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England vs USA: Why Americans Hate English Football Supporters

May 28th, 2008 By The Gaffer --> Comments

beckham-usa England vs USA: Why Americans Hate English Football Supporters

Later this evening, the United States will play England at Wembley (8pm BST/BBC1) in a friendly match between two countries who have a love-hate relationship with each other. But in this war, the battle is waged off the pitch rather than on it.

On the pitch, the competition between the two sides is waged fairly. The American players who play in the Premier League will have more of a desire to win the match so they can rub it into the faces of their English compatriots. The English players will have a lot to prove to new manager Fabio Capello, so overall the match should be entertaining to watch as long as it remains competitive. Most importantly, it’ll be played in a clean manner.

Off the pitch, it’s a different story. Being an American who lived in Britain for 14 years, I’ve experienced the complicated love-hate relationship between both countries. There are so many Anglophiles who live in the United States and love the English way of life (the football, the beer, the fish and chips, music, TV shows, movies and royalty). And there are many Brits who love the American way of life (the TV shows, movies, rap artists, fashion, fast food and gadgets such as Apple’s iPod).

But right in the middle of all of this is also a relationship of hate, which isn’t felt by everyone but definitely exists. It’s part politics and part football. And, without a doubt, it’s more fierce off the pitch than on it.

Politically speaking, George Bush’s shock and awe policy in Iraq has generated a lot of negativity among people around the world which is aimed at the United States. Of course, Britain was America’s biggest ally in the war against Saddam Hussein, so it shouldn’t feel exonerated. But the war has created a bitter taste in the mouths of so many people worldwide.

Part of that anti-Americanism has spilled over into football and specifically the Internet — whether it’s message boards, blog comments or articles by renowned journalists (Martin Samuel from The Times has been a prime target for U.S. fans because Samuel often harshly criticises U.S. football; It’s this feeling of general press bias that upsets many Americans). Some of the friction between football fans in the U.S. and U.K. has been downright venomous.

The battle off the pitch between U.S. and English football fans comes down to pride. English journalists, pundits and soccer fans have, for too long, looked down their noses at U.S. football whether it’s been the national squad or Major League Soccer. It’s an easy target for the Brits who make jokes about the “Mickey Mouse League” and tease Americans for inventing the word soccer to label the sport we love, when most of us intelligent people know that the term originated from England not the United States.

A lot of friction from Americans is because they’re sick and tired of their national team and clubs being made a joke. They feel that their country and its football teams should be respected more than they currently are, and that many of their football supporters are very well educated about the sport and not all of them fall into the trap of being stereotypical American males who are macho, dumb and eat and breathe the mindnumbingly boring NFL.

Many Americans feel that Brits are jealous of them and their way of life, that Brits are ignorant about the level of football in America and that Brits perceive themselves to be superior to Americans.

Of course, most of this is true. Whether Brits choose to admit it or not, the fact is that most people in the UK consume an American culture. Whether it’s the American TV shows on British television, the fast food culture of pizza and hamburgers, the American music you listen to on Radio 1 or and the American-influenced fashion that you wear, the British culture is morphing into the United States of England every day.

This hypocrisy is what infuriates many Americans. Brits consume American culture and respect it, but Brits don’t give football played by Americans the respect it deserves.

Thus sets the stage for the England against USA friendly scheduled for this evening. If you see the Americans playing with a style of zest and verve that is uncommon in friendly matches, now you know why. And if the U.S. can pull off a shock and beat England, expect to see a tirade of “I told you so” from Americans across the Internet in the days and weeks to come. This is something that American players and fans would love more than anything: To earn and receive the respect that they deserve.

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Tags: England · United States

Viewing 33 Comments

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    boooooooooooooooooooo
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    I don't think it's snobbery that has us Brits mocking the quality of the MLS, it is the fact that the standard is extremely poor.

    We do have MLS shown regularly on a terrestrial TV channel and the standard sometimes struggles to even match the Championship over here.

    And we don't tease Americans for inventing the word 'Soccer,' anyone with half a brain knows it comes from Association Football, we just mock you for being the only country that uses it.
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    MLS is garbage (not even on par with the CCC yet), but it's getting better every day and I'm looking forward to its expansion into the NW.

