General Chat

Bit worried now....bought several people Help for Heroes socks for Chistmas,one pair are the Union Jack/England Flag,hope they don't get arrested for a "Foot Felony" ?

Sadly, hooliganism and football go hand in hand. When drink fuelled 'supporters' see an excuse to exercise their patriotic fervour, all hell breaks loose.

with respect janeycanuck,

what has hooliganism got to do with it????
i thought this thread was about banning the display of the english
flag not hooliganism and i was stating what was in the Bolton news.

Nannie, what does this have to do with the "asian community"?

As far as I can tell, the only community it has been suggested might be offended is the Welsh community. In Wales.

Of coures, actualy, it isn't "offence" anyone is concerned about really.

It's hooliganism .........

It's not just England Flags......!!!
Just in case anyone is p

Council bans boy, 6, from flying Jolly Roger at pirate party - because it is 'unneighbourly'

As his sixth birthday approached, Morgan Smith's parents thought hoisting the Jolly Roger would be the perfect way to make the pirate-mad youngster's day.

The flag was duly run up the pole in the back garden, leaving Morgan looking forward to a party on Saturday with lots of friends wearing eyepatches and wielding toy cutlasses.

But little did the family know that out on the treacherous high seas of bureaucracy, trouble was heading their way.

Council officials branded the skull and crossbones flag "unneighbourly" and banned Morgan's parents Richard and Sharon from flying it.

Kay, as I mentioned in a different thread, my loyalties lie with the England Womens Beach Volleyball team. Purely academic interest, I assure you.

Basically, what Janey and Rose said.

There's an house near where I live where the flag is permanently flown at the top of a flag pole.

Council workers in Bolton have been told they must not fly our
flag on their own cars or that of the council in case it offends
people of the community. in my opinion the council make waves
to annoy us against other people and this is why British people
start getting their backs up if they took the trouble to ask
the asian community does it bother them they will find no it
dosen't well with most it dosen't you may get the odd one.

we have a lovley asian family who run our corner shop and they
have got the biggest flag for England flying outside their shop.
so come on top knob council workers stop putting the cat amongst the pigions.

I can see a US flag and regalia from where I am,,,,,,they are from US,,,,,,,has it caused any offence NO,,only good natured jibbing from the red and whites.

Ive seen blacks flying the red and white, what does that say,,,,,too many dogooders being offended on behalf of others when sometimes it isnt wanted,!!

Elgordo,,,I'd have thought you would have a little support ,even if its only painting yer toe nails}}}}}}}}}

Eldrick,,,

Yes he pleaded not guilty but I think the magistrate that day must have been trying to set an example to all the people in Leeds not to fly the flag as it will cost you £60 fine..
He did leave the flag up but as the local rag got hold of the story the paper had a field day in stating it wasn't illegal to fly the flag anf they gave him the money for the fine....

I can not see anything wrong with wanting to deck your house car back yard rowing boat in flags to show your support for your country with regards to which one it is, is here nor there, what gets on my pips is, the people that believe the snippets of media coverage that states councils are requesting that they remove them as to not cause offence to none english people, what some stupid seem to think that all none english people must be none white so hence the even stupider rants of ...ohhh I cant even be bothered..

I permit myself a smile at these anecdotal tales of people being arrested for flying flags and things on cars. There is actually no power of arrest and no offence apart from possibly under the road traffic act, which is a summary offence only and not arrestable, unless certain conditions apply i.e. name and address unable to be ascertained (not likely if the person is in a car), likely to abscond or accompanied by a breach of the peace. Anyone who was arrested (highly unilkely) would look forward to a nice cheque in compensation.

All UK law must be read in conjunction with ECHR and the actions must be appropriate and proportionate. It's not proportionate to arrest someone just for flying a flag and it simply doesn't happen. Urban mythology, pure and simple.

My cleaner's husband is a policeman in our local force in the North East of England. Recently they received a directive that a policeman in another force in the North West had arrested someone for flying the flag on his car, and that no police force should arrest anyone for doing this as it is not illegal. The policeman in the North West was taken to task over it.

The only time it would be illegal is if the flag were situated such that it obscured the view of the driver. So, flying the flag on a stick attached to the outside of the car is ok, but posting a flag on the back window is not, which makes sense anyway.

Dianne xx

The whole thing makes me shake my head in sad disbelief. For the life of me, I can't see how anyone can get excited to the degree that they have to display their enthusiasm for a football team by decking their house, car, shop, pushchair or bicycle with flags, just to tell the world that they are an ardent fan of their team.

