Why Can't England Supporters Put Aside Club Rivalry?



Beckham giving a one-finger salute to fans who hurled taunts at him

As Manchester United's Danny Welbeck delicately back heeled the ball into the Sweden goal to confirm England's 3-2 win, it proved to me that I made the correct decision to drop all interest in our national side.

It's a decision I made in the year 2000 based on the England supporters obsession and hatred towards the Manchester United based players who represent their country, and the tedious and bitter crowd chants of "stand up if you hate Man U". England supporters burned effigies of David Beckham after his dismissal in World Cup 1998, but then hailed him as their hero and saviour when he scored that free kick against Greece to earn England automatic qualification to the 2002 tournament, fans can be so fickle sometimes, especially those who follow England.

Being a Manchester United supporter I was obviously delighted for Danny Welbeck scoring the winner, he's a Mancunian and a product of United's youth academy, but this is where the problem seems to be when it comes to England supporters, they are unable to unite and put club rivalry aside.

During and following the match, Social networking site twitter was displaying all the evidence of England supporters who despise rival club players who play for their country. One tweet from a England Liverpool supporter read "Get Young and Welbeck off and bring on Downing and Henderson", this was shortly before Welbeck scored the winning goal, I wonder if this supporter celebrated the Mancunian's match winning goal? Other supporters tweeted "Manc scum" after the match winning goal.

Liverpool supporters were not the only ones criticising rival club team players, Manchester United's England supporters were also tweeting negative comments about Johnson, Gerrard and Carroll. I even seen a comment from an Arsenal supporter slagging off Scott Parker.

How do England ever expect to achieve Success in an International tournament if the country's supporters can't even unite and put club rivalry to one side? England seem to be the only country who can't fully get behind their national team, I can't imagine that a Spanish supporter who's supporters Real Madrid would have been the slightest bit bothered that it was Barcelona's Andres Iniesta who scored the goal that secured the World Cup for his country.

I am not putting all England supporters into the same category, I know that there are supporters who fully get behind the national team, but the supporters who constantly go on about rival club team players entertain me and confirm that I made the correct decision to choose my club over my country.