    Anyway, I liked the article and I pray that I can shout to all my American, soccer hating, USNT bashing friends (who won't really care, to be honest): "I told you so."
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    Good article Gaffer, I don't understand the pointless dig at the NFL though. I passionately enjoy both footballs, I think if soccer(sorry) people would stop ripping on football(throwball?) people, and vice versa, it would help soccer's popularity expand greatly. Who cares what its called? Just enjoy the product on the field.
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    the most annoying thing about US soccer fans is that there are too many Man Yoo fans :(
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    I think Ryan makes an astute point, and I too was disappointed to see the dig at the NFL. I certainly have no qualms with the Gaffer disliking it, I myself enjoy it, but that's a matter of taste.

    However, it further perpetuates this notion that they are rival sports. Coupled with the descriptions "macho" and "dumb" the line just adds fuel to the fire to the fault lines within America. One of the obstacles to soccer's popularity (despite Ant's protestations, I find it very handy to switch terminology depending on the linguistic circles I am dealing with) in the United States is the way it is culturally embedded.

    American football is stereotypically associated with the "American cowboy" stereotype, and soccer is associated with equally destructive stereotypes. This creates cultural predispositions to dislike the sport. We should be interested in destroying these stereotypes and show that both sports can be enjoyed by a wide population, rather than reinforcing the already problematic disputes.
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    Obviously you have lived in America for quite a while now Gaffer, but used to live in Britain.

    So who do you want to win tonight?
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    English football fans obsess over "authenticity." That is to say, who is the more "authentic" fan. One of the worse insults you see and hear in the pubs, terraces or message boards is "plastic," ("plastic fans," "plastic wankers," or merely "plastics"), a plastic being a new, fair weather or casual fan, who often holds forth with their opinions despite not being as immersed in the game as a hardcore supporter - the type that has owned a season ticket since the black and white era, travels on the midweek away days to Wigan, can remember the names of all the "top boys" from the 80s, etc., etc.

    For example, Chelsea fans are often referred to as plastics; not so long ago Chelsea was an unremarkable team playing in a crappy stadium with half the attendance you see now. Fast forward to the present day and Chelsea enjoys sells out crowds. Who are these new fans? Where did the come from? Plastics. That will be the answer from, say, Spurs fans.

    It's a form of cultural snobbery. And the English are good at that. The same principal applies here; American fans didn't grow up in the English footballing culture, so how could they possibly know more about the game than an Englishman?

    It's a shame really. We all stand to benefit if more Americans embrace the game, so their' interest in football should be nurtured by their English cousins, not mocked.
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    England won't show us more respect until we accomplish something worthy of respect. Winning at Wembley would be a good start. Advancing deep into the World Cup would be even better. We've done that once, but we needed a lot of help to advance out of the group stage.

    MLS teams won't get the respect we crave until they start winning the international tournaments they are in. Send an MLS team to the Club World Cup, have them do well, and after a few times, the rest of the world will start showing some respect to MLS. Until that happens, all the whining in the world won't make a difference.

    You want respect? Win.

    I think some of that starts tonight.

    England 1-2 USA
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    just play the game and stop instigating
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    To be perfectly honest, i agree that the MLS doesnt get the respect it deserves, but when compared to the leagues in Europe you do have to admit it does pale in comparison, by more than just a little. And I find the assumption that britian has nothing to offer america in culture a little misguided. Infact, Britain and America are the worlds powerhouses for Rock Music, with Muse being widely regaded as the worlds best Live act. And I believe the appetite for Doctor Who is so large in America that its only 3 weeks behind the UK. So I dont accept that we are hypocrits and we do not offer the Americans anything.
    And the point about plastic fans by ossie's dream is not snobbery, i must point out. In chelseas case, their fans have been stereotyped, but its more about loyalty than snobbery. No true fan would call a Man U fan a gloryhunter if they really did support them since they were a kid, but its the ideas that many fans switch alleigances just for the glory that riles us.

