Let's all Laugh at England

[Tomuś]

I doubt it has much to do with colonial history but more with the other points. English fans (and not just a small chunk like every English person here is saying) are absolutely terrible to deal with or watch match with in public spaces (I have experienced it first hand), I usually like English people and their sense of humor but I seriously can't stand English fans.

Aye, that would be the reasoning behind all the hate I hear when it comes to the English on their trip, football tournaments and so on. That obviously transfers to them being disliked. They just tend to behave like utter pigs after alcohol when visiting different countries. Then explain it all with 'banter', 'every country has its cretins' and 'lager' excuses. Never heard the colonialism argument from those disliking England so I think it's bollocks.

You kinda answered your own question.

All English football fans ever do is slag off Scottish football then they're confused when Scottish fans like to see them lose. So there's that, there's the unbearable media and there's the right-wing, hooligan element. And for me personally I enjoy a wee bit of schadenfreude seeing a nation that votes Tory and Brexit lose a big football game.

You want certain country to lose because a big part of their citizens dare to have different political views to yours? It's like some of my mates wishing Sweden to go home ASAP cause 'they're run by far-left weirdos'.

 

[Pink Moon]

You want certain country to lose because a big part of their citizens dare to have different political views to yours? It's like some of my mates wishing Sweden to go home ASAP cause 'they're run by far-left weirdos'.

Not quite. Just that particular political party. Besides, I didn't say that was the sole reason I want them to lose. It just makes it a little bit sweeter knowing that particular demographic are hurting.

 

[Jack-C20]

Not quite. Just that particular political party. Besides, I didn't say that was the sole reason I want them to lose. It just makes it a little bit sweeter knowing that particular demographic are hurting.

It’s been weirdly quiet down here. It almost feels as if everyone is content with where we got to, disappointed to throw away a great chance, but still happy to get where we did. I’d normally expect public outrage with constant talking about England failing for about 3 weeks afterwards but it’s like everyone has moved on already. Maybe it because I now largely ignore newspapers. There are obviously a few people taking it badly but that’s to be expected. Roll on the euros when more will be expected of this England team and we throw them under the bus when they under achieve!

 

[Tomuś]

Not quite. Just that particular political party. Besides, I didn't say that was the sole reason I want them to lose. It just makes it a little bit sweeter knowing that particular demographic are hurting.

Fair enough, just thought we were binning all this political bullshit from football. Don't know how can you hate the Tories and actually pass it onto football, yet have no problems with NT like Saudi Arabia. Unless you do that is.

 

[Tomuś]

It’s been weirdly quiet down here. It almost feels as if everyone is content with where we got to, disappointed to throw away a great chance, but still happy to get where we did. I’d normally expect public outrage with constant talking about England failing for about 3 weeks afterwards but it’s like everyone has moved on already. Maybe it because I now largely ignore newspapers. There are obviously a few people taking it badly but that’s to be expected. Roll on the euros when more will be expected of this England team and we throw them under the bus when they under achieve!

As it should be, really. Coming home was taken seriously only by non-football ppl who watch games once every 2 yrs + those not aware of your tongue-in-cheek language. And Croatia to fuel themselves obviously. No expectations beforehand, no getting all too giddy, no arrogance mostly. Pretty likeable team, too. 1st tournament I see no reason to laugh at England.

 

[Chekhov]

So I have cracked the code!
I can now reveal the truth behind It's Coming Home. First, lets look at a picture of the crowd at Wembley from 1966 when England won the World Cup:

Notice how many Union Jacks there are? Notice how few St. George Cross there are? As we all know, the Union Jack represents the UK and incorporate the Scots flag. Contrast this with current England crowds:

This is important because as we all should know, it was the Scots that actually invented modern football



So my internet friends, it is very simple. For Football to Come Home, England needs to throw away the St. Georges cross flag and reintroduce the Union Jack - which represents the true lineage of football's home. By flying the St. George's Cross and saying Its Coming Home, you are jinxing yourself.

TL;DR For Football to Come Home, you need to reintroduce the Union Jack and abandon the St. George's Cross

Wait. So Scotland gave the world football AND haggis?

And here I thought I couldn't possibly admire them any more.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

Lack of proper central midfielders were their undoing. I don't rate Henderson at all but he did well all things considered. Ali and Lingard look good against poor teams but were shown up when it got tough. You have to be able to keep the ball and create from deep to win any tournament.

