World Cup 2010: HMV withdraws 'racist' anti-England posters from Scottish stores

[TimberWolf]

While working on a project in Glasgow a fellow contractor, let's call him Dougie for "Douglas" was his name, decided to research his family tree. He already knew that he was half English but was very, very proud of his Scots heritage and took great pleasure in regaling us with tales of Scots History and various victories over the Sasanachs through time at every opportunity. To no avail did the comment "But Dougie, you're half English" have any effect in curbing his enthusiasms.

Until one day... I arrived in the office to find Dougie in a very despondent mood. "Dougie, what's wrong? You look so glum!"

One of the other team members turned round and said "He's just found out that he's half English, a quarter Welsh, an eighth French, and an eighth Scots."

Talk to one long enough and they will mention that they aren't called "Scotch" too in my experience - even if you hadn't previously called them it.

[DaveB]

I thought that the cornish were celtic and therefore as not English as the rest of you.

Having said that, you always used to run into a lot of people from the Midlands down in the South West during the summer but I don't know what it is like now because I haven't been there for twenty five years.

The Cornish are Cornish, and get more so the further west you go. Most of the hardcore Mebyon Kernow mob would rather talk to their counterparts in Brittany than anyone from North of the Tamar.

[Churchill]

Talk to one long enough and they will mention that they aren't called "Scotch" too in my experience - even if you hadn't previously called them it.

Yep. Telling 'em half the problems regarding being displaced by landlords was caused by Scots landlords has a tendency to wind 'em up too.

Oh well, let's not let facts get in the way of a dose of good old drunken bigotry, eh?

[shaunbhoy]

Broken down, the figures reveal that of the 1,039 incidents in Grampian, most – 196 – were against “white British” people.

Curious figures really. How can 196/1039 be classified as "most"?
Anyway, FWIW, it is entirely feasible that a great many of that 196 could have been racial attacks on people of Irish extraction.

Of course those people could now justifiably be labelled "white British" (whether they like it or not in some cases!! ).

However, there is little doubt, a percentage of Scots are unlikely to want England to do to well. The same will doubtless be true of the Irish, Welsh, and even some members of the English themselves (see sasguru's thread). Where one draws the line between banter and racism is, of course, entirely subjective.
As a Scot now residing in England, I have received a fair number of comments relating to Scotland's recent failures at qualifying for the major tournaments.
I personally regard it as lighthearted harmless banter. However, someone a bit touchier may view it as racist. On that basis it is a little difficult to take Police figures too seriously.

[doodab]

Curious figures really. How can 196/1039 be classified as "most"?
Anyway, FWIW, it is entirely feasible that a great many of that 196 could have been racial attacks on people of Irish extraction.

White Irish people were the victims of just five incidents over the same period

I believe the use of most is on the basis that 196 represents the largest single group. I would be interested to know what the other groups were, as I suspect that non-white people of all races bear the brunt of it.

As a Scot now residing in England, I have received a fair number of comments relating to Scotland's recent failures at qualifying for the major tournaments.

I hope you haven't been physically attacked, although I'm sure does it happen.

[shaunbhoy]

I believe the use of most is on the basis that 196 represents the largest single group. I would be interested to know what the other groups were, as I suspect that non-white people of all races bear the brunt of it.

You are probably right, but without a much clearer breakdown of the figures it is difficult to come to any clear conclusion. Have not delved too deeply into those urls, but is it not possible that it might have been a handful of oversensitive people making repeated claims of racism? If so, it makes it look like much less of a trend. Not denying that it happens as I have seen it for myself and found it pretty cringeworthy. That said, I have witnessed things very similar pretty much everywhere I have lived and worked.

I hope you haven't been physically attacked, although I'm sure does it happen.

Hasn't happened yet thankfully, but never say never!!

[minestrone]

<cough>http://tulliallan.police.uk/</cough>

The Scottish Police College home page on the Scottish Police Services Authority Website.

Again there is no such entity as the "Scottish Police", there is an entity called the "Scotttish Police College" where the recruits used to salute me and there is also a "Scottish Police Services Authority" but no "Scottish Police".

You really are struggling now.

[Churchill]

Again there is no such entity as the "Scottish Police", there is an entity called the "Scotttish Police College" where the recruits used to salute me and there is also a "Scottish Police Services Authority" but no "Scottish Police".

You really are struggling now.

See MF, we were wrong, it wasn't a play on capitalisation, we credited him with far too much intelligence.

Oh well, won't make that mistake again...

[MarillionFan]

See MF, we were wrong, it wasn't a play on capitalisation, we credited him with far too much intelligence.

Oh well, won't make that mistake again...

Fair is fair. I've obviously been reading too many Nick Fitz retorts!

[minestrone]

While working on a project in Glasgow a fellow contractor, let's call him Dougie for "Douglas" was his name, decided to research his family tree. He already knew that he was half English but was very, very proud of his Scots heritage and took great pleasure in regaling us with tales of Scots History and various victories over the Sasanachs through time at every opportunity. To no avail did the comment "But Dougie, you're half English" have any effect in curbing his enthusiasms.

Until one day... I arrived in the office to find Dougie in a very despondent mood. "Dougie, what's wrong? You look so glum!"

One of the other team members turned round and said "He's just found out that he's half English, a quarter Welsh, an eighth French, and an eighth Scots."

Much of the city is obsessed with ancestry, really I have no interest in it.

I have always taken the view that nationality is simply a tag that states where you should be taxed.

My family name has been slightly modified twice, once when moving from France to Ireland and then it was changed to make it less Irish when moving to Scotland to get work. The other side of the family had to change their name during the war. When it gets to the stage where the place you live makes you change your name then I do not really have any great desire to wave the flag.