Euro 2021 non-Scotland games

[CockneyRebel]

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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 now 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 actively dislike and bearing in mind the number of English friends (and indeed relatives) 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.

If folk truly believe Braveheart and base their beliefs/politics on that crap then I despair.

[Santa Cruz]

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Great result for England tonight, Southgate got his tactics and formation spot on. Hoping we can get a result against Ukraine next will be be a tough game as will all games be. Can England go all the way? Of course they can but so can all the other teams, one game at a time is all we can do.

Well done. Really like the Manager, comes across as such a decent bloke, I really liked Bobby Robson for the same reasons. I know there's been big crowds at other stadiums, but when the roar went up when Sterling scored I got a bit emotional, I think it was just seeing some normality that set me off. As soon as Scotland exit any comp in any sport, I always get behind the remaining home nations. Good luck in the quarters.

[JeMeSouviens]

Hope Belgium win. Rom, Eden, especially Kev, and the rest are worthy of a trophy before their golden generation is over.

[McSwanky]

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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 now 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 actively dislike and bearing in mind the number of English friends (and indeed relatives) 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.

You didn't actually read my post, did you?

[CockneyRebel]

[QUOTE=Santa Cruz;6606272]Well done. Really like the Manager, comes across as such a decent bloke, I really liked Bobby Robson for the same reasons. I know there's been big crowds at other stadiums, but when the roar went up when Sterling scored I got a bit emotional, I think it was just seeing some normality that set me off. As soon as Scotland exit any comp in any sport, I always get behind the remaining home nations. Good luck in the quarters.[/QUOT I E]


I have to admit that not everyone I know feels this way but the majority of English folk I know do. Never mind social media bollocks what has the average Englishman or English footballer done to deserve the vitriol on here at times. I have lived in Edinburgh for 40 years and supported Hibs for that long (30 years a ST holder). How integrated I do I have to become before I stop having to defend myself for the exact same things you do yourselves.

[McSwanky]

Imagine, for a second, you are a Danish person living in Denmark. And the Danish TV company which covers the Euros/WC decides not to have its own commentators/production, but instead decides to take the German coverage for all but the matches in which Denmark feature. (Let's ignore the language differences for illustrative purposes).

Sound ridiculous?

Now imagine they've been doing that for your whole life.

Nobody can honestly tell me that you wouldn't be pretty sick of that situation, and be more than happy when Germany exited the competition.

Like I said before, I have no problem with partisan coverage of football. It's the nature of the game. I'd just rather my only option wasn't what is 95% another country's coverage.

[norhfc]

I am enjoying the whole Euro 2020 compitition this year. Even more so when after a couple of games I just started tuning in at kick off and turning off on final whistle. Half time is spent in the kitchen, it really is a lot more enjoyable than listening to Rio Ferdinand and the rest.

[Since452]

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I am enjoying the whole Euro 2020 compitition this year. Even more so when after a couple of games I just started tuning in at kick off and turning off on final whistle. Half time is spent in the kitchen, it really is a lot more enjoyable than listening to Rio Ferdinand and the rest.

Exactly what I've been doing.

[weecounty hibby]

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Out of interest why do you think that is?

Because we don't have a rivalry with them in cricket like we do in football and rugby. Don't get me wrong on the very few occasions where we have played England at cricket I want Scotland to win, but otherwise I want them to win at cricket. The poster in question in my opinion is the one who has the problem and not the other way round. The English football pundits, press etc are a complete pain in the arse and the problem for us in Scotlabd is that they are rammed down our throats because the British Broadcasting Corporation is actually the English Broadcasting Corporation. ITV the same, England centric. Other than Wales there can't ve any other nation who has to put up with having to listen to their biggest rivals spew the pish that we have to.
Can't wait for the test matches v India to start!!!

