[turkeydinner]

So to be incredibly sad and pedantic
German Tribes came over to Britain en masse in the 4th and 5th centuries but probably many here since 100BCE
Norse have settled since 8th century
Danes since 9th century
Polish since 11th century
French since 11th century although probably many here since 5th

I`m English, a huge supporter of the SPL due to it being not so hyped as a Monday night 0-0 between Southampton and Burnley on Sky sports, I speak fluent Welsh having lived there, my partner is Lithuanian, and also love Dutch football, variety makes us interesting, personally I will back all the Home Nations and failing that i`ll cheer Germany or Denmark etc.

Not a fan of the English press or mentality, just a few days ago I saw a FB piece about Paul Gascoigne many remarking the greatest UK player ever and the best, matter of perspective. After a great WC he left Tottenham to join the Italian version of Tottenham, never regained the full form he showed post major injury or fitness. Played for a good Rangers side where Joselu could score 20+ a year but did nothing in Europe, then apart from a good goal at Euro 96 he hardly set the EPL alight. Bad lifestyle choices all the way and yet he`s remembered as a Footballing God and spoke through the media in high praise, all I see is a wasted career.

[SHEP_HTAFC]

I agree with most of the sentiments on here.
When I lived in Yorkshire I would support all the home nations. Since I moved to Scotland then I hope they all get stuffed at every tournament/qualifiers/friendlies etc. It's to do with the way most of the other home nations fans view England.
And before I get negative feedback...it's like Hibeejim21 says....I just couldn't support them....no way. And my ex wife is Scottish, and my daughter considers herself Scottish.
SCO puts it really well....it's not anti Scottish, it's anti Scotland (in sport).

As for the footy, after seeing Argentina get a masterclass in how to play good football with a cutting edge, the list of potential winners are getting smaller. Croatia were good, but they won't win it. They did put in a lot of nasty challenges last night, and this will come back to bite them on the arse later on.
Germany won't win it. They just don't have a world class striker.
Portugal won't win it.....a one man team has won World Cups before (Argentina 86 with Maradonna). But they just don't have anyone else approaching half his level.
So for me that leaves Brazil, Spain, France, Belgium, and yes England.
Lot of footy still to be played, lots of twists and turns. It's actually gearing up to be a really good World Cup.

[Devongone]

Yesterday I reached 66. How could this happen to me? Only one more six and it's the number of the beast.

The one useful thing I've learned during that time (including degrees from Huddersfield!) is that LIFE IS TOO SHORT. Decent, nice men and women who love and are loved get things wrong, misunderstand and misinterpret motives, say things that are wrong, get angry and fall out. One of the many things you can't do when you are dead is shake hands and say you are sorry it happened.

Scots are meant to have a little pop at the English. It's kinda compulsory. Chesterfield has to hate Mansfield and vice versa. BUT when Mansfield went out of the EFL I hated it. What's the point in rivals who can't give you rivalry? Now some Mansfield fans are cheering on our demise, but they'll soon find they miss us now we're gone!

I don't support Scotland, but I want to see Scottish football back on its own excellent feet, not surviving on some negative identity of anti-Englishness. Let's get some of those great Scottish outfield players back again and maybe one day they'll find a goalie too (they did once get one from Chesterfield - Bob Wilson!) BUT above all I do want to be able to indulge in a bit of banter with Hibee Jim and 0762 AND Shep. Rivalry, criticism, even huge differences of opinion are fine, but life's too short for good people to fall out.

This world's got Donald Trump in it. Surely that's enough division for any of us to cope with?

Never let the sun go down on an argument they say ........ but the trouble with the internet is its sun never goes down. In this strange virtual space that might be the size of a telephone box, or a parallel universe, can't we just be friends?

[Amelia Chaffinch]

All well and good, Devon, you're ace. However, this, like many other threads started, is a classic case of giving it out but not being able to take it. On this particular one, at least, iI am standing shoulder to shoulder with Shep..... Cos, above all, we're Yorkshire,  YORKSHIRE!

[Devongone]

This shoulder-to-shoulder bit sounds suspiciously like a Yorkshire Army to me Amelia. Maybe the Bantams and Mr Bielsa's lot could join?

Of course if you give it out you should expect to take it, but in the last few days the stadiums of Russia have been littered with players writhing around on the floor demonstrating how quickly they've forgotten that scything tackle they themselves put in ten minutes earlier.

What hope is there for Israel and Palestine if two people I like can't agree to differ?

(My favourite so far is Hibee Jim's line, "some of my best friends are English". You can finish off the line, "some of my best friends are" in any way you like to add supposed weight to any argument you are making. Try ..... Hitler Youth, Friends of Dorothy, Black, Disabled, Incontinent, Women, Weightlifters, Drug Addicts, Alcoholics, Murderers, Policemen, Conservatives, Rangers' fans, Terriers. Maybe it is just my surreal turn of mind but I always want to say Okapi, or Monkfish, or Statutory Instruments ..........

Obviously I'm just a mental old hippy waving a rainbow flag and wearing rainbow bootlaces.

[0762]

What!? No cannabis joints to mention Devongone lol! Good comments and, as you say, LIFE IS INDEED FAR TOO SHORT TO GET HET UP OVER SOME TENUOUS FOOTIE DISAGREEMENT NOW N AGAIN! Huhhh!

[Lord Snooty]

My favourite "some of my best friends are..." line came many years ago in a Monty Python sketch.

"Some of my best friends are lumberjacks and only a few of them are transvestites."

[Devongone]

It turns out some of my best friends are on here. I'm just trying to work out how sad that actually is.

[Lord Snooty]

IT'S TRUE! WE ARE GONNA WIN THE CUP.

[Amelia Chaffinch]

Naturally.