Scotland were considered as foreigners under UEFA’s 3 foreigners limit rule for European competitions - and vice versa. English players in Scottish clubs can only play for England, and vice versa. Scotland’s record also stands up to scrutiny, having missed out on qualifying for only one World Cup finals since 1970. Scotland were also unofficial world champions in 1967, when they humiliated World Cup holders England at Wembley.
2. Football and politics are not the same thing It’s funny how many people don’t understand this. They think: one government, one team. Since when has football been ruled by governments? Football does not belong to politicians, it belongs to the people. If a country has established its own football institutions and traditions, then WHO is to say it should be excluded? This is typical of a certain way of thinking, underlying which is the idea that governments are responsible for everything. But individuals, communities and societies have built human history, as they have built football - and governments. Governments have not created communities, nor football. The modern European-style nation state only became dominant last century, and is disintegrating in some places, or seeking to share its powers in others. So, a footballing country is not the same thing as a political nation state, and both change over time.
3. Even if they were.... If you wished to construct some kind of fascistic ‘political independence index’ to determine whether a national team was ‘justifiable’, Scotland’s 800 years of independence and separate national law and institutions would certainly place it at the top table. There is anyway no such thing as a standard definition of a nation state, there are only many different degrees and kinds of political independence.
San Marino and the Faroes may not have all the missiles and presidential jumbo jets of the USA, but if they are footballing countries, then they are just as entitled as the USA to a national team. Conversely, and particularly since the Bosman decision, the politicians could just as well argue that the EU should only have one team!
4. Scotland is only one of many cases where football diverges from politics FIFA has 183 members, but these are not the same as the UN’s 185. Among the footballing countries which are not UN members are: Aruba, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Macao, Hongkong, Tahiti, Puerto Rico, Faroe Islands, and Netherlands Antilles, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland. Liechtenstein is a country with no league, but it is a FIFA member; while there are other footballing and political countries which are not members of the UN (eg Taiwan).
5. It’s our ball and we’re not giving it up International football was begun by Scotland and England. The first international football match was played in Glasgow in 1872. The first football associations and tournaments were formed in Scotland and England (the Scottish Cup is the trophy which has been competed for longest on a continuous basis in the world). If you don’t like our game, piss off and go synchronised swimming.
6. We’ll be buggered if we’re playing with that lot I think I speak for most Scots fans in saying that an all-British team would not get our support. Apart from our team being an important part of our national identity, English football has a record of xenophobia and violence with which we do not wish to be associated. So if you believe in the beautiful game, the people’s game, the world game, you are for Scotland. KennyB Tartan Army Awards : Player of the Year(s)
Reported in an ENGLISH newspaper : "David Beckham walks into a bar and the barman says, "Pint, David?". "No", he replies, "just a half, then I'm off". The Daily Star quickly identified their world cup elimination scapegoat and the headline of the day apparently stated "Sorry lads, no tits on page 3 today, just Beckham". It amazing what the press can get away with! The History of English ShameWorld Cup - EURO 2000 (Netherlands / Belgium) ENGLAND: yet again, major crowd disorder in brussels and Charleroi, around the time of the England vs Germany EURO 2000 match. 1000+ hoolies deported by Beglian Air Force. Country disgraced and England threatened with expulsion from the tournament. Yet again, the press is full of so called England fans bleating that it wasn't their fault and that they were victimised. Aye right, where have we heard that one before? World Cup - France 1998 ENGLAND: As expected, the English fans (or at least a fair number of them) again showed their worse side and became involved in extensive violence in marseille in the run up to their opening World Cup match there against Tunisia. Many arrests and enforcement of a curfew in the city (and subsequent cities where England were playing) resulted. A newspaper reported the headline 'English Fan Held in Fatal Stabbing' shortly after the Englands elimination by Argentina in Saint Etienne. The story centered on an Englishman who was remanded in custody for stabbing a Frenchman to death. The excuse for the stabbing was 'I thought he was an Argentian supporter'! As if that is supposed to make it OK. SCOTLAND: The excellent behaviour of the 20,000-strong Tartan Army during France 98 was officially recognised in Monte Carlo in September 1998 when long serving supporter Kevin Donnelly accepted the Per Ludos Fraternitas trophy, presented by the International Association for Non-Violence in Sport. Journalists voted the Scots the best for fair play and sporting spirit during World Cup 98. Shortly after France '98, the following (unsigned)
message was received from the Bordeaux Students Association. Post France '98 Activities, September 1998 The headline read 'England hit by a double hammer blow by Euro football chiefs for their night of shame in Sweden' and the subsequent article explained that the English FA were fined £27,000 because of racist chants to Henrik Larsson and for damage caused to Stockholm's Rasunda Stadium. Post France '98 Activities, October 1998 There were 50 England football fans deported from Belgium, a National Criminal Intelligence Service spokesman confirmed. They flew to Brussels on their way to Luxembourg for Englands Euro 2000 qualifying match. They were detained and sent back to Manchester. A Belgian police spokesman said: "They were arrested because they were drunk and a menace to the public order". Not to be outdone with forays to the '98 World Cup, England fans continue the trail of shame. The Night of the England vs Germany Semi Final Match in EURO'96 England is treated to a night of widespread violence throughout the country ! Will the English press again massage away all this shame and act as if it never happened ? You have to be really thick to smash the fuck out of your own capital city !
Trafalgar square - over 200 arrests, 40 cars smashed
up, 7 houses damaged Oi Michael ... you fuckin' German !!
The caravan of the Michael Schumacher fan club was attacked and several Germans were beaten up the night before the 1996 British Grand Prix at Silverstone - is this the Englishmans way to revenge getting knowcked out of the EURO'96 by the Germans ??? EURO and World Championships Records
ITALIA'90
Sweden - EURO'92
England - EURO'96
France - W. Cup '98 Free Registration for Engerland Fans England fans please click HERE to register with the official Supporters Organisation. |
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