BBC biased in favour of England at World Cup ....

darthed1981

gringopig said:

darthed1981 said:

Fretwired said:

rocktron said:

Well, it is a darned sight better than being the Brussels Broadcasting Corporation!!!

I would be surprised if the traitorous elite at the BBC haven't instructed the footy pundits to show support for Belgium.

FIFA have threatened England if there's any repeat of singing at the 2016 Euros .... along the lines of F**k off EU and we're leaving soon ... etc.

I suspect the fans will have a few beers and totally ignore FIFA ....

The logical response for the opposing teams is "F**k off England, we're glad you're leaving soon..."

Now I've given them that one, everyone can shout their hearts out and get over themselves.

They could deal with the supposed pro-England bias by having some current Scotch and Welsh players on the panel, they aren't doing anything right now after all

Just FYI, this is scotch:



and these are Scots:

Good point...

I'll take the first one.

Kilgore

Two pages of this thread and nobody can be arsed to spell it right.

Ingurlund

Bridgehouse

Kilgore said:

Two pages of this thread and nobody can be arsed to spell it right.

Ingurlund

Phil o’Stein

mr-mac

I'm scottish and would be disappointed if any home country game didn't have a panel/commentators that were from home country and didn't get passionate and excited about the game... You could maybe include one more partial on panel from one of other home nations for a bit of balance but its hardly a reason to get worried about.

This is just stupid and isn't the same as the obvious bias when there are events with lots of home nations involved... When you get people saying that's great for England (when its a British team at event).  But becomes British when someone from other home nations win.  That is bias.  This however is a pile of bullplop that didn't need said.  It almost seems like its made up to cause agro that doesn't exist.

p90fool

England aren't representing Britain, they're representing England.

I'm not remotely bothered about English commentators being biased towards England, unless it gets in the way of them doing their job. 

I've seen lengthy passages of play in the past where the opposition are retaining possession but at every pass the commentator mentions the name of the England players who are attempting to tackle them, rather than the player with the ball. 

Oh and Scotch means Scottish, as in Scottish Whisky. 

Heartfeltdawn

Fretwired said:

BBC's World Cup TV coverage slammed as 'shamefully biased' towards England

Interestingly, pundit Alex Scott, who represented England 140 times before retiring in 2017, did actually apologise on air at one point for using the word 'we'.

The BBC will look into it although I'm pretty sure Alan Shearing would just tell the whingers to fook off!!

You'd think that people would work out that footballers aren't that bright and that the panel all have one thing in common - they played football for England.

Had to be reported in Wales Online that well known anti-English news forum .. :-)

Sadly still doesn't rank as the highest placed 'Inane bash the BBC World Cup story'.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/world-cup-2018/6544840/cesc-fabregas-hammered-for-shirt-on-world-cup-bbc-punditry-debut/

crunchman

They cheer for the Scots at Wimbledon.  I'll be glad when Murray retires.

quarky

mr-mac said:

 When you get people saying that's great for England (when its a British team at event).  But becomes British when someone from other home nations win.  

I think that is more myth than anything. Even reading the Andy Murray article today:

In his regular BBC Sport column, the 31-year-old Scot talks about playing Edmund, his form in the early stages of his comeback, how the swimming pool is helping his recovery, and former coach Amelie Mauresmo's appointment as France's Davis Cup captain.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/44609051

Kyle Edmund, the other main protaganist grew up in England, but that isn't mentioned. You could argue that that is beacuse he was born in SA, but it also mentions Tim Henman, without calling him English either. 

There is also an article about a golf player:

Few players will head into the current swing of lucrative European Tour events with more confidence than Britain's Matt Wallace.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/44607681

But even the lead says "British". It does make sense to call him English though because golf does have Scotland and England ranked separately. 


What about Lewis Hamilton then?

Vettel was always likely to lose points to Hamilton at this race; the Mercedes was just too quick to expect anything else, especially once the Briton had put it on pole.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44595089


So nope, described as British too.

Fretwired

quarky said:

mr-mac said:

 When you get people saying that's great for England (when its a British team at event).  But becomes British when someone from other home nations win.  

I think that is more myth than anything. Even reading the Andy Murray article today:

In his regular BBC Sport column, the 31-year-old Scot talks about playing Edmund, his form in the early stages of his comeback, how the swimming pool is helping his recovery, and former coach Amelie Mauresmo's appointment as France's Davis Cup captain.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/44609051

Kyle Edmund, the other main protaganist grew up in England, but that isn't mentioned. You could argue that that is beacuse he was born in SA, but it also mentions Tim Henman, without calling him English either. 

There is also an article about a golf player:

Few players will head into the current swing of lucrative European Tour events with more confidence than Britain's Matt Wallace.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/golf/44607681

But even the lead says "British". It does make sense to call him English though because golf does have Scotland and England ranked separately. 


What about Lewis Hamilton then?

Vettel was always likely to lose points to Hamilton at this race; the Mercedes was just too quick to expect anything else, especially once the Briton had put it on pole.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/44595089


So nope, described as British too.

It's been going on for years. It must be BBC policy or an unofficial style adopted by BBC journalists as it happens so often. George Orwell wrote that "in left-wing circles it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman".

Many people associate being English with the English Defence League, neo-Nazis and racism. I have a friend who thinks this way and says he's British/European. He is also  anti-Brexit and I think the Brexit vote has made being English toxic when you see the jingoistic narrative of the predominantly English UKIP party and the casual racism directed at other Europeans.