Kane dropping deep is a terrible idea. Also Southgate did ok but not going right to Vardy when Croatia equalized was bad.

Lallana was a big miss. Too bad Carrick had the heart scare and didn't get a look in.

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

There are a few English people in here who deserve some credit for taking it the way it should be taken. @12OunceEpilogue is for sure one of them.
The others who try to claim that "it's all in irony and no arrogance" while getting riled up and claiming people aren't United fans if they are having fun because England lost is pathetic and absolutely having a meltdown.

I hope so. The one thing I don't get is that the British media is literally unbearable if you live in the British Isles and you're not English. BBC and ITV had partisan English pundits/commentators backing the team, making the occasional shit joke and deriving positives from our tournament performance, I don't see what's so bad or unexpected about that. As for the likes of the Sun and the Mail, if you've been surprised or especially offended by those rags this summer you haven't been paying attention. I also hope nobody actually thinks the majority of English people were properly arrogant at any point in this tournament, as hand on heart I've seen a fair bit of pride, pleasant surprise and the same old gallows humour and very little else from everyone I've met and watched games with.

The rest from non-English United fans is completely understandable and fair game as far as I'm concerned. I assume the one positive reaction was to Jesse's goal, along the lines of 'well done, that's a good goal, I hope he's doing that for United next season'.

 

[The Hilton]

This thread is really "let's express our relief that England didn't win because we don't like them", which is fair enough, but let's not dress it up.

The thing is, almost everyone should be happy with what happened - the anti England lot got to see us go out, but England fans had so much fun along the way.

 

[Redlambs]

I hope so. The one thing I don't get is that the British media is literally unbearable if you live in the British Isles and you're not English. BBC and ITV had partisan English pundits/commentators backing the team, making the occasional shit joke and deriving positives from our tournament performance, I don't see what's so bad or unexpected about that. As for the likes of the Sun and the Mail, if you've been surprised or especially offended by those rags this summer you haven't been paying attention. I also hope nobody actually thinks the majority of English people were properly arrogant at any point in this tournament, as hand on heart I've seen a fair bit of pride, pleasant surprise and the same old gallows humour and very little else from everyone I've met and watched games with.

The rest from non-English United fans is completely understandable and fair game as far as I'm concerned. I assume the one positive reaction was to Jesse's goal, along the lines of 'well done, that's a good goal, I hope he's doing that for United next season'.

Pretty much this.

All joking aside, every single one of us would have surely taken 3/4th place before the tournament so I'm more than happy with what we got and for people to have a giggle at our expense

 

[togg]

I suggest after today this thread is locked and archived! We need to get back to uniting behind United. I mean, bloody hell, we kick off in four weeks don't we?

 

[RW2]

 

[sullydnl]

A few journalist adding their own opinions in the replies to that.

Also, I'm not sure where this universally adopted self-deprecating sense of humour dissapeared to when people from outside England started poking fun at their loss.

 

[togg]

Exactly. The one thing the English and all the home nations are good at is self-deprecation. If other nations don't get it, that is their problem or misunderstanding. So Guillem Balague, there is nothing to 'consider' since we know what we mean.....

One thing is for sure, though - it's coming home next time....

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Yeah alright mate...

 

[BusbyMalone]

This is my only issue with all this nonsense. England fans getting giddy and excited about their team? Feck all wrong with that. If you can’t get excited about your team being in the World Cup semi final then what’s the point of it all? Enjoy it for christ sake; it’s a game of football. As for the commentators dong the same thing, that’s way less palatable and much more grating.

But this “it’s all a joke” nonsense is just that: nonsense. There were large swathes of England fans and journalist who genuinely thought they could do it this year; certainly thinking they would get to the final, at least. This became particularly apparent after the Colombia game. Pre-tournament, no. But after that game there was a huge change in the mood and expectations. Again, there’s feck all with with that, but you can’t go around giving it large and then play the old “It was only a prank, bro” schtick when things don’t quite work out.

I’m sure for some it was a “ironic joke”, definitely, but there were many who thought that this was their chance. Hell, i’m not even and England fan and i thought they were definitely getting to the final. They had a great path there, and it was a genuine possibility so i can understand that. So let's not treat it like it was a nation wide “joke” that everyone was in on.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

Joke's on them. I was only pretending.