[Crunchie]

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Because we don't have a rivalry with them in cricket like we do in football and rugby. Don't get me wrong on the very few occasions where we have played England at cricket I want Scotland to win, but otherwise I want them to win at cricket. The poster in question in my opinion is the one who has the problem and not the other way round. The English football pundits, press etc are a complete pain in the arse and the problem for us in Scotlabd is that they are rammed down our throats because the British Broadcasting Corporation is actually the English Broadcasting Corporation. ITV the same, England centric. Other than Wales there can't ve any other nation who has to put up with having to listen to their biggest rivals spew the pish that we have to.
Can't wait for the test matches v India to start!!!

There is such a thing as BBC Scotland who can put on their own programmes, but instead choose to waste Scottish licence money on a channel that spouts some amount of pish too, only in a language 99% of us don't understand.

[Peevemor]

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There is such a thing as BBC Scotland who can put on their own programmes, but instead choose to waste Scottish licence money on a channel that spouts some amount of pish too, only in a language 99% of us don't understand.

I take it that you do understand the language since you know that they're spouting pish?

[CropleyWasGod]

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There is such a thing as BBC Scotland who can put on their own programmes, but instead choose to waste Scottish licence money on a channel that spouts some amount of pish too, only in a language 99% of us don't understand.

If you mean BBC Alba, I think it's a
diverse, informative and enjoyable channel. Much more so than BBC Scotland.

[Key West]

Wanting England to lose is probably for most no different from supporting any team that plays Hearts, Celtic or Rangers despite the media nonsense.

[hibsbollah]

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Good to see that England’s advance has in no way provoked any hubris on their part nor any tonne weights of chips on Scottish shoulders. Smashing.

I think you’re right, that really didn’t happen.

What did happen was a thread about the wider tournament was hijacked by an England fan determined to start arguments with people, and who also seemed to be too incapacitated to understand what anyone else was saying or what he was saying himself. Which then moves on to talking about Braveheart and taking Gaelic language channels off the air, dear oh dear

[weecounty hibby]

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There is such a thing as BBC Scotland who can put on their own programmes, but instead choose to waste Scottish licence money on a channel that spouts some amount of pish too, only in a language 99% of us don't understand.

ITV? Its not as simple as that. Why not take money from kids programmes, or stop signing for the deaf, or cut the news budgets and put it towards commentators for the football.
Why is it just at the football that it's like this though? As I say I'm a huge cricket fan and the commentators etc on that are superb, whetherSky, C4, BBC or TMS. Knowledgeable, articulate, clearly want England to win but none of them get caught up with the bull**** like the football guys. Similarly with rugby they definitely don't indulge in the worst of the partisan football pundits. Anyway probably time to bow out as some want to take this on a political route that I just don't think is there

[He's here!]

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You didn't actually read my post, did you?

I did and I respect your views. I should have stated that my response wasn't directed at you personally. It was more of a general point about Scotland fans and English commentators and the way I think many tend to hide behind the 'it's not the players, it's the commentators' thing, when it fact they should just admit they want to see England stuffed.

Re your more specific point though, I personally don't think my experience of watching, say, Ukraine v Sweden, would have been especially enhanced by a Scottish commentary team. I don't see the big deal about what nationality the commentators are to be honest and as I've said before I often turn the commentary off during football games. Not because I have an issue with English commentators but because by and large I don't see the need for commentary full stop. The majority of the time they are simply telling me which player is on the ball and what they're doing with it - something I can see plainly for myself.

[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?

[JimBHibees]

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Imagine, for a second, you are a Danish person living in Denmark. And the Danish TV company which covers the Euros/WC decides not to have its own commentators/production, but instead decides to take the German coverage for all but the matches in which Denmark feature. (Let's ignore the language differences for illustrative purposes).

Sound ridiculous?

Now imagine they've been doing that for your whole life.

Nobody can honestly tell me that you wouldn't be pretty sick of that situation, and be more than happy when Germany exited the competition.

