[cite]Posted By: nolly[/cite]turn it in len starting to think your a wum
Boxing is your sport and, as a player, rugby was one of mine and I enjoy watching England play international rugbywhen us prolesare allowed to on terrestial television.
Never been a true game of the the proles historically in this country though has it Len? I always used to see it as a very pro establishment upper/ upper middle class game, proportionately (although obviously more accessible to the masses now) in this country. Grammar and public schools tended to shun football and play "rugger" and vice versa.
Perhaps that has something to do with them bellowing out God save the QUEEN more passionately than folk from other backgrounds?
Rugby Union Football and Association Football both have long and noble traditions in Engand's Public Schools and grammar schools but association football went professional whereas rugby union football remained amateur. Professional standards, fairly obviously, will as a general rule be higher than amateur standards hence Corinthian Casuals not doing as well as Arsenal or Manchester United. Professionalism also opened up association football to working people as they could be paid to play it. Hence association football becoming and being regarded as more of a "working class" game.
However it is a misconception that rugby union is and always has been a "toffs" game. In England Cornwall has traditionally been a rugby stronghold and has no football league club. The same is true (although comparatively recently Cheltenham has become a league club) of Gloucester and surrounding areas. The rugby in these areas is played and supported by working class people. The East Midlands is yet another area where Rugby Union has traditionally been both strongly played and supported by predominantly the working class.
Finally is it not somewhat patronising of you to imply that working class people cannot be and are not equally proud of our country's traditions?
I know my history regarding this as i studied it at a level and as part of my degree so no need for the history lesson thanks. I was saying that (in my humble opinion) rugby when i was growing up was more popular with certain types of folk proportionately as was football.
If you looked at the average England rugby crowd and possibly team in the mid 80s at Twickenham and compared it to the same at Wembley the demographics would differ in proportion.
At lot has changed in the last decade or so and both games seen the demographics shift to a degree.
As for the last bit no I dont think I am being patronising as I am certainly not saying that working class people are not equally proud of our country's traditions, just that not all of them are a pro Royals.
(Although my working class nan and grandad did have a bloody Charles and Di wastepaper bin.)
The Royal family is only one part of this country's tradition/ history and not all of us proud Englishman feel obliged to bow down as subservient subjects to an overpriveliged lot many of whom in my time have often showed as much dignity, class and morals as your average Jeremy Kyle guest.
Having said that I do think the Queen is a lovely little old lady and dont include her in the above paragraph.
[quote][cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite] If the country's anthem were 'Land of Hope and Glory' - as it should be - then a few more people might sing along.[/quote]
Agree with this, I could not bring myself to sing about Liz. But our Great Country, now that is different!
[cite]Posted By: tangoflash[/cite]My vote would be the Imperial stormtrooper march theme from star wars. :-)
LOL!
Actually it would make a bloody good tune for the team to march out of the tunnel at the Valley - let the opposition come out first at half time then stick it on and let the boys stride out.
I'm educated, I know the words, Im a proud Englishman (Brit), but I wouldn't sing the anthem. If I did it would be purely on PR grounds to stop sticks-in-the-muds criticising me unfairly on messageboards...
Comments
Rugby Union Football and Association Football both have long and noble traditions in Engand's Public Schools and grammar schools but association football went professional whereas rugby union football remained amateur. Professional standards, fairly obviously, will as a general rule be higher than amateur standards hence Corinthian Casuals not doing as well as Arsenal or Manchester United. Professionalism also opened up association football to working people as they could be paid to play it. Hence association football becoming and being regarded as more of a "working class" game.
However it is a misconception that rugby union is and always has been a "toffs" game. In England Cornwall has traditionally been a rugby stronghold and has no football league club. The same is true (although comparatively recently Cheltenham has become a league club) of Gloucester and surrounding areas. The rugby in these areas is played and supported by working class people. The East Midlands is yet another area where Rugby Union has traditionally been both strongly played and supported by predominantly the working class.
Finally is it not somewhat patronising of you to imply that working class people cannot be and are not equally proud of our country's traditions?
I know my history regarding this as i studied it at a level and as part of my degree so no need for the history lesson thanks. I was saying that (in my humble opinion) rugby when i was growing up was more popular with certain types of folk proportionately as was football.
If you looked at the average England rugby crowd and possibly team in the mid 80s at Twickenham and compared it to the same at Wembley the demographics would differ in proportion.
At lot has changed in the last decade or so and both games seen the demographics shift to a degree.
As for the last bit no I dont think I am being patronising as I am certainly not saying that working class people are not equally proud of our country's traditions, just that not all of them are a pro Royals.
(Although my working class nan and grandad did have a bloody Charles and Di wastepaper bin.)
The Royal family is only one part of this country's tradition/ history and not all of us proud Englishman feel obliged to bow down as subservient subjects to an overpriveliged lot many of whom in my time have often showed as much dignity, class and morals as your average Jeremy Kyle guest.
Having said that I do think the Queen is a lovely little old lady and dont include her in the above paragraph.
If the country's anthem were 'Land of Hope and Glory' - as it should be - then a few more people might sing along.[/quote]
Agree with this, I could not bring myself to sing about Liz. But our Great Country, now that is different!
LOL!
Actually it would make a bloody good tune for the team to march out of the tunnel at the Valley - let the opposition come out first at half time then stick it on and let the boys stride out.
I'm educated, I know the words, Im a proud Englishman (Brit), but I wouldn't sing the anthem. If I did it would be purely on PR grounds to stop sticks-in-the-muds criticising me unfairly on messageboards...