It seems to me that the BRITISH national anthem is "God Save the Queen." It seems to me that the ENGLISH national anthem is "Land of Hope and Glory."
I know it's a bit much to expect Wayne Rooney to know more than one set of lyrics, but why is an English team playing in Cardiff introduced with the BRITISH national anthem? The XI wasn't representing Britain. I'm not even Welsh, but I thought that was a bit off.
Speaking of a bit off ... that's two hours of my life that I'll never get back.
Didn't hear that myself as was in a pub, but can only imagine it was a cheap attempt at a wind-up by whoever the announcer was. Wouldn't surprise me to find it was the same div that does the matchday PA at The Dog Track.
While we're on the subject, the booing of any anthem is proper small time. Sort your lives out.
Completely sympathise with your overall assessment of the game - and I speak as someone who's half English and half Welsh!
To cap it all off, I got back from the pub only to find I'd missed The Cottage's appearance at the Boat Race
Nah, feels more like an English national anthem than a United Kingdom anthem to me. And isn't Jerusalem the "alternative" English national anthem?
Quite funny that it could hardly be heard above the Welsh booing, in anycase.
Quote from: The Doctor on March 26, 2011, 05:37:35 PM
While we're on the subject, the booing of any anthem is proper small time. Sort your lives out.
Is it? It's just a little sing song about the country you happen to be born in. Since I don't believe in any god, and couldn't care less about the Queen, I'm not really bothered if they boo or not. Sing "God f- the Queen" if you like.
I could be wrong, but I'm fairly certain that if I booed another nation's anthem (say, when the Blue Jays are in town against the Orioles), I'd get thrown out of the stadium and then arrested for a hate crime.
But at least Canada and the US are two different nations -- it's even more pathetic when it's between two countries that aren't independently sovereign (or whatever their status is) anyhow. Disgusting.
Even though I am not even remotely close to being a nationalist, I find booing my anthem (or indeed: any) very offensive. Then again, the lyrics are about freedom for people and constitutional rights. So people booing that are people booing their own freedom and constitutional rights. If you would want to see me very angry, just try booing my national anthem!
Quote from: sipwell on March 26, 2011, 05:58:31 PM
Even though I am not even remotely close to being a nationalist, I find booing my anthem (or indeed: any) very offensive. Then again, the lyrics are about freedom for people and constitutional rights. So people booing that are people booing their own freedom and constitutional rights. If you would want to see me very angry, just try booing my national anthem!
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen:
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save the Queen.
No mention of "the people" here (paraphrased - "Dear God: make sure the Queen's all right, will you? Cheers.")
O Lord, our God, arise,
Scatter her enemies,
And make them fall.
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
God save us all.
No mention of "the people" here (paraphrased - "Dear God: you wouldn't mind crushing the Queen's enemies would you? Cheers.")
Thy choicest gifts in store,
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign:
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice
God save the Queen
The country's laws are mentioned in passing (paraphrased - "Dear God: make sure the Queen's happy, won't you. Oh, and hopefully she'll defend the laws, whatever they may be. Don't really mind if the laws are for our benefit or hers really, just as long as she protects them. Cheers.")
Quote from: ImperialWhite on March 26, 2011, 05:37:41 PM
Is it? It's just a little sing song about the country you happen to be born in. Since I don't believe in any god, and couldn't care less about the Queen, I'm not really bothered if they boo or not. Sing "God f- the Queen" if you like.
Each to their own, but I just find it daft. It's sad when a group of people seem to define or identify themselves by what they aren't rather than what they are.
I don't want this to be percieved as an anti-Welsh rant either. I cringe when England fans do it as well. The "retaliation" argument is neither here nor there to my mind - rise above it. Apeing behaviour that you find offensive isn't clever and makes you look just as stupid as those you're trying to have a dig at
@The Doctor. I suppose - people can be offended by whatever they like.
I just don't see the difference in offensiveness between booing a national anthem and, say, us chanting "dirty Northern bastards" or "John Terry's mother is a thief and whore".
It's not "nice" to boo an anthem, but I don't get why it deserves to be put a special pedestal.
Plus, it's possible -perhaps our Welsh members could enlighten us - that there's still national resentment from the Welsh to the English. We did conquer the country after all.
I honestly believe that if England was presented with "Land of Hope and Glory" it wouldn't have been a problem. To me, doing "God Save the Queen" instead was going into Wales, into their house, and saying "you're not British."
That's what I thought the booing was about. I could be wrong.
I personally find booing any national anthem insulting.
Me too Burt...
No dignity.. Practiced by the small minded.
Never happens at rugby matches.... Go figure
...I think we should change the National Anthem for the England football team to one that they could all sing with enthusiasm, without too many syllables and difficult words:-
Money, Money, Money
We've too much money
It's our rich mans world...
I suppose we can see why the Scots aren't all that pleased with "God Save The Queen"as an anthem, seeing as at the time of the Jacobites the verse;
"Lord, grant that Marshal Wade,
May by thy mighty aid,
Victory bring.
May he sedition hush and like a torrent rush,
Rebellious Scots to crush,
God save the King".
..was inserted.
@ Imperial White: I consider your quotation of the English/British anthem to be a compliment, but I am, remain and shall for ever be a Belgian.
Belgium - O dear, O holy land of fathers -
Our soul and our hearts are devoted to.
Accept our strength and our blood veins,
Be our goal, in work and struggle.
Prosper, O country, in unbreakable unity;
Be yourself and serve no man,
The word faithful, you may speak boldly,
For King, for Freedom and for Law!
The word faithful, you may speak boldly,
For King, for Freedom and for Law!
But no offence taken!
Can't understand why anyone would try and take the moral high ground over booing a national anthem.
Ff's nobody was killed. We're not at civil war. The Welsh are hardly crossing the Severn armed to the teeth trying to take Bristol.
This was a derby match and the reception was to be expected.
Every country in Europe hates the english Wales is no different
Quote from: HatterDon on March 26, 2011, 07:07:45 PM
I honestly believe that if England was presented with "Land of Hope and Glory" it wouldn't have been a problem. To me, doing "God Save the Queen" instead was going into Wales, into their house, and saying "you're not British."
That's what I thought the booing was about. I could be wrong.
totally agree Don, England should have it's own national anthem, my preference is land of hope and glory also, swing low is a hymn and just a rugby thing, , during the rugby we had all the other teams with their own, " flower of Scotland etc and England have the national anthem, even princess Anne sung the welsh anthem which also is a favourite of mine but had to stand silent when her Mum's tune came on.
I think we should have a roaring rendition of "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts".