Like I said before, I have no problem with partisan coverage of football. It's the nature of the game. I'd just rather my only option wasn't what is 95% another country's coverage.

Perfect analogy. The whole BBC is a sham for EBC and everyone knows it. When you are watching a Sweden Ukraine game the commentators are talking about how good it would be for England that players are getting injured.

[JimBHibees]

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Hope Belgium win. Rom, Eden, especially Kev, and the rest are worthy of a trophy before their golden generation is over.

Hope they do however both Hazard and De Bruyne injured in last game.

[Allez Hibs]

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Imagine, for a second, you are a Danish person living in Denmark. And the Danish TV company which covers the Euros/WC decides not to have its own commentators/production, but instead decides to take the German coverage for all but the matches in which Denmark feature. (Let's ignore the language differences for illustrative purposes).

Sound ridiculous?

Now imagine they've been doing that for your whole life.

Nobody can honestly tell me that you wouldn't be pretty sick of that situation, and be more than happy when Germany exited the competition.

Like I said before, I have no problem with partisan coverage of football. It's the nature of the game. I'd just rather my only option wasn't what is 95% another country's coverage.

You can watch the game on mute.

[JimBHibees]

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You can watch the game on mute.

Why should you have to?

[McSwanky]

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I did and I respect your views. I should have stated that my response wasn't directed at you personally. It was more of a general point about Scotland fans and English commentators and the way I think many tend to hide behind the 'it's not the players, it's the commentators' thing, when it fact they should just admit they want to see England stuffed.

Re your more specific point though, I personally don't think my experience of watching, say, Ukraine v Sweden, would have been especially enhanced by a Scottish commentary team. I don't see the big deal about what nationality the commentators are to be honest and as I've said before I often turn the commentary off during football games. Not because I have an issue with English commentators but because by and large I don't see the need for commentary full stop. The majority of the time they are simply telling me which player is on the ball and what they're doing with it - something I can see plainly for myself.

You're missing my point. I don't think you're doing it on purpose, but you are missing it.

I'm not demanding a Scottish commentary team or Scottish production in general, I'm trying to illustrate that the ABE 'movement' or whatever you want to call it is at the very least stoked, and possibly even caused by the England-centric TV coverage.

Continuing with last night as an example, we were treated to Jonathan Pearce regaling us with a story about Jimmy Greaves not being picked in 1966, Martin Keown seemingly having a lovely time when players were getting injured/sent off because England are up next, and I would guess at least half of the half time 'analysis' concentrating on England rather the game that I tuned in to watch. Freddie must have been loving it. So I'd say my enjoyment was impacted, yes.

I'm not English, I don't live in England. I'd go so far as to say I usually start competitions off pretty indifferent to England as a footballing nation, but by the time the hype reaches fever pitch and they eventually go out (or maybe even win the thing one day) I've absolutely had enough and want them out.

Did you read my Denmark comparison above? Doesn't that sound ridiculous when there's two different countries involved..... oh, wait a minute!

To say 'switch off the commentary if you don't like it' isn't really the answer for me as the rise and fall of the commentator's voice is part of the experience of watching on telly - it all gets a bit boring for me without it.

I'm far from a rabid ABE type, and I consider myself quite a reasonable person in general, but this really gets my goat.

[McSwanky]

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You can watch the game on mute.

....And Martin Luther King could have just kept his mouth shut and head down

(That's a joke by the way, I'm not in any way comparing the severity of the two situations )

[Moulin Yarns]

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You can watch the game on mute.

Or perhaps not at all.


I've only caught snippets of games since Scotland were eliminated, not bothered about it, the weather is wonderful so I'm outside in the garden most of the time anyway. Caught the extra time last night, but that was unusual.

[DH1875]

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Media/pundits/commentators...I still say look at your own (or anyone else) we all get carried away.

