Some of my best teenage memories were of England's World Cup campaigns in Italia '90 and France '98. I remember being just devastated at both exits by penalty shoot-outs in those tournaments but by 2006 there was an air of inevitability about it all against Portugal and, by then, the feeling of just not being able to care as much for Sven's collection of egos had really taken hold.

I find it sad that the English can in some quarters be so self-hating — seemingly as guilt-ridden over Colonialism as many Americans are about slavery and Pax Americana — and then given actual reason to be shamed by the nauseating, red-top fueled jingoistic nonsense that accompanies the "Engerlund" bandwagon. (Who can forget the the xenophobic "Fritz" headlines from the Euro '96 semi-final or the Argie-bashing two years later?)

And with the latter often tainting any feelings of national pride, it really is hard to muster as much passion and support for over-paid and over-hyped players drawn mostly from the Sky Four whom we've come as Evertonians to despise so much.

Add in the nation giving little more than bit- parts to our best English talent from the mid-80s side in Mexico '86, the national squad's role in the brainwashing of Messers Rooney and Lescott, and now the omission of Leighton Baines, and you wonder where the enthusiasm will come to root for the so-called "Three Lions" this summer.

Certainly, it was just as much fun roaring Australia on four years ago and the USA in Korea-Japan in 2002 and, like Peter says, there will be no shortage of countries to support this summer due to their Evertonian connections. But for all the distasteful aspects of the current England side (Gerrard and Carragher, chief among them), they are still the home nation for the majority of Everton's fans and I'm just hoping the players give us a reason to have some pride in them.

Hard to see, given the fact that a squad with the likes of a 32-year-old, off-form Emile Heskey, a back-up left back with just one cap, and that twat Carragher is expected by Favio Capello to win the World Cup but whatever...!

I agree Peter, I'm a proud Englishman but I can't stand Engerland the football team. I get very patriotic with other sports like the cricket but I just can't bring myself to cheer for a bunch of overrated playboys who only like playing for England to raise their profile with their sponsors.

I can't bear to hear another post-match analysis talking about how poor England's left side is when the manager's failed to pick a left winger. And how Gerrard and Lampard can't play together despite them apparently being the best two midfielders in the world. And how England can't score enough goals when the manager's only picked 4 strikers and one of them is Emile Heskey.

I also will never cheer for a team containing Jamie fucking Carragher. And Capello is an absolute wanker.

I'm looking forward to seeing some good football from the other games but I won't be making any special effort to watch Engerland.

Nicely put, Lyndon, especially your summing up of Carragher.

I concur with all of the above comments. Well said, lads.

And to think some people call us bitter... I can't for the life of me see why!!!!!!!

It is sad that a retired player who probably had his worst season of his career is classed as the second best English right back, insulting much!

It is disappointing as Capello said his selection policy was on form; this simply isn't the case, as Carrick, Heskey, and Carragher wouldn't have been in consideration.

Nike will be pissed that Walcott isn't going! Having a massive stone-made statue of his head!

At least I'll get to see Baines in Australia!

I don't really care if people feel I'm bitter, but I know in myself that, even before Baines was cut from the squad, I had absolutely no interest in this England squad due to three reasons:

The first being I don't rate Capello at all and his adjustment to English football has been even worse than I had initially feared. We as a country will look back upon him as England manager with the same bemusement as McClaren and Eriksson when all is said and done.

The second reason is the simple fact that I will never, ever, ever cheer a side containing Jamie Carragher. As is said above, the England team is a bunch of never-was, has-beens and inflated egos — epitomised by the managers selection of this clown.

Thirdly, I'm quite frankly embarrassed about the state of national football in this country. Arrogant and self-serving, completely believing we're the best in the world because "we invented the game". Hasn't changed a jot in a good 20 years, it's only got worse. I'll be cheering each and every England opposition at the World Cup — I'm a proud Englishman, but I'm certainly not proud of our arrogant national football setup, and it would be good for the nation overall to be eliminated in the group stages just to humble the idiots at the FA.

