Out of respect for Queen Elizabeth, I didn’t want to on the day of her funeral give any attention towards those who booed the National Anthem at Goodison Park on Sunday and at certain SPL fixtures (which is why Scotland on Tuesday went for a minutes applause rather than silence).
The National press obviously made a promise to do the same, reporting like all pre match rituals were met with respect by those in the crowd.
Yet Eric Dier, to his credit, once again put the behaviour of fans in England again into focus by admitting out of fear he doesn’t allow his parents to attend away games.
How sad that instead of the talk being about how the Spurs defender has earnt a recall by the Three Lions, the topic centred around the day he felt compelled to jump into the stands and protect his brother from abuse.
The same abuse his family were subjected to when visiting Stamford Bridge last month.
Rightly the 28 year old equally questioned how the media reports these incidents, almost like it’s part of the sport we have to accept.
I have long written football supporters in Britain having an issue where they can’t separate the game with the real world.
Someone’s mum, gran, monarch has passed away .
Clearly by the thousands who camped in London for hours to see her at rest, there is evidence that this person meant a lot to a lot of people .
It’s not about being a royalist, it’s simple having some class.
I have no feelings either way to the Royals. I do acknowledge though it’s something that upset many and my education tells me empathise with that.
My upbringing teaches me that if someone if grieving to allow them to do so.
If you don’t want to sing God Save the King, then don’t, that’s your right .
Yet by booing and chanting your making it all about your own agenda.
You know like Liverpool do every time they travel to Wembley.
In the Cup Final Prince William was taunted with hand gestures and vile words.
The same City who expect rightly for silence when they want to remember Hillsborough.
The same city who accuse the French media of sweeping under the carpet how their police behaved in May.
Yet they don’t mind the English press leaving out how on Sunday, Everton, the ‘People’s Club’, couldn’t for a few minutes be dignified for the death of a 96 year old.
They will tell you they are Scousers and how opposing anything dictated to them by the government is their badge of honour.
Sickening, a generation will grow up thinking booing a national anthem is normal behaviour.
Liverpool after all is the only city in the world who in any period of history has been hard done by politics.
The irony is; it’s the same fans who can’t sit through a period of silence or a song that wondered why football was one of the few sports postponed the weekend after the Queen’s death.
The saddest part is they probably don’t see that irony.
Horse racing, cricket, tennis, etc have followers with a certain decorum.
The FA and the Premier League knowing they embody the national sport in the UK most likely asked could grounds across Britain be trusted to celebrate the life of the head of state, or at the very least show warmth to the Royal Family?
It was too much of a risk and the juice simply wasn’t worth the squeeze.
It would have been an embarrassment to football if 24 hours after the Queen’s passing the national anthem be drowned out by morons who can’t see the bigger picture (go check what Dundee fans chanted !)
As we start a new era with a new king, many are uncertain about the future .
One of the concerning aspects on the rise that needs to be fixed, is people thinking, in the confines of a football bubble, they can say and do anything they regard.
Essentially a Euros, that the UK hosted,was marred by online racial abuse and fans breaking into stadiums.
Even some not trying to be offensive lacked sensitivity.
There were articles on how a weekend off could benefit us, not benefit us, be good for our rivals, not be good, etc .
Say that out loud, fixtures are postponed due to the death of a human being, and we are using a death to debate who gets a sporting advantage .
Football is a beautiful game but it’s just that ….a game.
Dan Smith
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Excellent though sadly true article. I have long thought that football more than any other BRITISH sport, attacts far more idiots and folk who cannot engage a brain -which in many cases is a very dull witted and reactionary brain – than it ought
It has to be recognised that football does attract many who are onlythere to act aggressively. Hooligans are generally well policed inside grounds these days, but it is still there Hooligans are thr most unthinking ands animal like humans in our land. At least caeer criminals often have a brain which can at least work out the chance of whether or not they will be made to pay, by prison, for their crimes.
