h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Oh MY GOD !!! 28 minutes into the first half and were already losing.

"Flower of Scotland" just happened. It wasn't planned - just happened!
If the English want - need - desire their own anthem it will come about the same way. I suspect that they are too apathetic in their nationalism to care. After all, to most Englishmen, Scotland is the bit off the top of England they would rather forget about.

I'm English but have lived in Scotland for thirty years. Very split loyalties!

OK, now this is the official (although obviously not, as that would be ridiculous, but I feel it makes people pay attention, so...) word on the matter. 'Hen Wlad fy Nhadau' (Wales) and "Flower of Scotland" (Scotland) aren't actually the respective countries national anthems, but merely national songs. And England basically doesn't have one. The only true national anthem for all of the countries within the United Kingdom is "God Save The Queen/King".

And it's with this (and the fact that the match has just finished, you all probably know the score) that I feel it is my moral duty to say...

"It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming,
"Football's coming home..."

Does God Save the Queen have a verse about crushing rebellious Romanians?

jamin.r I hate to butt in you forgot the forth country in the United Kingdom in you round up. N. Ireland for whom 'Londonderry Air' is considered teh anthem. Most of you will know it better as 'Danny Boy'. I thank you for your time.

*Goes off mumbling that at least the Cross of St. Patrick is on the Union Flag where is the Welsh representation*

DD what is this about typical English mentality - I thought the whole point of this thread was that we recognised that as a individual part of a greater whole we needed something that we could call our own?

I don't know - you civil servants

OK - so they were awful. Its all done now and they thoroughly deserved to lose

Now - a lot of people in the pub I was in were Irish (this being Dublin) and supporting Romania on the grounds that anyone playing England is a friend. Similarily most of Scotland and much of Wales would have cheered the result. Those in NI would have cheered or been crestfallend depending on whether they pronounce the "London" in Derry . But it defined them all - this hoping that England lose...and the drunker ones would have broken into their national song in jubilation.

My point is that we (English, and still reasonably proud of it) don't have such a song. When we win something we sing "Swing low sweet chariot" or "You'll never walk alone" or similar.

Incidentally if you want to know why the lyrics of Don't Cry for Me Argentina don't make sense get over to On this Day in History - A304895!

Just out of interest I have a CD of Rugby Anthems (sad I know but I love Rugby!) and the English Anthem is noted as Swing Low Sweet Chariot!

Surely England's Anthem is now "They're coming home, they're coming home, they're coming..England's coming home"

The Neville brothers will probably miss the plane - they missed everything else in the air.

And I am completely ambivalent about the sport!

"Come on Sligo"
See - a leopard can change its spots at will (or in this case stripes).

In summary then - the English don't have an official national anthem because we never needed one, but unnofficially it could be anything from "Jerusalem" to "Vindaloo" by Fat Les. Sound about right?

Honestly two articles on the front page in two days has really gone to his head!

I would change this slightly (to "We were born under a wandering star")as it's slow enough for a slow march, fades off into the distance conveniently when you've forgotten the words and only has about 3 notes so I (and Lee Marvin)could manage it without causing wild laughter in the ranks. Any other fairly monotonous thing would do (I like "Swing Low..." but I can't get anywhere near the top notes )

On the subject on Nationality. Every time an Irish, Scottish or Welsh sportman is doing well he is Bristish, but when he starts to falter he reverts to being Irish, Scottish or Welsh. Is is any wonder I was supporting Germany in the Italia 90 cup semi-final in a Irish pub in London.

Supporting Romania is one thing, but Germany??

As far as I can tell, Germany are the Manchester United of European football - they win lots of trophies, and all other football supporters want them to lose, regardless of who they're playing. Whether it's national animosity, or just the Klinnsmann factor, I don't know...

they will not this time (win things that footballers win)will they.
perhaps they wanted to go to glastonbury with the england team?

Best reason I've heard yet

No offence but in 90 in the Quarter Finals Cameroon deserved to beat England, so I had doulbe reason for supporting Germany.