From The Guardian...
It was the question about the Scots, specifically his next-door neighbour, and Britons not supporting England which drew the most interesting response.The PM said he could not understand the antipathy the Scots and the Welsh have for the England football team (where has he been?). He felt that you could support a team without necessarily hating your rivals. "As a Newcastle Uni'ed suppawer," he said, "I would be ri' behind Sunderland if they go' into Europe [Come on now, Prime Minister, be serious] and I'm sure, Adrian, if Aston Villa were in a big European final, you would suppaw them, wouldn't you?" Chiles (a West Brom fan) gasped at the very suggestion."Er no," was his answer. And so, in a stroke, were the Prime Minister's credentials as a football fan destroyed."
Blogging might be a bit light tonight. Come on England! Rooooney! Rooooney!
Hat tip to LabourWatch
23 comments:
Surely you mean Miiillllllliband - old Tony does find is so hard to tell them apart.
He doesn't have a clue, does he? All you have to do is examine individual club's chants to know that from one end of the country to the other the most vicious 'hatreds' are between neighbouring teams.
Wrong wrong wrong
It is the most disagreeable part of soccer (by some way) that sensible rational people view the defeat of an "auld enemy" as equal to a victory for ones own side. It is the most pointless emotion known to man.
Yes it does make you wonder what planet he is on - Scots v Welsh v England antipathy - fine, but the people who really hate other team's supporters are the next door neighbours - e.g. Listening to my Geordie friends' excorciating remarks about "Makims" is a wonder to behold!
Hmmmm, this looks very familiar to my earlier post Iain.... perhaps it should say from the Guardian via Labour Watch?
I normally loathe football, having said that my great granddad played for Newton Heath United (now Man U) and my god father was in business with George Best, and having been regularly dragged to old Trafford as a child I still have an irrational hatred of Man City fans, and would quite happily drop an H bomb on Liverpool.
Tony Blair is a cock!
He probably supports Chelsea the ponce.
I think Sweden will win.
Inamicus, you are quite right. I shall amend. I did actually start writing that originally, but it looked a bit odd saying "Labour Watch quotes the Guardain" but happy to oblige.
Jesus, what a tit we have for PM. He'll be saying the Gwladys Street End should sing for the red shite next. However, that said I know the truth Iain, and that truth is you love Millwall really!
I would like to apologise to everyone Dizzy's momentary abberation when he mentioned M*****l. I should have censored his post. I am very sorry.
Quite honestly any politician claiming to be an ardent footie fan runs the risk of appearing false.
Much that he had against him I do believe John Major did actually attend Chelsea matches; and Iain strikes me as a genuine Hammers supporter. Even Alastair Cambell's affection for Burnley seems genuine (who, for God's sake would claim to support Burnley for street cred?)
But honestly, urban legends aside, can anyone really picture our effete Islington Man of a PM watching matches avidly? Getting into earnest discussions about knife edge offside decisions?
This is a cmplete joke and he's just making himself look like a biger arse than he already appears.
RM
Blair is becoming chief mourner at the funeral of his dying credibility. He should take the advice Roy Keane directed at Carlos Queiroz.
Stoke City supporters can't stand Port Vale supporters (and vice versa), Man City supporters can't stand so-called 'Munichs', and the Liverpool-Man U rivalry grows (if anything) nastier (particularly after what happened to the ambulance carrying Alan Smith). Spurs supporters can't stand Gunners. Millwall supporter Rod Liddle loses no opportunity to be rude to Charlton supporters, labelling them (inter alia) as trainspotters.
Yes, Major did attend Chelsea matches. He was shown on TV doing so.
Someone mentioned chants. Here's one from the Stretford End re. Liverpool supporters:
Park Park
Whoever you may be
They eat dogs
In your country
It could be worse
You could be Scouse
Eating rats in your council house
Plus, of course, there are also the usual sick songs and chants about Heysel, Hillsborough, the Munich air crash, and about individuals such as the two late Georges (Best and Harrison).
A friend of mine supports Birmingham City, and, like most Blues, absolutely loathes Aston Villa, not least because he thinks their fans are pompous. He'll support anyone who plays against them.
Well, I'm with peter h on the whole football thing. Drives me loopy; 50% of the regional TV news nearly every day and I haven't a bloody clue what they're on about - much less do I care.
Still, if it's further showing up his Toniness for the vacuous populist hypocrite he so clearly is - plus making Old sourface Broon squirm, then it's gone up a notch or two in my estimation
redeye - "Liverpool-Man U rivalry grows"
==================================
yeah, Everton and Man City don't get a look-in on the hatefest! You sure you're not Tony Blair?
....if Aston Villa were in a big European final, you would suppaw them, wouldn't you?" Chiles (a West Brom fan) gasped at the very suggestion."Er no," was his answer.
That's because Chiles is a fat, sad, jealous yam yam. I can't say what I would do if the baggies were in a big European Final... it's too much for my imagination.
By the way... if 'Dave' is taken a genuine supporters' ticket for tonight's game, which team does he usually watch at weekends?
Hey guys, I've been a lifelong supporter of Newcastle City for almost ten years now and actually I'm a passionate soccer fan. Under New Labour all soccer fans should support other people's teams just as much as their own, actually they already do but you won't hear that from the Tory Party. New Labour, New Soccer. Under Labour we have 58% fewer losing teams than under the last Conservative government.
Look Iain, I don't like making a big thing of my Passionate support for british soccer teams, actually I made it quite clear in my interview on 606 that I don't like any politicians who publicise their soccer supporting, so I say this to you "Come On England, Sctland, the F***ing Welsh, the Germans and all our European partners".
The interview can be heard via here.
Everyone seems to have missed a little gem from the interview. He said he would support Scotland if they were playing, UNLESS they were playing England.
Pass me the sick bowl!!
Re. Dizzy, I said it grows nastier - maybe the other Reds used to try to tip over ambulances containing injured Man U players, but it's new to me.
You don't need to tell me about the rivalry with City - two of their more boorish supporters snarled at me like jackals (and made the usual references to Munich) after the local Derby two years ago. Anyone would think they'd lost, instead of having won 4-1.
As for Everton, they seem to (as in everything else) try to outdo their local rivals in hating Man U!
Then again, I should also have mentioned the (cross-Pennine) rivalry between Man U and Leeds. While the Kop observed a respectful silence during the two minutes' silence for Sir Matt two years ago, the Leeds fans booed and sung Don Revie.
I am sure that Tony is looking forward to a European side winning the world cup. If Germany wins then as EU citizens we will all be supporting the winning side and so can all be proud of our country.
In New Britain, We have moved on since 1966 and an EU victory will surely boost our beloved leader in the polls. Tony is such a visionary. Allez les allemagnes as they say in islington
so does blair just not care about Welsh/Scottish votes?
Bless him. My mum was supporting england until told by Blair she had to. Now it's anyone but England.
He really should stick to things he knows about. We would all get much more peace and quiet if he did.
The rivalry between clubs is generally over-exagerated. I agree, many of the hardcore football fans have a vicipous hatred. However, football is becoming an increasingly middle class thing to watch (I mean, look at the decline of atmosphere) so locl rivalries are diminishing.
I'm an avid season ticket supporting Newcastle supporter - of course I love to see Sunderland lose, but i'd prefer they STAYED in the premiership and i'd prefer them to win any cup final etc - better that the North East sees glory rather than a southern team.
The rivalry between clubs is made to look worst because the most vocal are the people who have a complete irrational hatred of their rivals.
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