England

charlton1969

I know the fortunes of the national team don't interest some CAFC fans in the slightest, but with the role of outsiders [that's a nicer word than foreigners] becoming more controversial in the game now, wouldn't England winning the European Championships next month have a positive effect? It seems to me that there's a culture on the Continent within football circles whereby certain people in the game - our present owners being a prime example - think they can contribute some kind of expertise that historically comes from a perceived - but inaccurate - sense they have that English players were always poorer technically than their own players, even in non-countries like Belgium, and that this - together with the ease with which they can enter our game courtesy of the European Union - means that nowadays English clubs are exposed to the arrogance of the likes of our owner.
Let me make it totally clear - I do not regard myself as a racist - or to be even more honest: I do not want to be racist. I live in Germany now, and am able to live here or in France, because I speak the languages - but when it comes to FOOTBALL I've always been of the view that English clubs should have largely English players and that, even more importantly, they should have English managers. I now believe, because of the example of this present lot, that English clubs should have English owners too.
And just a quick added note, which I hope doesn't spoil for some any of the above - although I'm happy to live in Germany, I'm going to vote to come out of the EU. The time has finally come to draw a line in the sand, and if we want a better working European relationship, which is respected by the democratic-minded peoples of Europe, we have to do something to force some change. If we vote to stay in, we'll be further subject to Germany's increasing domination of Europe in Germany's own self-interest, and in view of the history in Germany that we all know about, that should leave a nasty taste.
I hope and pray we'll vote to leave, but I just fear that apathy and/or frankly the craven attitude of people likely to bow to the pressures and lies of the government will see the status quo remain.
Sorry about that but this subject is close to my heart, as the above shows. Dave

Algarveaddick

"Turkey votes for Christmas"

charlton1969

So Algarveaddick - you think all the Brits living on the Continent should vote out of self-interest? Fair enough I suppose, you could argue that that's what democracy is based on I guess. But I'd like to think we Brits were better than that.....that we could vote out of.....principle? Jeez, what am I talking about? Principle!? What's that? Never heard of the word!

Chizz

Dave, are you going to vote?

And, if the vote ends up in the UK withdrawing from the EU, do you intend to return?

Algarveaddick

charlton1969 said:

So Algarveaddick - you think all the Brits living on the Continent should vote out of self-interest? Fair enough I suppose, you could argue that that's what democracy is based on I guess. But I'd like to think we Brits were better than that.....that we could vote out of.....principle? Jeez, what am I talking about? Principle!? What's that? Never heard of the word!

Were I still in the UK I would be still voting in, on principle, no question. It happens to suit my circumstances too.

charlton1969

Hi Chizz - I've applied and registered for a postal vote with some agency in Greenwich LOL, but we'll have to see what comes of it. Word is that voting papers could be sent out too late, so I'm thinking of voting by proxy via someone in London I know. Still, if as I suspect the vast majority of Brits living on the Continent are like Algarveaddick and are going to vote to remain, then I'd be happy for all the voting papers to be sent out too late. As for what'll happen if we do vote to come out - it'll be interesting! At the moment I have no plans to return. I'd hope [dare I say 'trust'?] that the people who run our countries would find practical sensible solutions so that we don't get the upheaval that the government under Cameron is at the moment trying to suggest. Lots of French and Germans and others live in London too of course.
At the moment the German euro is undervalued to the other euro countries by anything around a half, so that the value of my property here in Berlin would probably double overnight if the Germans de-coupled their euro from the Greeks - which is being seen as an increasingly practical solution to enable the rest of Europe to remain in their own single currency. The undervalued German currency - a deliberate policy act by the Germans - is crippling the poorer countries. Jeez, you got me going again! ATB Dave