Shit hits the windmill

[Watser?]

Which teams? The Dutch and Belgian ones? Why? The Scottish and the English even have their own teams.

Anyway, there are some people on both sides of the border that would like to see Flanders (Dutch-speaking Belgium) merge with the Netherlands. Not many though. Even though the borders are pretty arbitrary, they've been around for a long time and the cultures have diverged.

[Janet]

I assumed the Dutch and Belgian, but the comment was pretty much just thrown out with no context.

I've always thought it was weird that the English and Scottish had separate teams. It on my list of things to ask someone English next time I'm talking to one. But I worry the question might be sacrilege.

[Ymir's blood]

At what point do the cheese eating and surrendering enter into Dutch politics?

[Watser?]

The cheese eating is done everywhere and all the time, so even during political debates. The surrendering is done after the bombing of Rotterdam.

[Ymir's blood]

Damn rotten Rotterdammers!

[ceptimus]

Originally Posted by Janet

I've always thought it was weird that the English and Scottish had separate teams. It on my list of things to ask someone English next time I'm talking to one. But I worry the question might be sacrilege.

There are teams from Wales and Northern Ireland too, though they tend to do less well than England and Scotland.

Most team games have separate teams coming from each of the countries that make up Great Britain. When England are playing, say, Italy, then the Scots will all cheer for the Italian team - that's how fierce their rivalry with the English is.

Most English aren't so partisan and will support Scotland rather than some 'more foreign' team. Some English do adopt a tit-for-tat policy saying, 'If the Scots won't support our team, then why the hell should we support theirs?'

The Olympics is the exception to the rule, and the sports authorities have to try to cobble together a team choosing the best players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As the team haven't practised much together, and the members hate the players from the other countries, these 'GB' teams usually perform worse than, say, the regular England team. But of course it wouldn't be acceptable to only play England players in a GB team.

ETA: The game of Rugby is something of an exception with 'The Lions' being formed from all of GB (mostly English and Scottish players, last time I watched). I think the English and Scots got tired of being beaten at Rugby by Australia and New Zealand, so they decided to club together.