 

[CassiusClaymore]

Christ . People are quoting Ballbag as a voice of reason now .

 

[sullydnl]

Christ . People are quoting Ballbag as a voice of reason now .

He doesn't say anything that the Croatian players didn't literally say themselves. I just posted that tweet because the likes of Neville and Winter responded to it.

 

[Dan]

 

[fergies coat]

How dare we dream of Winning the World Cup. The arrogance.

 

[InspiRED]

They just tend to behave like utter pigs after alcohol when visiting different countries. Then explain it all with 'banter'

so true

 

[shaky]

"Dear non-England fans. it's all good banter when we wind up other teams who get knocked out. Don't do it to England though. It's not fair and makes us sad."

 

[Zlatan 7]

I know it’s getting a bit tedious now but something that I’ve thought about with this coming home nonsense, why hasn’t it been sung at every tournament since 96 with this much ‘humour’ and vigour if it’s such self depreciating humour, I didn’t see people signing their posts off on here with it’s coming home during 2010? So what was the reason people were doing it in this WC since the last 16? The easy route? You thought you could get far/ win it?
Genuinely curious why it’s just this World Cup unless you all thought it was actually ‘coming home’.

Also, I thought the song was made because football was coming home to England because you was hosting 96, nothing at all to do wth winning a World Cup, bit pedantic but it shows Lineker and Lots of others are taking shit about it. It’s basically just been adopted as a bandwagon song and everyone’s jumped on it, nothing to do with this self depreciating humour you’re all banging on about

 

[Random Task]

"Dear non-England fans. it's all good banter when we wind up other teams who get knocked out. Don't do it to England though. It's not fair and makes us sad."

As much as we England fans enjoy laughing at the other home nations getting knocked out of a major tournament, we might find that rather difficult this time around considering none of them participated in this world cup.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

I know it’s getting a bit tedious now but something that I’ve thought about with this coming home nonsense, why hasn’t it been sung at every tournament since 96 with this much ‘humour’ and vigour if it’s such self depreciating humour, I didn’t see people signing their posts off on here with it’s coming home during 2010? So what was the reason people were doing it in this WC since the last 16? The easy route? You thought you could get far/ win it?
Genuinely curious why it’s just this World Cup unless you all thought it was actually ‘coming home’.

Also, I thought the song was made because football was coming home to England because you was hosting 96, nothing at all to do wth winning a World Cup, bit pedantic but it shows Lineker and Lots of others are taking shit about it. It’s basically just been adopted as a bandwagon song and everyone’s jumped on it, nothing to do with this self depreciating humour you’re all banging on about

There’s five things that English people do very well.

1) that self depreciating humour.
2) drinking 2 beers and getting drunk
3) molycoddling their own views
4) they find scapegoats quicker than most people would find Wally/Waldo if everything else on the page was coloured black
5) overrating their ability to underrate and underrating their ability to overrate.

 

[Witchking]

I know it’s getting a bit tedious now but something that I’ve thought about with this coming home nonsense, why hasn’t it been sung at every tournament since 96 with this much ‘humour’ and vigour if it’s such self depreciating humour, I didn’t see people signing their posts off on here with it’s coming home during 2010? So what was the reason people were doing it in this WC since the last 16? The easy route? You thought you could get far/ win it?
Genuinely curious why it’s just this World Cup unless you all thought it was actually ‘coming home’.

Also, I thought the song was made because football was coming home to England because you was hosting 96, nothing at all to do wth winning a World Cup, bit pedantic but it shows Lineker and Lots of others are taking shit about it. It’s basically just been adopted as a bandwagon song and everyone’s jumped on it, nothing to do with this self depreciating humour you’re all banging on about

You have explained it very well however i doubt the English fans will accept that they were talking shit.

 

[Random Task]

I know it’s getting a bit tedious now but something that I’ve thought about with this coming home nonsense, why hasn’t it been sung at every tournament since 96 with this much ‘humour’ and vigour if it’s such self depreciating humour, I didn’t see people signing their posts off on here with it’s coming home during 2010? So what was the reason people were doing it in this WC since the last 16? The easy route? You thought you could get far/ win it?
Genuinely curious why it’s just this World Cup unless you all thought it was actually ‘coming home’.

