Everton and England

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Groucho

Groucho

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I've put this on the home page,it'll appear later, but I wondered what you all thought too:

Coming off another international break, I find myself relieved that we have Everton to look forward to once more - I am no England fan at all. This is something that perplexes some blues I know from outside Liverpool, so let's look into it further.


I'm from Walton, and have been a blue all my life. I've a keen interest in football, but when internationals roll around, I find myself with no allegiance to England at all. Why? I don't know. Aside from the fact that I see pointless international friendlies as a sure-fire way to risk injuring an Everton player, when it comes to qualifiers/tournaments, I'll take an interest in all the teams from the British Isles, but I'm just not inclined to support solely England.

At this point I'd like to say that, while I know there's a lot of blues like me, I do appreciate that this is probably not the case if you are an Irish or Scottish blue - you'll love and be proud of your national team and rightly so, you should be. I sometimes wonder if it's almost a "Scouse not English" attitude that's been developed here over the last 30 years or so?


Are Everton and Liverpool a sort of dual "Scouse national team"? Some view Barcelona in this way, for their area, so perhaps it's the same here? Do Liverpool fans feel the same way? We frequently have players in the national side and I want them to do well individually, but the fear is always there that other clubs will hunt them down if they do well, to injure or poach them.

I'm not ridiculing those blues who support England, that's their choice and good on them, it's just not something I feel I can do - looking out for another team, albeit England, just feels wrong to me. I'm not ridiculing other blues for following England, it just feels wrong to me, to be looking for another teams results, even England.

Nor am I bitter towards the national side, because we have players as England regulars - it's not as though Everton players are ignored (these days). I realise I may be speaking for a minority here, but I know some at least agree with me.

Maybe I just love Everton.....
 


Must be a scouse thing really but I find international footy too boring in general that blend of players from different clubs really affects the level of football
 
After years and years of hyperbole and disappointment my interest in The English national team rates with my cynicism of national politicians. They are there, there's nothing much you can do about it, will watch on the big occasions but will expect little.
 

......I would say that the big summer international tournaments are of more interest with England involved. I'll also say that when they are selected I want Everton players to do well but generally I'm not overly bothered with international football, especially meaningless friendlies.
 
For me personally I think that it's because Everton are a constant in my life; I get 9 months of watching them play competitively and the other 3 getting excited about transfers and pre-season etc. Being able to follow a club every day of the week and share my thoughts on forums like this interests me and keeps my football spirit going.

England on the other hand have an underwhelming week or two at a tournament every 2 years followed by some very inconveniently timed international qualifiers and friendlies. I'm English and live in the Lake District so this isn't a "scouse not English" viewpoint. I love international tournaments because I get to see lots of different teams and players but couldn't really care what happens to England anymore.

Put it this way: if an Everton player is injured on England duty I am furious but if he's injured at Everton and misses a World Cup? More than happy.
 
Groucho said:
I've put this on the home page,it'll appear later, but I wondered what you all thought too:

Coming off another international break, I find myself relieved that we have Everton to look forward to once more - I am no England fan at all. This is something that perplexes some blues I know from outside Liverpool, so let's look into it further.


I'm from Walton, and have been a blue all my life. I've a keen interest in football, but when internationals roll around, I find myself with no allegiance to England at all. Why? I don't know. Aside from the fact that I see pointless international friendlies as a sure-fire way to risk injuring an Everton player, when it comes to qualifiers/tournaments, I'll take an interest in all the teams from the British Isles, but I'm just not inclined to support solely England.

At this point I'd like to say that, while I know there's a lot of blues like me, I do appreciate that this is probably not the case if you are an Irish or Scottish blue - you'll love and be proud of your national team and rightly so, you should be. I sometimes wonder if it's almost a "Scouse not English" attitude that's been developed here over the last 30 years or so?


Are Everton and Liverpool a sort of dual "Scouse national team"? Some view Barcelona in this way, for their area, so perhaps it's the same here? Do Liverpool fans feel the same way? We frequently have players in the national side and I want them to do well individually, but the fear is always there that other clubs will hunt them down if they do well, to injure or poach them.

I'm not ridiculing those blues who support England, that's their choice and good on them, it's just not something I feel I can do - looking out for another team, albeit England, just feels wrong to me. I'm not ridiculing other blues for following England, it just feels wrong to me, to be looking for another teams results, even England.

Nor am I bitter towards the national side, because we have players as England regulars - it's not as though Everton players are ignored (these days). I realise I may be speaking for a minority here, but I know some at least agree with me.

Maybe I just love Everton.....
Click to expand...

I think you've nailed it. As we agreed in the wool thread we are 'in' Lancs but not of it. More and more or so it seems, in a football sense, we are in England, but not of it.
due a great deal to the utter bellwhiff Eng-er-land fans and a dis enchantment with the overpaid under achievers on the field...except for the Blues of course.

On the field and off the field this is no longer the England it used to be.
 
summerisle said:
After years and years of hyperbole and disappointment my interest in The English national team rates with my cynicism of national politicians. They are there, there's nothing much you can do about it, will watch on the big occasions but will expect little.
Click to expand...
You've got it just about right. It's the old 'them and us' thing really. England are 'them' and we are most certainly 'us'.
 

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