Hopefully sleeping it off but.....your completely missing the point. See when it comes to World cups and Euros, WE CAN'T look at our own. We have to put up with English TV, English pundits, English commentators, the English Media etc....I can even just about justify it if England are playing in the game but if it's Spain V Switzerland, Belgium V Italy, Czech republic V Denmark then I shouldn't have to listen to it. Given the choice of Scottish media or neutral media for the games, I'd gladly take it ahead of the English guff.

[Bostonhibby]

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I wasn't very old at the time but I remember being convinced we were going to win the World Cup in 78. England not having qualified, the expectation on Scotland was perhaps greater than usual, but we definitely went OTT about our chances.

'We're on the march wi' Ally's Army. We're going to the Argen-teen. And we'll really shake 'em up when we win the World Cup, cos Scotland are the the greatest fitba' team'

I vividly remember greetin' when we got gubbed by Peru in our opening game. Heartbreaking stuff for a kid not yet aware of the pain football can inflict.

Definitely how I remember it from the time, the hype was a bit more amateurish than seems to permanently engulf any England sporting team these days but at one point the bookies had us as one of the favourites and I'd say a lot of folk were expecting a very successful world cup.

Sent from my SM-A750FN using Tapatalk

[SHODAN]

Guess I'll be watching the next two England games with my standard approach - they go one up, mute, they go two up, game aff.

[He's here!]

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You're missing my point. I don't think you're doing it on purpose, but you are missing it.

I'm not demanding a Scottish commentary team or Scottish production in general, I'm trying to illustrate that the ABE 'movement' or whatever you want to call it is at the very least stoked, and possibly even caused by the England-centric TV coverage.

Continuing with last night as an example, we were treated to Jonathan Pearce regaling us with a story about Jimmy Greaves not being picked in 1966, Martin Keown seemingly having a lovely time when players were getting injured/sent off because England are up next, and I would guess at least half of the half time 'analysis' concentrating on England rather the game that I tuned in to watch. Freddie must have been loving it. So I'd say my enjoyment was impacted, yes.

I'm not English, I don't live in England. I'd go so far as to say I usually start competitions off pretty indifferent to England as a footballing nation, but by the time the hype reaches fever pitch and they eventually go out (or maybe even win the thing one day) I've absolutely had enough and want them out.

Did you read my Denmark comparison above? Doesn't that sound ridiculous when there's two different countries involved..... oh, wait a minute!

To say 'switch off the commentary if you don't like it' isn't really the answer for me as the rise and fall of the commentator's voice is part of the experience of watching on telly - it all gets a bit boring for me without it.

I'm far from a rabid ABE type, and I consider myself quite a reasonable person in general, but this really gets my goat.

Yep, I understand what you're saying and as I said I respect your opinion. I just don't find that this particular issue bothers me much. I guess it also depends how strongly you perceive England as 'another country'. In my view, the Denmark/Germany comparison isn't really comparing like for like when it comes to Scotland and England. Yes, we have separate football teams but we're not two completely independent countries like Denmark and Germany are. You might disagree, but were Scotland the only UK team left in the competition I think any English commentators covering our games would be pretty full-on in their desire for Scotland to win. Different sport I know, but (while you might get the odd bampot spewing some anti-Scottish vitriol about him on social media) Andy Murray's rise to become not only Britain's greatest tennis player but one of the best in the world has been wholeheartedly embraced by largely English commentary teams.

[Since452]

Much like when Hibs aren't playing, when Scotland are out i have little or no interest in the competition or football in general for that matter. I'll usually have the game on but quickly lose interest and find myself switching channels. The English coverage makes that far more frequent.

[Hibbyradge]

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I think you’re right, that really didn’t happen.

What did happen was a thread about the wider tournament was hijacked by an England fan determined to start arguments with people, and who also seemed to be too incapacitated to understand what anyone else was saying or what he was saying himself. Which then moves on to talking about Braveheart and taking Gaelic language channels off the air, dear oh dear

The latter part was a different poster.