Hooligans lack even this very basic intelligence. Their own lives are generally empty of love, of true human feeling and we ought to feel sorry for them, while at the same time. making sure they are put where thry cannot harm society further.
As an intellIgent, compassionate and thinking man, like the vast majority of football fans are too, I HAVE OFTEN FELT ASHAMED OF A MINORITY OF FANS EVERYWHERE.
Elizabeth was an icon/ a grandmother/ a mother who was respected by millions of people and she couldn’t choose to be a commoner. Yet she was also a symbol of a monarchy, which is disliked by many people
From a freedom of expression standpoint, they have the rights to do so. But if I were an anti-monarchy Scottish, I would’ve not done anything in the stadium, since it was just a football match
This is why I keep saying we shouldn’t mix football with politics
Chelsea fans have a right to boo the silence for Hillsborough ……doesnt mean they should
Hillsborough is a football tragedy, so they shouldn’t have done it
That young girl Olivia who was killed
There was a mins applause for her
Is that okay to be booed ?
It’s also a tragedy and has nothing to do with politics
Oh so basically it’s not okay to boo if it’s something you agree with ?
As I said, the anti-monarchy Scottish have the rights to express their resentment. But I wouldn’t have done it if I were one of them, since it was just a football match
gai, It is impossible to prevent football being mixed with politics. And the reason?
BOTH are full of human beings, who have far more than what they do for a living in,common with other humans.
It is naive thinking to expect you can ever prevent the two being mixed, therefore.
It’s just my suggestion and hope. I’m aware that the elites and millions of people will always try to politicize big sports competition
Luckily, it hasn’t been rampant in e-sports tournaments, so maybe I’ll just watch it in the future once I get tired of watching football
The disrespect shown by some football fans during her funeral was distasteful.
What was the point?
It’s not only a Football problem but is a reflection of today’s Society in general.There is nothing wrong with differing views on a range of subjects including politics, lifestyles, religion. etc ,but ,to me, the disrespect shown to our Monarch of 70 years is a reflection of ignorance borne from a lack of education, intelligence and most importantly, upbringing.Basically,if Parents fail to do their job well, their offspring will be unable to distinguish between right and wrong and what is acceptable and what is not.Sadly from what I see of today’s society, respect for your elders is a thing of the past and the fact that many died in Wars to protect our freedom matters little to the tribal idiots who use the game of football as a platform for their pathetic herd menta!ity.A very worthwhile article Dan.
What a poignant post Grandad to a poignant article
i have to disagree with the parents part.there is so much they can do especially nowadays with social media.you can teach children values like respect,right from wrong…but by the time they get to 17 or 18 years old,you can only hope that they’ve learnt a few things from the parents and that they end up being young ,respectful,well rounded individuals.in case they do not,you can’t blame the parents if they tried their hardest.there are so many reasons,influences…..out of their control for why children do not turn out the way,many parents wished.
Dan, I find it rather strange that you feel the need to mention, what four clubs(?) but ignore the rest of the footballing public who observed and honoured the passing of the monarch.
Of course, you don’t mention that they make up a very small percentage of football fans, as that would weaken your argument.
I take on board everything that Grandad says above, but I don’t think you really understand why the Merseyside clubs reacted in the way they did.
The whole of the establishment turned their backs on Hillsborough and tried to blame innocent fans for the failure of said establishment in order to save their own skin.
From the government, through to the police force and the national media, it was full steam ahead in order to blame them and them alone.
Accusations of having no tickets, drunken behaviour, robbing the dying fans etc etc and not a word from anyone in authority to try and help the families…. including the Royal family.
The police stopped ambulances from going on to the pitch to help fans and then doctored their own police reports to cover up their actions.
Imagine if this was our club and it’s supporters who were in this situation.
To this day, not one person from the establishment has been held accountable.
