Comments on: Who do you want to beat in the medals table? http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/ Incisive and topical campaigns and commentary on today's issues and tomorrow's problems Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:05:58 +0000 hourly 1 By: William B. http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5391 William B. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:58:11 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5391 Mr Derek said: "The IOC want Britain to field a British soccer team at the 2012 games but Scotland Wales and N.Ireland refuse to take part. Any British team will be made up of English players! That’s clearly nonsense and I hope the FA will see sense and refuse to participate. In any case if Britain did enter a team the selection process would be a nightmare." It wouldn't matter really, whatever team we have will lose on penalties in the quarter finals. Mr Derek said:
"The IOC want Britain to field a British soccer team at the 2012 games but Scotland Wales and N.Ireland refuse to take part. Any British team will be made up of English players! That’s clearly nonsense and I hope the FA will see sense and refuse to participate. In any case if Britain did enter a team the selection process would be a nightmare."

It wouldn't matter really, whatever team we have will lose on penalties in the quarter finals.

]]> By: Riddiford of England http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5390 Riddiford of England Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:26:39 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5390 As it happens I can help a little. England 40 comps 42 medals Wales 3 comps 3 medals NI 0 comps 0 medals Scot 1 person 3 medals Well done England and the others tried hard ! The BBc website has a medal map with a bio of each winner. The individual bios as it happens mention the nationality of only 4 of the above... ! Your observation on Nation referencing is quite right and is a deliberate BBC policy to "promote social cohesion " , raise "cultural awareness" and observe "ethnic neutrality". These dictats are in compliance the normal EU directives you wil be pleased to read. As it happens I can help a little.

England 40 comps 42 medals
Wales 3 comps 3 medals
NI 0 comps 0 medals
Scot 1 person 3 medals

Well done England and the others tried hard !

The BBc website has a medal map with a bio of each winner.
The individual bios as it happens mention the nationality of only 4 of the above… !

Your observation on Nation referencing is quite right and is a deliberate BBC policy to “promote social cohesion ” , raise “cultural awareness” and observe “ethnic neutrality”.

These dictats are in compliance the normal EU directives you wil be pleased to read.

]]> By: adam http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5389 adam Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:02:03 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5389 More to reinforce it? If only. You mean less to destroy it. More to reinforce it? If only.
You mean less to destroy it.

]]> By: Derek (2) http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5388 Derek (2) Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:02:49 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5388 Freeborn John. I'm afraid you've missed the bus. It is inevitable that the home nations will continue to pull apart. More powers are to be given to the Scottish Parliament/Welsh Assembly. A policy supported by all parties including the Tories! The SNP is on the up. Most English people want an English Parliament. Etc. etc. Its ony natural that sport will follow. The IOC want Britain to field a British soccer team at the 2012 games but Scotland Wales and N.Ireland refuse to take part. Any British team will be made up of English players! That's clearly nonsense and I hope the FA will see sense and refuse to participate. In any case if Britain did enter a team the selection process would be a nightmare. Freeborn John. I'm afraid you've missed the bus. It is inevitable that the home nations will continue to pull apart. More powers are to be given to the Scottish Parliament/Welsh Assembly. A policy supported by all parties including the Tories!
The SNP is on the up.

Most English people want an English Parliament.
Etc. etc.

Its ony natural that sport will follow.

The IOC want Britain to field a British soccer team at the 2012 games but Scotland Wales and N.Ireland refuse to take part. Any British team will be made up of English players! That's clearly nonsense and I hope the FA will see sense and refuse to participate. In any case if Britain did enter a team the selection process would be a nightmare.