Also, I thought the song was made because football was coming home to England because you was hosting 96, nothing at all to do wth winning a World Cup, bit pedantic but it shows Lineker and Lots of others are taking shit about it. It’s basically just been adopted as a bandwagon song and everyone’s jumped on it, nothing to do with this self depreciating humour you’re all banging on about

The original version of Football's Coming Home, sung by Frank and Skinner, was nothing more than a parody of our national team's failure in every major tournament since 1966. It was supposed to be ironic - a point which seems to have eluded a great many people, specifically those of the non-English persuasion.

 

[togg]

The original version of Football's Coming Home, sung by Frank and Skinner, was nothing more than a parody of our national team's failure in every major tournament since 1966. It was supposed to be ironic - a point which seems to have eluded a great many people, specifically those of the non-English persuasion.

Exactly....they just have to actually read the lyrics, but I don't think any of them know more than 'it's coming home'.....

I've given up and can't wait for this thread to close.......

 

[sullydnl]

Yep, it was everyone else's fault really.

We should have known that the descent of England football fans (masters of sophisticated humour that they are) and the English media (who are of course a byword for humble self-deprecation) into "it's coming home" fever was actually universally shared ironic faux-excitement that managed to incorporate seemingly real predictions ("We'll beat Croatia by two or three goals" says BBC pundit Rio Ferdinand), seemingly real reactions ("We should now be the most positive we've ever been" says ITV expert Gary Neville after England's 1-0 loss to Belgium B), seemingly real analysis ("Trippier with the cross of the tournament there" says former England manager Glenn Hoddle after the England man's ball finds Dejan Lovren) and seemingly real questions ("Is football coming home?" demand numerous journalists of the England players, who gamely buy into the hillarious jape by responding with deadpan sincerity).

No doubt the subsequent vitriol directed at non-English fans who dared to poke fun at this England side's loss was also intended ironically, along with the "no surrender" chants, nazi salutes, IKEA trashings, Piers Morgan, Brexit and Boris Johnson's hair.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Don’t forget the magic man Paul Merson

“With 30 minutes to go in this game I think England will run away with it and win comfortably. The longer the game goes on, there's no way England can't win.”

“If it's level with 30 minutes to go, there's only one winner“

“But I'm very, very confident”

PAUL'S PREDICTION: 0-2

 

[Zlatan 7]

The original version of Football's Coming Home, sung by Frank and Skinner, was nothing more than a parody of our national team's failure in every major tournament since 1966. It was supposed to be ironic - a point which seems to have eluded a great many people, specifically those of the non-English persuasion.

I know who it was by, not sure why you had to tell me that, it was the lightning seeds who I remember very well.

Still, didn’t ‘its Coming home’ allude to you hosting the tournament and not winning it? Even if they did sing about past failures, I don’t know.

Also you ignored the question of why just this World Cup and not the twenty years previous?

 

[Random Task]

Yep, it was everyone else's fault really.

We should have known that the descent of England football fans (masters of sophisticated humour that they are) and the English media (who are of course a byword for humble self-deprecation) into "it's coming home" fever was actually universally shared ironic faux-excitement that managed to incorporate seemingly real predictions ("We'll beat Croatia by two or three goals" says BBC pundit Rio Ferdinand), seemingly real reactions ("We should now be the most positive we've ever been" says BBC expert Gary Neville after England's 1-0 loss to Belgium B), seemingly real analysis ("Trippier with the cross of the tournament there" says former England manager Glenn Hoddle after the England man's ball finds Dejan Lovren) and seemingly real questions ("Is football coming home?" demand numerous journalists of the England players, who gamely buy into the hillarious jape by responding with deadpan sincerity).

No doubt the subsequent vitriol directed at non-English fans who dared to poke fun at this England side's loss was also intended ironically, along with the "no surrender" chants, nazi salutes, IKEA trashings, Piers Morgan, Brexit and Boris Johnson's hair.

What do the no surrender chants or nazi salutes have to do with the meaning behind Football's Coming Home, in fact, why even bring it up at all?

 

[Random Task]

I know who it was by, not sure why you had to tell me that, it was the lightning seeds who I remember very well.

Still, didn’t ‘its Coming home’ allude to you hosting the tournament and not winning it? Even if they did sing about past failures, I don’t know.