It’s like your article blaming Liverpool supporters for all the trouble at last year’s final… you went out, all guns blazing, accusing Liverpool fans of everything the media told you…yet I have seen nothing from you since it became known that EUFA and the French government had already arranged to make them scapegoats should anything go wrong – and it did!!
Perhaps if you had covered THAT story, it would be easier for me to not think you have an agenda against them.
I don’t know enough about Celtic and dundee to pass comment, only to note that they were the areas that voted for independence and religion plays a part in their thinking.
Why didn’t you mention the display of loyalty that Rangers gave to the Queen?
I can’t believe you didn’t see that, as it was reported around the country – but that doesn’t fit into your scenario of naming certain clubs, a minority of football fans, while not offering one instance of an apology regarding your false article about the final last season…just as none has really been offered to the families of those affected by the Hillsborough disaster
By the way, I paid my respects to a monarch who I consider to be a true Queen and, in case you also didn’t realise, there was an impeccable response to the minutes silence from Liverpool fans at their home game…unlike celtic and dundee fans.
Caus ken mate 1 is 1 too many
Respect costs nothing and goes both ways – what respect was shown to the 97 people who died at Hillsborough from the establishment?
Your right, one is one too many and 97 fans labelled as drunks, thieves etc etc is 97 too many.
I ask again Dan, where are the apologies for the condemnation of Liverpool fans that, as we now know, was another example of the establishment using football fans to cover up their pathetic inadequacies?
But how does booing a national anthem fix that ?
Does it make those families feel better ?
Make it hurt any less ?
Maybe just don’t sing the anthem but by chanting like a bunch of yobs , your hurting yourself
Go back to FA cup final when they were swearing at Prince William who was how old when Hillsborough took place ?
Im not sat there thinking , the poor 97 who died , I’m thinking , what a bunch of idiots
Ken, the minutes silence didn’t even last 30 seconds in Liverpool’s game against Ajax as people started booing. It would seem BT muted it, but on videos on social media you can hear the boos.
This is a quote from the Daily Mail, the most right wing and monarchy leaning paper there is.
“Liverpool fans have observed a generally respectful moments silence for the Queen.”
Talksport quote :
“The majority of the 55,000 capacity crowd observed the silence IMPECCABLY.
Only a FEW dissenting voices could be heard and they were quickly silenced.”
Now I have no idea if those”FEW” were Ajax or Liverpool fans, but to try and paint football supporters showing disrespect again, is, in actual fact, showing disrespect to the vast majority who observed and acted in the way it was expected of them.
I ask again Dan, why did you not promote the other side of the coin, highlight Rangers F. C. and all the other fans around the UK who honoured the Queen?
One to many? Yes, one to many articles having a go at the city of Liverpool and their football clubs.
Do you agree that your article slamming Liverpool supporters at the final was wrong?
I’ve just googled it and as soon às the ref blew his whistle for the period of silence a Liverpool fan started shouting Liverpool. Fans then were shushing him and then you can hear others booing the silence. So there was no “impeccable response to the minutes silence from Liverpool fans”.
Then you should ask Talksport why they reported it as they did, along with The Mail.
I’m sure you checked to see if I was correct in what I quoted, perhaps they missed that single fan you mention chanting, as you say he was quickly silenced.
Imagine one fan being heard amongst a crowd of 55,000 – shows how silent and respectful the rest were!
Any idea what club those fans were who then started booing and how many this time?
It couldn’t have been that many, otherwise the Mail would have been on it like a ton of hot bricks and Talksport wouldn’t have said “a few” would they?
Now, if you can pick out one fan shouting out Liverpool, from a crowd of 55,000, how would you describe the actions of the other 54,999 fans?
Talksport, the radio show that has its presenters play good cop, bad cop. Nah, it’s not for me.
The Daily Mail. Isn’t that the newspaper that you criticised Jon Fox for reading as it’s a Right Wing newspaper ? Yet here you are using them. Hypocritical much…
I didn’t say I like the newspaper, I used their quotes.
