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Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The Clare Byrne Show on Newstalk. With Aviva Insurance.
Now, England's World Cup campaign gets underway tomorrow night. And so we're left facing that age old question, aren't we? Is it ever OK to support them? There are lots of people I know who would say it makes sense. There are nearest neighbours. Others, though, would point to the exact same reason and call it an absolute sin. So what should we do?
Chapter 2: What age-old question do we face about supporting England?
Well, to share his thoughts on this timeless classic, I'm joined by author and host of America 2026 Irish Times World Cup podcast with Kevin Kilbane, Paul Howard. Paul, you're very welcome to the programme. Thanks, Clare. Where do you stand on this? Can you do it?
I'm not wrapping myself in the George's Cross or listening to God Save the King time after time. But I have to say, I always take an interest in the England football team. I think I've probably got a more nuanced view than a lot of Irish people in that I was born in England and spent a lot of my childhood there.
So if my parents hadn't decided to move back to Ireland, I would probably be an England fan today. But I've always felt that any tournament is much more interesting for having England in it. I mean, their players are very familiar to us from playing in the Premier League and the other teams I've been watching in this World Cup.
um you know they have a few recognizable names but but we we know all of the england players um but uh i i do understand uh the rivalry because i i have friends who hate watch england um but they hate watch england in everything you know these are the people who would cheer when when the UK gets zero in the Eurovision Song Contest.
They're probably the same people who support those players individually when they're playing for their favourite premiership team.
And they support English teams, Clare, and they go to England quite often to watch English teams play. But there is just something about, you know, an England team that kind of sends them a bit mad. I mean, I do get it. I mean, the rivalry between England is inevitable given our geographic proximity and our historic relationship.
And lots of countries have this, you know, exact same relationship with their nearest neighbours. But I just feel that when England are in a tournament, it's always interesting. And like I'm going back to, you know, the Maradona handball in 1986, which everybody remembers, the Beckham sending off
All those penalty shootout defeats, losing to Iceland, losing two European Championship finals in a row. The tabloid press is always vilifying whoever happens to be the coach. And I've always felt that a tournament loses something when England go out.
I tend to agree with you. And, you know, you watch an England game and whether you're supporting them or you're hate watching, at least you know all the players, you know, you know, most of them. Yeah.
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Chapter 3: How does Paul Howard view his connection to England football?
And he went out and, you know, we're all kind of looking at each other saying, you know, should we warn him?
Would he be okay?
Yeah, and he wasn't okay as it happens, Clare. You know, he was beaten up on Bagot Street and not once but twice. I mean, he staggered up Bagot Street and then, you know, asked somebody to call him a taxi and got beaten up again. And I mean, this is kind of pre Good Friday Agreement days when, you know, the atmosphere between Ireland and England was a lot more charged. You should have warned him.
You should have warned him. Well, yes. I mean, I hope that wouldn't happen now. But at the same time, I definitely would not put an England jersey on tonight and go to a pub or tomorrow night and go to a pub to cheer on England, even if I was so inclined.
But will you be cheering on England, even silently, quietly? No.
Yeah, I mean, insofar as I ever cheer anybody on. I mean, you know, I'm not the most patriotic person in the world, even when it comes to Ireland. But I will sit there with probably more interest in that match than in any other opening round match. And I say that as somebody who is absolutely dying with tiredness today because I've just pulled my third all-nighter since last Friday.
I'm going to wait till the end of it.
Joseph's been in touch given that many in Ireland support club teams in the UK of course we should support the national team in this case England also Scotland my view is one should support the nearest team geographically when we're not playing Sean's in East Donegal lots of us up here in Ulster supporting Scotland there's a close link between Scotland and Ulster going back
centuries and this one there's no way any Irish person should support England they are our big bully neighbour every team needs an enemy it's part of sport can you imagine a Meath person supporting Dublin for example is it the same though is it the same as a Meath person supporting Dublin I mean I know at least we had this experience a lot you know
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Chapter 4: Why do some Irish fans hate-watch the England football team?
And it was a big wake up moment for England where they realised that we invented this game, but we are no longer the standard bearers. But I don't know, they won the World Cup in 66 and then they seem to forget that lesson.
So there is this sense of, you know, I've been listening to podcasts over the last few days where former England players who are now pundits are saying, are predicting that England will win. And, you know, there's absolutely no objective reason to believe that England will even be in the last four of this tournament.
Did you see the pictures of the squad, Paul? The England squad?
No.
Well, can I just... I know you're tired, but this is a job for you to do when you get off this call. They are the most extraordinary set of pictures I have ever seen of a football team. They're all over the internet this morning. And... How do I describe them? So the photographer has asked them to kind of put their heads to one side.
These are the individual shots and kind of put their hand on their neck and in some cases look back at the camera. So they're sort of like cringy, sexy poses. It's just... so bizarre. It's so weird. I don't know why they have done it. Maybe it's because the World Cup is in the States and they want it to be a bit different and a bit, I don't know.
There's no excuse for it. Giving me the ick. Yeah, the ick is, and that's the thing. I think for a lot of people, the England football team give them the ick. And, you know, so it is kind of fun. I totally get how it's fun to hate watch them. Because I watch Manchester United. I never miss a match and just hope they lose every single time. So I'm not immune to this feeling.
And are you a fan of another England team?
Yeah, Liverpool. Oh, you're a Liverpool fan. Yeah. Okay. So I can understand the hate watching. I totally understand it. And it's part of the fun. It's part of the pageantry and the colour of football.
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Chapter 5: What are the historical tensions between Ireland and England in football?
And I think most people... In Ireland are the same. We had those the riots at Lansdowne Road in 1996. And the England football team, unfortunately, does come with this horrible adjunct of football hooliganism. And that's always been an issue.
And I think that kind of makes it all right as well to wish ill on the England football team, because we've seen so many scenes over the years of England football supporters wrecking towns that they're in, probably less so in the last few years. But I think that's probably because the last few
few World Cups have probably been out of the out of range spending wise for a lot of those kind of English football hooligans like Qatar and Russia and now the US.
Well, Paul, get some rest. But before you do, go and have a look at those photographs. I beseech you. They are incredible. And thank you so much.
I'm so excited about seeing them.
Thanks so much for being with us. That's Paul Howard. We'll take a break.
The Clare Byrne Show. With Aviva Insurance. Weekday mornings at 9. On Newstalk. Conversation that counts.
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