The ABE saga continues ...
HMV remove Anyone But England gear from stores
Entertainment retailer HMV will no longer stock anti-English World Cup merchandise in its Scottish stores amid fears it could incite racial hatred.
The chain reportedly made the decision following complaints to police from the Campaign for an English Parliament (CEP) and members of the public.
A banner featuring the slogan ABE - Anyone But England - was removed from HMV in Kirkcaldy after a police visit.
A spokesman said it would no longer be "actively promoting" the ABE brand.
In a statement printed on its website, the CEP called the merchandise "insensitive and provocative" and said retailer Debenhams had made similar concessions following a complaint about ABE T-shirts being sold in Welsh stores.
It said: "During the last world cup, a number of racist attacks were committed in Scotland against English people and anti-English racism remains a problem whether it's a world cup year or not."
The organisation's spokesman Stuart Parr added: "The Campaign for an English Parliament will challenge any company that incites racial hatred towards the English.
"Racism is unacceptable no matter who it is directed against, including English people."
Slanj, the company behind the ABE brand, denied its goods were racist and insisted they should be taken as "tongue-in-cheek football banter".
'Race issue'
Manager Ross Lyle said: "They're our local rivals. It's the same as Celtic-Rangers, Liverpool-Everton. It's just football banter and football rivalry.
"On a personal football level, I'm just jealous because Scotland aren't there, so I don't want England to be there either."
An HMV spokesman said: "If we thought the shirts were in any way racist, then we certainly wouldn't have stocked them.
"In our view, the shirts are not against England or the English, but simply about some Scottish fans expressing a view that they want any team other than England to win this year's World Cup.
"It's not a sentiment we agree with, but surely a football fan has a right to express such a view if they choose to.
"This is about the World Cup and should not be turned into a race issue."
Entertainment retailer HMV will no longer stock anti-English World Cup merchandise in its Scottish stores amid fears it could incite racial hatred.
The chain reportedly made the decision following complaints to police from the Campaign for an English Parliament (CEP) and members of the public.
A banner featuring the slogan ABE - Anyone But England - was removed from HMV in Kirkcaldy after a police visit.
A spokesman said it would no longer be "actively promoting" the ABE brand.
In a statement printed on its website, the CEP called the merchandise "insensitive and provocative" and said retailer Debenhams had made similar concessions following a complaint about ABE T-shirts being sold in Welsh stores.
It said: "During the last world cup, a number of racist attacks were committed in Scotland against English people and anti-English racism remains a problem whether it's a world cup year or not."
The organisation's spokesman Stuart Parr added: "The Campaign for an English Parliament will challenge any company that incites racial hatred towards the English.
"Racism is unacceptable no matter who it is directed against, including English people."
Slanj, the company behind the ABE brand, denied its goods were racist and insisted they should be taken as "tongue-in-cheek football banter".
'Race issue'
Manager Ross Lyle said: "They're our local rivals. It's the same as Celtic-Rangers, Liverpool-Everton. It's just football banter and football rivalry.
"On a personal football level, I'm just jealous because Scotland aren't there, so I don't want England to be there either."
An HMV spokesman said: "If we thought the shirts were in any way racist, then we certainly wouldn't have stocked them.
"In our view, the shirts are not against England or the English, but simply about some Scottish fans expressing a view that they want any team other than England to win this year's World Cup.
"It's not a sentiment we agree with, but surely a football fan has a right to express such a view if they choose to.
"This is about the World Cup and should not be turned into a race issue."
Source: BBC News
This story is more entertaining than the English matches at this World Cup. Apart from the hilarious goalkeeping:
Before the Algeria - England match, Wayne Rooney said that England could beat Algeria by not playing at their best. After the match (0-0 and extremely boring), Steven Gerrard said that it had been Algeria's World Cup final.
How arrogant can you get?
During the last European Championship (again, in which England took part but Scotland didn't), a BBC reporter left a car covered with English flags in Glasgow. This was the result:
Source: scottishlaugh (You Tube)
What he didn't tell viewers was that he left it in an area of Glasgow that has high levels of crime and poverty.
Typical biased reporting from an English journalist!
The last time Scotland was in a World Cup was 1998. Our first game was against Brazil. We played really well and were unlucky to lose 1 - 0. Brazil scored in the last few minutes of the game.
England's first game was four days later. The BBC presenter started the programme by saying "The World Cup officially started four days ago but this is when it really begins...."
Do they really wonder why so many Scots hate them?
Before the Algeria - England match, Wayne Rooney said that England could beat Algeria by not playing at their best. After the match (0-0 and extremely boring), Steven Gerrard said that it had been Algeria's World Cup final.
How arrogant can you get?
During the last European Championship (again, in which England took part but Scotland didn't), a BBC reporter left a car covered with English flags in Glasgow. This was the result:
Source: scottishlaugh (You Tube)
What he didn't tell viewers was that he left it in an area of Glasgow that has high levels of crime and poverty.
Typical biased reporting from an English journalist!
The last time Scotland was in a World Cup was 1998. Our first game was against Brazil. We played really well and were unlucky to lose 1 - 0. Brazil scored in the last few minutes of the game.
England's first game was four days later. The BBC presenter started the programme by saying "The World Cup officially started four days ago but this is when it really begins...."
Do they really wonder why so many Scots hate them?
Comments
I´m sorry but Don´t forget it with drinking. It´s better to split up....
I hope Spain play the next round (8th?) too. We´ll see on friday¡
C U ¡
Unfortunately they won today and now they already think that they are on the way to winning the tournament. Ahhhhhh - what a nightmare!!!
I was happy when Spain won the European Championships 2 years ago. But I'd prefer another country to win the World Cup.
I usually support the underdogs.
C U!
Congratulations¡¡
I hope Spain continue a bit more¡¡
C U ¡¡¡
They were unlucky to have a perfectly good goal disallowed but it isn't the first team that such a thing has happened to. And now they are using this as an excuse for their defeat.
Instead, they should face up to the fact they are just an average football team, and not the world power they think they are.
I wouldn't mind seeing Spain progess a bit more but their next game is against Portugal (the country that Spain tends to think of as their inferior). So I haven't decided who I want to win yet.