Not sure I criticised Jon for anything he reads.
As for Talksport, haven’t tuned in for years, once again just using their quotes for reference.
So what is hypocritical about me using them? Are you sure you know the meaning of the word?
I never said you liked the Daily Mail, just said that you used the paper, same as you’ve used Talksport, to try to substantiate your claim that the minute silence was impeccable observed.
No I don’t and have given my views on that
Why I won’t get into it here is your trying to deflect ….
It’s simple , was it wrong to disrespect tributes to the Queen ?
Is there a increase in fan behaviour in the UK ?
Your simply saying ……m yeah but Hillsborough happened so that gives them the right …..or this happend …….
Go through history , every race , religion , city , gender could do that
It’s not a deflection, it’s a reaction to your article claiming that it “highlights football fans disrespect again” and naming four clubs out of the thousands of affiliates member clubs to back up your claim.
I’ve already stated that I really don’t know enough about the two Scottish clubs to comment, but let’s just take your claim at face value.
Of all the English clubs in the league, you name two from the same city of Liverpool.
We have now discovered, thanks to the families of the 97 fans unlawfully killed in the Hillsborough disaster, that the establishment covered up for each other and blamed those fans who died that day for what they were responsible for.
Furthermore, due to Herr Drier’s splendid detective work, it has been established that one fan started shouting Liverpool at the beginning of the minutes silence, but was silenced immediately by some of the other 54999 fans in attendance.
It was then established that some further chanting could be heard, but by whom is unknown.
Finally, the question of why boo the national anthem?
As far as I am aware, The Sun newspaper, which led the smear campaign against the innocent fans, is still banned in the city, the police force has still not seen any single person convicted, despite proof that sworn statements were altered to cover up their pathetic actions and it has taken the families of those 97 fans years of pain and suffering to try and get justice.
The city has consistently shown their contempt for the Conservative party and have never seen any kind of acknowledgement from the Royal family as to what went on in regards to this miscarriage of justice.
They are sick and tired of being ignored by the establishment and I can understand why.
So there is no deflection whatsoever – you grouped football fans under one umbrella and that is wrong.
I still see no apology is forthcoming regarding last years final, but you are still quite content to blacken the vast majority of football fans, without addressing the issues.
I stopped reading mate the moment you mentioned Hillsborough
Every year the 97 are rightly honoured and it’s widely accepted that the police / government were a disgrace in their handling
That’s got nothing to do with / and not an excuse for what I saw / heard at Goodison Park – I focus on that because that was the game I was watching , other reports say Dundee fans were sick with their chants , earlier in the week so were Liverpool and Celtic
I’m alluding to Hillsborough or Paris as it’s not the issue being discussed .
In fact , how disrespectful to the 97 and their families that their loss is used as a shield everytime people from that city do wrong
Is it disrespectful to boo when others want to respect a mins silence ?
Do you have to boo a national anthem ?
It’s yes or no ……not…..well this happend 30 years ago so ….
Not alluding
Well, if you stopped reading, then there’s no point in continuing… I look forward to reading your article discussing how eufa and the French fa tried to stitch up Liverpool fans…. in much the same way the establishment did regarding Hillsborough.
When it’s relevant to the discussion I will
It be like a Liverpool fan stabbing a police officer and you saying yeah but remember 30 years ago
The whole thing has been handled badly. Postponing games when other sports were playing was a mistake, it just meant that protestors were more determined for the next match. I bet Celtic fans keep up their chants all season and beyond.
I found myself wondering why other sports went ahead while football was cancelled. You’ve offered an interesting thesis – that a minority of football fans would have embarrassed the sport.
As much as I’d like to disagree with you on this one, you make a lot of sense Dan. It had never occurred to me that the PL and FA may have cancelled the games to save us from ourselves. Sad.