    Rant over, as Capello might put in a new faces, this should be a gd game, but over 90 minutes I belive Enlands better strength in depth (while not that great) will eventually show, but the USA will hold out for at least an hour id say, they sould be gd enough to press England back for much of the game.
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    I don't think it's just the MLS the UK has an issue with. Listen to any commentary when an British side plays a European tie or international and the old cliches come flying out.
    We, incorrectly, still think that England are the best team in the world and have the best league in the world. Yes, we had 3 teams in the Champions League semi's this year and last but one swallow doesn't make a summer. The EPL has still only provided the winners of the Champions League 3 times in 15 seasons and in the UEFA Cup/Cup Winners Cup it's the same result. Hardly the stuff of domination is it?
    The old arguement that foreign footballers "Don't like it up them" still pervades British thought and gives us an arrogance that allows people to laugh when we once again fail to win a major tournament at either club or international level. Look at the press coverage of the Rangers v Zenit St Petersburg final. Zenit had destroyed Bayern Munich Leverkusen and beat Marseille, but it seemed all Rangers had to do was turn up to win.
    A level of humility in football would go a long way to detering that and sometimes realising that their are other teams who are actually better than us.
    As for the States, I'd move there tomorrow. I love it.
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    I'm in London for the match and wearing a US Soccer shirt and jacket has gotten me snears and a bunch of classless rude comments.

    I find it ironic because on the plane I was next to a Parisian guy who spent five hours talking football with me wanting my opinion as a knowledgeable American about French football and eating up anything I told him about the game in the US. He found it somewhat amussing what I told him I expected in London of the English. He said "that is typical of the English."

    What's ironic is the reaction starting in the immigration line at Heathrow was of me being a "dumb yank" and knowing nothing about football and comments like "stick to a sport you understand." Now the French have had FAR more success than England in recent years yet their fans don't say these things to me!

    Atlanta Pompey, England won't give us respect until we win something? They haven't even made the finals of a tournament since 1966 and don't give France or Holland much respect despite all their success.
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    The reason American soccer fans dislike English soccer fans is because they look down their nose at us when, in fact, it's not like they're exactly lighting up the international game themselves.
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    There is always ridicule and name calling etc, between rival fans. I wouldn’t take it too seriously if I were you! A minority of people make ignorant remarks, but these people don’t represent the majority.

    The English are understandably insecure and frustrated with the performance of their national side, not even managing to qualify for the European Finals. As I understand it football in the US is still very much a minority interest sport, yet the national squad has still managed a reasonable world ranking. It would be the ultimate humiliation for the English team to be overtaken by a nation where most people barely know the rules or take any interest! To be inferior to the football mad Brazilians or Argentineans is one thing, but the US? I think this deep routed fear, and lack of self confidence, may underpin the English lack of respect shown toward the US game.

    Exactly how much respect should be shown to the US game? Looking at the proposed line up of the US team for tonight, I’d say not an awful lot. There are 3 players from Fulham (who finished 4th bottom in the EPL this season and just avoided relegation) there’s a defender from Derby! (finished bottom in the EPL), and some guy from Watford (not even an EPL team). Whereas the English squad is predominately Manchester and Chelsea players (this years European Champions league winner and run up). Having said all that, it wouldn’t surprise me if the US won! Oops! There’s that English insecurity and lack of self confidence again.

    Paul Bestall – Don’t really agree with everything you’ve said, I think you’re being a bit selective when saying that the EPL has only produced 3 Champions league winners. I think it would be fairer to include European Cup wins as well (i.e. the for-runner to the Champions league) you then find that England is joint top with Italy and Spain, providing 11 winners each.
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    Fair point regarding the European Cup, English clubs won it 6 years in a row and 7 out of 8 between 77 and 84 but that was 30 years ago and thats the problem.
    Ajax won it 3 years in row, as did Bayern Munich in the 70's too. How far do we go back? Before you know it, we'll be banging on about 1966 all over again or West Auckland, the first team to win the first international trophy when they beat Juventus 6-1 in 1911 !!
    :)
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    Kartik -

    I’m very sorry that some people have made some stupid and provocative remarks towards you. This is a shameful aspect of the British ‘yob’ culture. Please try to turn the other cheek, and don’t end up feeling bitter towards all English people. Also who told you the English don’t give the French or Dutch much respect… you’re French friend perhaps? Any way hope you enjoy the match, I expect there will be plenty of rude comments etc…. but that’s football!
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