Euro 2021 non-Scotland games

[Peevemor]

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Just my opinion, but I think the 'it's not the the English football team I hate, it's the commentators' line is wearing a bit thin and is quite probably a little dishonest for many who trot it out. Are they really any more jingo-istic than any other country's commentators when their national team is doing well? I have my doubts. Some of the most OTT 'classic' pieces of commentary (Norway's 'Maggie Thatcher are you listening...your boys took one hell of a beating etc' springs immediately to mind) put 'biased' English commentary in the shade.

In my more partisan youth I have no problem admitting I was very much in the 'anyone but England' camp but these days I just don't get so hot and bothered about international football. Maybe it's because we got so out of the way of seeing Scotland at major tournaments, but these days I see these events more as a bit of light relief before the real thing gets going again in the shape of Hibs.

As I said in an earlier post I find this England side hard to dislike and bearing in mind the number of English friends I've accumulated throughout a life spent in numerous parts of the UK I think it's fair to say I have more feeling for them than, to use your examples, Sweden and Ukraine.

I've lived in France for 17 years and being away from the UK media has definitely softened my views toward the English national football team. I have English cousins who are great guys and are fanatical football & England fans. It's only now that I'm not getting their team rammed in my face that I can grudgingly feel pleased for them if their team gets a good result (not that I'd ever let on).

And for info., the French media, commentators & pundits, who can probably be forgiven for expecting a bit of success, are like impartial observers compared to their English counterparts.

[He's here!]

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I've lived in France for 17 years and being away from the UK media has definitely softened my views toward the English national football team. I have English cousins who are great guys and are fanatical football & England fans. It's only now that I'm not getting their team rammed in my face that I can grudgingly feel pleased for them if their team gets a good result (not that I'd ever let on).

And for info., the French media, commentators & pundits, who can probably be forgiven for expecting a bit of success, are like impartial observers compared to their English counterparts.

That's interesting feedback. I used to work with a bunch of lovely French colleagues who I kept in touch with for quite a number of years. When I went to visit them (in the south-west of France) I was struck by how, while football was popular, it wasn't the only sport folk cared about and, unlike the UK, other sports were high profile. Rugby was big and basketball was especially popular (big, passionate and family-friendly crowds at the games I went to). Tennis seemed to be played by a lot of people and I remember seeing a big fencing academy full of kids near where I stayed (over here both those sports probably carry more of a 'posh' tag). I wonder if that wider perspective on sport dilutes the mania/partisan commentary on football or does it depend which region you live in?

[JeMeSouviens]

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That's interesting feedback. I used to work with a bunch of lovely French colleagues who I kept in touch with for quite a number of years. When I went to visit them (in the south-west of France) I was struck by how, while football was popular, it wasn't the only sport folk cared about and, unlike the UK, other sports were high profile. Rugby was big and basketball was especially popular (big, passionate and family-friendly crowds at the games I went to). Tennis seemed to be played by a lot of people and I remember seeing a big fencing academy full of kids near where I stayed (over here both those sports probably carry more of a 'posh' tag). I wonder if that wider perspective on sport dilutes the mania/partisan commentary on football or does it depend which region you live in?

SW France is their rugby heartland, like the Borders here.