A woman was paying homage to the Queen at the British Embassy in Hong Kong a couple of days ago. She was asked by a local TV reporter why was she there doing what she did. Her answer was poignant. She said if you look at all the people who were there as she was, you would know the heart of the ordinary folks in Hong Kong. (This is a time when the Hong Kong Education Bureau’s official line is that HK has never been under British rule! So there you have it, respect is not politics, it is due where it belongs, and I am a local Chinese)
🙏🙏
I saw a clip on the news a few days ago of people in Hong Kong paying their respect to our late Queen Elizabeth at the British embassy. Much respect to them 👏👏
Agree and to every single person who showed their respect around the world – I’m certain there were others who didn’t of course and they weren’t all Celtic, Dundee, Everton or Liverpool supporters… that’s where Dan’s article is so wrong in my opinion.
But by that logic then you can’t keep blaming a government for the mistakes a previous one made ?
Or blame the writers of the Sun for what previous people published
I’m blaming the establishment for using football fans to cover up their incompetence.
I’m not sure what the Royal family could do regarding the ongoing booing of OUR national anthem at certain football matches
They are figureheads rather than policy makers and can only influence the government in private
Our anthem- whilst we are headed by the monarchy is what it is and until such time as the republican movement wins out then I will proudly sing it during national moments.
SueP, I just can’t get my head around the reason the Scousers boo the National Anthem. They say it’s because of how the Establishment treats them, but the Royal Family don’t make the laws and had nothing to do with what happened before, during and after Hillsborough.
I do agree
Well, whether the anti-Monarch people who like to hate. abhorred or condemned the Royal or not. For, what matters to the millions of the people who are Royalists and who like, love and adorn Royalty is that, they’ve paid their respect to the late monarch Queen Elizabeth II lying in state in White Hall. After she has died at her Balmoral Castle in Scotland.
And the ceremonial mourning rite that befits the high profile Royal Majesty Monarch Queen Elizabeth II status has to be observed and done and it had. With the Royalty valedictory church service and interning her to her final rest place in her family Royal burial Windsor vault that were done rightly done.
You see, no person can become what he or she is not destined by his or her destiny to become in life. But some scanty people out there in the world who are envious and jealous of the success or successes of the successful. Which some people e.g. Queen Elizabeth II has obtained in inheritance attainment and achieve in her lifetime. And who was the most reckoned powerful and influential monarch in the world, will always find time to berate the Royal. Because they are envious and jealous of this sacred position which they think they can never become or attain it in their lifetime.
But Kate Middleton who was grafted to the Royal has now become the Queen Apparent to the Throne. But I think Prince Harry and his wife Meghan should have honourably accepted their fate to not give the late HRM Queen Elizabeth II a hard issue-time when she was a life to be dealing with it. No disrespec shown to the two Royal family members by me.
I have always maintained that UK is the headquarters of hooligans I europe……some locals ain’t just an everyday knuckleheads you see else where.
The euros was an eye sore, I expected them booing their queen and they never disappointed me!
Sure her power and influence as a monarch doesn’t go down well with many even non britons …
We may well have been what you call the Headquarters of hooligans, but those days are long gone. Try looking at the French League, with all the violence that’s going on at their games these days.
As for our monarchy, tell me, exactly what power do they have ?
Liverpool fans should be ashamed, I have no sympathy dor those morons.
Britain doesn’t have a mortgage on sports idiots, you’ll find the same types anywhere in the world regardless of the code. I’m not a monarchist so my opinion is biased, but I just thought the mourning period too long and somewhat media enforced. From my own experience I felt a sense of relief after my parents funeral. Five days had been enough and I wanted to deal with my loss privately. Can only imagine how Elizabeth’s immediate family must have felt with the world watching. I can’t excuse the people at Goodison but in three months time no one amongst the public is going to care.
Of course, cricket, horse racing, rugby etc all showed their respect by carrying on playing their sport, with THEIR fans betting, cheering, booing and enjoying themselves.
Funny old world!!