In 2016 Labour launched the English Labour Network (to promote Labour and its policies in England). The metropolitan elite in London were aghast and refer to it as UKIP-lite. Not sure if it still exists.

munckee

Its from once having an empire to football thugs.  Well I didn't invade countries and make them into colonies and I have never travelled to world cups and euros to fight locals so I retain my right to be proud to be English which I am, British doesn't really have any meaning for me.

schrodinger1612

I’m not English but I respect the culture and feel people should be allowed to express their patriotism. This idea of creating a society where nobody is offended is pathetic and dehumanising. Get fuckin real.

Clarky

schrodinger1612 said:

I’m not English but I respect the culture and feel people should be allowed to express their patriotism. This idea of creating a society where nobody is offended is pathetic and dehumanising. Get fuckin real.

I find people being offended so easily all the time offensive

Cirrus

Fretwired said:

It's been going on for years. It must be BBC policy or an unofficial style adopted by BBC journalists as it happens so often. George Orwell wrote that "in left-wing circles it is always felt that there is something slightly disgraceful in being an Englishman".

Many people associate being English with the English Defence League, neo-Nazis and racism. I have a friend who thinks this way and says he's British/European. He is also  anti-Brexit and I think the Brexit vote has made being English toxic when you see the jingoistic narrative of the predominantly English UKIP party and the casual racism directed at other Europeans.

I've always felt a bit uneasy about it because I've lived most of my life in England and have an English accent but I was born in Scotland to two Scottish parents. When I was younger I considered myself Scottish but these days I feel like that'd be affecting a connection I don't really have, since I've been up there maybe twice in the last ten years. So, British is personally the most adequate label I could pick that doesn't feel wrong. And, I think you're right re; the more nationalistic aspects of "Englishness". Enough so that if someone said I was English, I might correct them, and if someone proudly says they're English, I'll usually be bracing myself for the part of the conversation where they start talking about Brexit, Immigration etc. Maybe part of my unease comes from my own lack of experience with having such a strong sense of identity based on nationality.

Fretwired

Cirrus said:

I've always felt a bit uneasy about it because I've lived most of my life in England and have an English accent but I was born in Scotland to two Scottish parents. When I was younger I considered myself Scottish but these days I feel like that'd be affecting a connection I don't really have, since I've been up there maybe twice in the last ten years. So, British is personally the most adequate label I could pick that doesn't feel wrong. And, I think you're right re; the more nationalistic aspects of "Englishness". Enough so that if someone said I was English, I might correct them, and if someone proudly says they're English, I'll usually be bracing myself for the part of the conversation where they start talking about Brexit, Immigration etc. Maybe part of my unease comes from my own lack of experience with having such a strong sense of identity based on nationality.

You might find this interesting then. The BBC has conducted a survey of attitudes to Scottishness. Here is a summary of what it shows:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-44208691

Reverend

Kilgore said:

Two pages of this thread and nobody can be arsed to spell it right.

Ingurlund

Isn't it Engla land? They are just pronouncing it properly for the first time in 1200 years. 

ewal

crunchman said:

They cheer for the Scots at Wimbledon.  I'll be glad when Murray retires.

That's because he's Andy Murray not the Scotland tennis team. Pointless comparison.

I'm now mature enough that the bias just washes over me. It's crap but no more crap than the BBC/ITV coverage generally. The only way I could watch the world cup is with the sound off.

The best solution would be if there was a Scottish (Welsh and N Irish) studio team there. That way everyone could tailor their coverage to their audience. They could be as biased as they like and no-one would bat an eyelid. But the BBC say their budget wont stretch to that. Yet they can afford Gabby Logan being there conducting the most boring player interviews known on the planet. Sigh...

Fretwired

ewal said:

crunchman said:

They cheer for the Scots at Wimbledon.  I'll be glad when Murray retires.

That's because he's Andy Murray not the Scotland tennis team. Pointless comparison.

I'm now mature enough that the bias just washes over me. It's crap but no more crap than the BBC/ITV coverage generally. The only way I could watch the world cup is with the sound off.

The best solution would be if there was a Scottish (Welsh and N Irish) studio team there. That way everyone could tailor their coverage to their audience. They could be as biased as they like and no-one would bat an eyelid. But the BBC say their budget wont stretch to that. Yet they can afford Gabby Logan being there conducting the most boring player interviews known on the planet. Sigh...

I have no problem as I hate tennis. But credit to Murray for becoming world number one and winning Wimbledon. He worked hard and deserves it and he comes across as a decent bloke.

My minor moan has nothing to do with him but with our friends at the BBC. To the BBC Murray is always a Scot. Henman was always British. Anything to avoid using the term 'English' .. as I said this has nothing to do with any Scot .. it's the BBC. I doubt the Scots would have minded the BBC calling Henman English as he was useless. At least Murray wins tournaments .. :-)

ewal

Fair point. And not surprisingly I hadnt spotted that.

Just heard start of commentary "no matter the result we won't be coming home, so relax" etc, etc. It really is like watching the competition through a foreign broadcaster's lense. If you're English you will never have experienced this*. Yet I understand that it is natural for the commentators to forget they are broadcasting to the whole of the UK.

Thankfully I'm not watching the world cup this year, so I can go out and enjoy the sun!

ETA: * Unless of course you are in Scotland listening to a BBC Scotland or STV commentary team commentating on a Scotland game. In which case it is slightly more appropriate because the commentary is only being broadcast in Scotland.

quarky

Sorry, it is ludicrous to think that the BBC should ignore the fact that the VAST MAJORITY of their viewers are English. They ignore it for other sports, but (luckily) they can't pretend to ignore it for football. 

As you said, you have the solution, turn the sound off. Is there any other country that would not back a national side of theirs just to appease a minority? Nope, can't think of any.

FarleyUK

Seriously now, fuck off.

(Not the poster, the people complaining)