]]> By: Freeborn John http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5387 Freeborn John Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:13:44 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5387 The British identity is long-established but as comments on this blog indicate is fragile. Future governments must do more to reinforce it, particularly in Scotland. The funding of British athletes who go on to success at the Olympics is one subtle means by which the British state can underpin the British national identity upon which the legitimacy (and therefore the long-term survival) of the British parliament ultimately depends. The formation of a British football team to compete in the World Cup (which the Welsh have not qualified for in many decades and the Scottish very rarely) would be another, and perhaps a GB team (rather than the British Lions) in Rugby. Shared sporting success would be more effective against the SNP than any amount of campaigning, especially if a GB team could pull off a very major achievement such as winning the World Cup. Just as GB competes in the Olympic, but separate English, Welsh, etc. teams in the Commonwealth games, it might be that that a GB football team would only compete in the World Cup with Scotland, Wales etc. still trying for the European Cup (which they have not qualified for recently). The British identity is long-established but as comments on this blog indicate is fragile. Future governments must do more to reinforce it, particularly in Scotland. The funding of British athletes who go on to success at the Olympics is one subtle means by which the British state can underpin the British national identity upon which the legitimacy (and therefore the long-term survival) of the British parliament ultimately depends. The formation of a British football team to compete in the World Cup (which the Welsh have not qualified for in many decades and the Scottish very rarely) would be another, and perhaps a GB team (rather than the British Lions) in Rugby. Shared sporting success would be more effective against the SNP than any amount of campaigning, especially if a GB team could pull off a very major achievement such as winning the World Cup.

Just as GB competes in the Olympic, but separate English, Welsh, etc. teams in the Commonwealth games, it might be that that a GB football team would only compete in the World Cup with Scotland, Wales etc. still trying for the European Cup (which they have not qualified for recently).

]]> By: Ian H http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5386 Ian H Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:30:33 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5386 I echo William B's sentiment. As long as we trounce the (French - ed),i don't mind! I echo William B's sentiment.
As long as we trounce the (French – ed),i don't mind!

]]> By: Derek (2) http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5385 Derek (2) Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:17:10 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5385 For some reason known to them the BBC tell us when a winner is Welsh or Scottish but fail to identify English winners, preferring to call English winners British. Perhaps the BBC would like to publish a medal table telling us how many medals have been won by England,Wales Scotland and N.Ireland? I was once proud to represent Great Britain in the swimming pool. Now I really don't care whether British competitors win or not. It's only the English ones I'm interested in. In 2010 at the Commonwealth Games the home nations will compete individually. It's about time we did the same in the Olympics. However, having said that, it is good to beat the Aussies. For some reason known to them the BBC tell us when a winner is Welsh or Scottish but fail to identify English winners, preferring to call English winners British. Perhaps the BBC would like to publish a medal table telling us how many medals have been won by England,Wales Scotland and N.Ireland?
I was once proud to represent Great Britain in the swimming pool. Now I really don't care whether British competitors win or not. It's only the English ones I'm interested in.
In 2010 at the Commonwealth Games the home nations will compete individually. It's about time we did the same in the Olympics.

However, having said that, it is good to beat the Aussies.

]]> By: Manj http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5384 Manj Thu, 21 Aug 2008 22:40:09 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5384 So being Eurosceptic makes you dislike European nations? That's a bit ... pathetic Reply: Not European nations, but European governments who seek to boss us into submission to their federalist bureaucracy. So being Eurosceptic makes you dislike European nations? That's a bit … pathetic

Reply: Not European nations, but European governments who seek to boss us into submission to their federalist bureaucracy.

]]> By: mikestallard http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5383 mikestallard Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:22:09 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5383 I am teaching French teenagers at the moment. The Olympics are never mentioned, but they are extraordinarily keen to learn English which they can clearly see is the way into world politics, the internet and the "international community. And, yes, I like them too! Another thought: The Olympics have been hijacked by an awful lot of nasty governments. I am sure we are all aware of the Nazi Olympics. But there were the ghastly Communist athletes who would have been funny - the bearded woman - if they had not been so threatening and, yes, terrifying, at the time. China, of course, we are told, is totally different because it has changed. Fascinating to see the Socialist Brown trying, desperately to muscle in here. I am teaching French teenagers at the moment. The Olympics are never mentioned, but they are extraordinarily keen to learn English which they can clearly see is the way into world politics, the internet and the "international community.
And, yes, I like them too!

Another thought: The Olympics have been hijacked by an awful lot of nasty governments. I am sure we are all aware of the Nazi Olympics.
But there were the ghastly Communist athletes who would have been funny – the bearded woman – if they had not been so threatening and, yes, terrifying, at the time.
China, of course, we are told, is totally different because it has changed.

Fascinating to see the Socialist Brown trying, desperately to muscle in here.

]]> By: Ed Thomas http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/08/21/who-do-you-want-to-beat-in-the-medals-table/#comment-5382 Ed Thomas Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:15:24 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1351#comment-5382 France - Mwahahahahaha mwahahahahahha. France – Mwahahahahaha mwahahahahahha.

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