Looks like we're beating the EU at footie now

[Borchester]

I guess we had best just accept that anyone who is keen to be English has past the test

Sounds good to me.

[morayloon]

#Sad and Bitter

Maybe sad but 'bitter' certainly not. We know we have little chance of winning anything. But England should be up there with the Germans, French and Italians. Why the failure? You have crowed about your one success for far too long. The fact that Broadcasting is not a devolved matter means we have to put up with all your crap. I believe channel 4 even showed the 1966 Wembley Final, in colour, yesterday evening. Would the Portuguese willingly accept Spanish propaganda about their 2010 World Cup win? I do not think that very likely. So, why must we put up with the triumphalist, ott braggards who time and again have had to eat their words.
I hope the best team wins and that that team is

[johnofgwent]

#Sad and Bitter

Possibly, but also realistic. In the early stage of this tournament, did not Southgate orchestrate one of the match s to place England in the lower section of the result table, so to have an easier passage ? That is only doable as far as they have now reached.


Italy have an impressive record and England do not.


I shall be otherwise occupied and uninterested in who is the better pigs bladder kicker. But I suspect there may be some unhappy Englishmen around tomorrow night....

[johnofgwent]

You're not English.

In my case, an accident of birth.


I am a man of Gwent, the embodiment of perfidious Albion, the reason Edward Longshanks wanted all those castles is he didn't trust us further than he could spit.


And as for my take on it ...


"il calcio sta tornando a casa... a roma"

[cromwell]

Neither am I and I, like many Scots, am supporting Italy. 

#Sad and Bitter

[patman post]

The FA has told Sky Sports News HQ [in  August 2016] that looking abroad for players is a relatively new part of its scouting strategy, but does not guarantee foreign-born players will eventually play for the Three Lions. 
In order to be eligible to compete for England, rules state a person has to have lived in the country for at least five years. 
It's also possible that if a person's parents or grandparents were born in England they could potentially be considered.
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12016/10557956/fa-looking-into-foreign-players-eligible-to-play-for-england.

So it seems my opinion was accurate, even if assuming slightly more rigorous conditions than the FA applies.



Strange that if you're that interested you didn't investigate the FA's views for yourself...

[papasmurf]

I did. Picking a few odd words and ignoring the substance of a post gets no one (apart from trolls) anywhere...

I asked a legitimate question which it appears no-one here can answer.

[patman post]

answer my question.

I did. Picking a few odd words and ignoring the substance of a post gets no one (apart from trolls) anywhere...

[papasmurf]

So to answer your question, I'd say all of them... 

Your opinion does not answer my question.

[papasmurf]

They have to be English to play in the team. How's that?

But do they?

[patman post]

How many of the England team are actually English?

Good question. But to answer it there needs to be a definition of English — and there seem to be as many definitions of that as people offering definitions.
My twopence worth is any British person (ie, with or entitled to a British passport) who has largely grown up in England (or with English parents), in English cultures and traditions speaking English. 

So to answer your question, I'd say all of them... 

PS — I'd also add, wanting to identify as English

[Barry]

I note the question mark. So you don't know?

They have to be English to play in the team. How's that?

[papasmurf]

All of them?

I note the question mark. So you don't know?

[Barry]

How many of the England team are actually English?

All of them?

[papasmurf]

How many of the England team are actually English?