Also you ignored the question of why just this World Cup and not the twenty years previous?

Because in this world cup our players performed above expectation which, whether directly or indirectly, gave new meaning to the lyrics in the song - at least in the eyes of the less 'football savvy' England fans.

 

[Art Vandelay]

Yep, it was everyone else's fault really.

We should have known that the descent of England football fans (masters of sophisticated humour that they are) and the English media (who are of course a byword for humble self-deprecation) into "it's coming home" fever was actually universally shared ironic faux-excitement that managed to incorporate seemingly real predictions ("We'll beat Croatia by two or three goals" says BBC pundit Rio Ferdinand), seemingly real reactions ("We should now be the most positive we've ever been" says ITV expert Gary Neville after England's 1-0 loss to Belgium B), seemingly real analysis ("Trippier with the cross of the tournament there" says former England manager Glenn Hoddle after the England man's ball finds Dejan Lovren) and seemingly real questions ("Is football coming home?" demand numerous journalists of the England players, who gamely buy into the hillarious jape by responding with deadpan sincerity).

No doubt the subsequent vitriol directed at non-English fans who dared to poke fun at this England side's loss was also intended ironically, along with the "no surrender" chants, nazi salutes, IKEA trashings, Piers Morgan, Brexit and Boris Johnson's hair.

That was magnificent.

 

[fergies coat]

Don’t forget the magic man Paul Merson

“With 30 minutes to go in this game I think England will run away with it and win comfortably. The longer the game goes on, there's no way England can't win.”

“If it's level with 30 minutes to go, there's only one winner“

“But I'm very, very confident”

PAUL'S PREDICTION: 0-2

Someone got a prediction wrong. So what? If United go into a game and you think they can win what’s wrong with that? Is that arrogance?

Some of you people hate the English for no reason. Everybody is entitled to get carried away we got to a semi final ffs. This thread is full of salty bitter people. How dare you dream of winning the World Cup.

 

[sullydnl]

What do the no surrender chants or nazi salutes have to do with the meaning behind Football's Coming Home, in fact, why even bring it up at all?

Nothing really. I just saw someone bring it up above and rather thought it contrasted with the depiction of England fans' universally humble, self-deprecating approach to this tournament. Who knew they were so multi-faceted?

I do like that you left IKEA trashings, Brexit, Piers Morgan and Boris Johnson's hair out of your list of things that have nothing to do with football coming home though.

 

[Zlatan 7]

Because in this world cup our players performed above expectation which, whether directly or indirectly, gave new meaning to the lyrics in the song - at least in the eyes of the less 'football savvy' England fans.

Fair point, even though I would disagree with it.
You’ve got out of the groups before, and only won 2 group games this time and the coming home started, then got considerably worse as the tournament went on which I think shows that it was sung in expectation more than irony, which is being pushed.
If it was irony it would have been sung in every tournament you’ve been shit in.

Anyway, pointless argument that I just find funny the amount of justification it takes to deny arrogance. (Not saying you are)

Edit: not just sung but constantly repeated, signing posts off with it, hashtags. It’s just been a bit bizzare to see

 

[BusbyMalone]

The original version of Football's Coming Home, sung by Frank and Skinner, was nothing more than a parody of our national team's failure in every major tournament since 1966. It was supposed to be ironic - a point which seems to have eluded a great many people, specifically those of the non-English persuasion.

The lyrics to that particular song is almost a red herring here. What the intention of that song was is almost irrelevant to the situation we seem to be discussing in this thread. You can deny it all you want, but there were large swathes of England fans giving it large, especially after that Colombia game, and genuinely thought they could do it. Or at the very least get to the final. Which there's nothing wrong with. Feck all wrong with being excited with your team. They decided to do it in manner that was in your face. Again, that's fine.

But you must be prepared for the blowback and not hide behind the "it was only a joke" schtick. Much like the England fans on here were revelling in Germany's demise for their perceived arrogance, many non english fans were doing the same when England got knocked out. You can't have it both ways.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Someone got a prediction wrong. So what? If United go into a game and you think they can win what’s wrong with that? Is that arrogance?

Some of you people hate the English for no reason. Everybody is entitled to get carried away we got to a semi final ffs. This thread is full of salty bitter people. How dare you dream of winning the World Cup.

A lot of people have a lot of solid reasons.