And yes, I can actually see, using this mentality, where the mentally challenged will take exception to the flag of a different country. Look at derby games in England and Scotland. They take on life changing proportions and you stand the risk of being attacked just because you have the wrong accent. (Sunderland v Newcastle being a prime example of this warped and bizzare fervour).

Pubs offering happy hours during matches and the media hysteria surrounding it all is utterly bizzare. It inflames the jingoistic passions of those who have nothing better in their lives but to imagine that the intensity of their 'support' will decide the outcome of a game 6,000 miles away. Strange indeed.

Well.... B***** racism and all that... Britain is an island, and if one of the countries that make up that island has made it to the world cup, I'll fly their blummin flag as well.... and would for NI and Sctland as well.... after all, I am British, and as much of a hotch potch mongrel as the next Brit... no matter where they happened to have been born!

So



*Come on England, we really need you to up the ante and put a smile on all our faces.... so win, babies, win*


Love

Daff - reporting from a very flat ((below sea level, actually)) bit of Wales. xxxxxx

You would have to be mentally deficient to wave an English flag here TBH. Not that I would have the least bit of interest in doing so.

I hear the local rugby club has set up the far end of the pitch as a 'stoning' area for anyone caught in possession of this inflammatory flag....lol

Sue

Court for racial discrimination? How did they work that one out?

DId he not plead 'not guilty'?

In the last World Cup one of my sons in law put a St George flag out of the bedroom window and yes the council did see it.

They sent him a letter to either take it down or be in court for racial discrimination.
He refused to take the flag down and had to go to court and was fined £60.

Noticed this year that even David Cameron is flying the flag on No 10 for the World Cup

Oer Rose....}}}

Our local cabs are banned from any form of red an.white,,,,councils will remove any they see on Taxis,if cabbies persist they will have their hackney revoked,,,!!!!even though they are owner drivers,
their stance is, it could cause riots!!!!! from opposing supporter,plus passenger safety and other road users.

Oh Sue it begger dont it,}}}}}}}

I supose the red/white and blue

Police chief's flag racism fears

Many England fans are flying the flag on their cars for the World Cup
England fans flying the cross of St George on their cars could antagonise Welsh fans, according to the deputy chief constable of North Wales Police.
Clive Wolfendale said "incessant" flag-waving in Wales during the World Cup could lead to racism and violence.

His comments were made during a launch of the force's anti-violence campaign to coincide with the World Cup.

Clwyd West MP David Jones said flags were "innocuous" and that Mr Wolfendale was "completely misguided".

Mr Wolfendale, who is English, said there is a place for flag-waving during the World Cup.

But he believes that in the weeks before the tournament, the sight of the English flag being displayed on cars "frequently and overtly" is "unnecessary".

'In your face'

Mr Wolfendale said: "I'm an Englishman and I'll be supporting England during the World Cup campaign and if I was at the game or in and around the stadium there's a fair chance I might be waving the flag.

"But I think there comes a point when weeks before the tournament the incessant use of these symbols is a bit in your face and I just wish people would sometimes reflect on the impact that's having on others."


Clive Wolfendale said overt flag-waving was "unnecessary"
Mr Wolfendale said that in a football context Wales was "definitely another country" adding that he wished England fans "would reflect on that before they start festooning their vehicles in this way".

He said that displaying the flag was not illegal but that in Wales it was a "matter of courtesy and of decent behaviour" for England fans not to do so.

He added: "There's no doubt about it that this can be the precursor to behaviour which is much worse than flag waving - it's violence, it's racism, it's hooliganism of the very worse kind."

North Wales Police have launched a pub campaign entitled Show Violence the Red Card.

Posters carrying the slogan have also been printed in Polish and Portuguese - two countries also competing in the World Cup, and which have large communities in Wrexham.

'Completely misguided'

Mr Wolfendale's comments have been criticised by some MPs in north Wales.

Alyn and Deeside Mark Tami said the remarks were not helpful and risk creating a problem "that isn't actually there".

He said he does not believe that tension between English and Welsh fans exists in north Wales.

Clwyd West MP David Jones said Mr Wolfendale's comments were "laughable".

He added: "I think it's pretty innocuous (for fans) to display their flag from the little flagpoles on their cars if they want to do that.

"I can't believe that the people of Wales are so intolerant of a few English football fans that they would be incited to violence - I think he's completely barking up the wrong tree.

"Frankly, flying a little flag on your way to Colwyn Bay for the day is, I don't think, going to spark any violence - I think he's completely misguided."

Sue