The Perennial Celtic Quandary

Why do so many of us support England's opponents, whoever they may be, and not England ?

Let me say that I have always found it difficult to support an England Football, Rugby or Cricket team. My conscience implores me to support them, but the consequences of living in an English dominated UK has unfortunately driven me in the other direction.

I genuinely want to support them and my head tells me that I should, but my heart won't let me.

I am totally British, believe implicitly in the retention of the UK, and support all things British in a non-sporting context, be they manifested in composite parts of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, or as the Union. I don't particularly like foreigners, and believe that the British nation is the most superior on Earth. So why can't I support the English sporting teams ? I have no problem supporting Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

It's not their arrogance and condescending attitude, traits which are abundantly in evidence in their Cricket and Rugby players. Both these codes still live very much in the "old school tie brigade" days, and my youthful years of following Glamorgan cricket certainly turned me against the Home Counties dominated cricket establishment . However, this could not explain away my antipathy towards the Football team, who suffer no such class foibles, and readily embrace our footballers into their football teams and social circles.

I won't put it down to the fans either, because generally, in all sports, we are all similarly genuine and passionate, and the English that I work and mix with are no different in attitude to us Celts.

To me, it always comes back to the media, and their influence is far stronger in Football than Cricket or Rugby.

To the media football is unarguably the UK and World's No 1 sport, but the entire reporting of it comes from an England angle. Now I appreciate that probably 80% of the UK population are English, so there will inevitably be a numerically based bias in terms of coverage, but the jingoism displayed by the national media seems to go beyond the bounds of even handed patriotic support.

When coverage of an England friendly match (Denmark) generates far more column inches and radio/TV time than Wales and Scotland's vital play-off matches, then I tend to get really brassed off.

This all adds to the perception of the English as arrogant, pompous and superior, and dismissive of their fellow British.

Can anybody help with this predicament, and provide a solution or rationale to solve my dilemma ?

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