Don't forget Mucha!...

Looking forward to seeing how our new keeps equips himself — might be in with a shout of the 2nd round, with his Slovaks, the Kiwis & Paraguayans vying for 2nd spot.

Hopefully a proper challenge for a starting spot rather than having Howard repeat ending the season not being able to take his kicks!...

Lee Kid: great post. I also can't believe the hype around Capello and indeed think he will be looked back on as a failure and no better than Sven. The FA got the wrong man they should have been after the real Italian mastermind: Lippi.

Top marks to Lyndon and Alan: two excellent posts regarding our attitude to Ingerlund.

I support one football team and find it incomprehensible how anyone can support two.
Can't wait for the tournament to start but I don't give a shite who wins it.
My only wish is that the Everton players play well and the Liverpool players fail miserably.

Don't know about wanting Pienaar to fail to impress in order to lower his profile. I think he'll go however he plays, so probably better he does well to up the price.

The problem is that the World Cup is not the World Cup any more — it's just the Premier League in different coloured shirts. It used to be a once-every-four-year chance to see players you'd never heard of play football you could only dream of. The magic has gone.

Look at the Ladbrooke adverts — it's just Drogba vs Rooney, Terry vs Ronaldo, Crouch vs err... well, you get the idea. With the Premier League dominating world TV screens, we get the World Cup every damned Saturday, and ultimately, more is less.

And as for England — well, I laughed like a drain when Terry Mcdermott's fumble let Norway score their winner in that 1981 qualifier, and I haven't stopped laughing since.

Back the boys, Come on England!!! There is no greater feeling than the nation standing together as one.

All our friends that support other teams at last can stand together and feel the pain... it’s totally unique and for me it’s the only bit of patriotism left in this stupid PC world we live in. I will not have flags on my car or wear replica kits (just not me, I don’t wear any EFC either, think it looks stupid on a 40-year-old) but I intend to raise the cross of St George over my house for the tournament.

My company has allowed staff to wear England tops on the 23rd and any other days we play in working hours. The warehouse will be closed (or skeleton staff) when all matches are on, the feel good factor is worth every penny, embrace the tournament, go down your local or have a BBQ and invite friends around...

It's much more fun than being a miserable cunt and saying I cant stand England it’s a southern team, what a bunch of tossers some of your are. Come on Everton and England, God Save the Queen and Rooney! (Rooney bit is only until July 13th!) COYB

I'd rather Everton won a throw-in than England won the World Cup.

What Alan Williams said.

Come on, England.

Alan/Dave - are you saying you are going to support Carragher, Gerrard and Johnson a few months before they pitch up at Goodison in a Liverpool shirt?

I'll pass, thanks. Come on, Nigeria.

While the o.p and Lyndon's response contain great truths, I'm with Alan on this one. The World Cup is a completely separate entity from the Premier League and my team in it is England, no matter where the players come from. It's not because I admire the personalities of Cole, Terry, et al, (I don't, obviously) it's because — as Alan said — it's a unique time of forgetting club allegiances and standing together.

I don't confuse supporting England with jingoism or xenophobia, or some kind of retrospective backing of colonialism. I know there are a few thousand twats that do, but that doesn't mean I can't support England any more. In fact, it makes me feel the opposite.

The thing is, Sam and Alan, why should I forget allegiances? My love of Everton and dislike of other teams and hatred of the red shite is too ingrained to put that aside to start supporting players who show a total lack of respect for Everton.

I can have a BBQ and go to the pub with friends without watching those mercenaries lose at football. It's a plastic false unity you talk about, hyped up by the press and sold to you by advertising agencies. It's like only being romantic on Valentine's Day.

The head says fuck Engerland, but the heart, which still remembers 1966 like it was yesterday and why Kenneth Wolstenholme didn't get a knighthood... AND I had to bombard the Oxford book of quotations to put it in, the greatest live unscripted comment EVER!

Svens Plan A (and no Plan B)... hope to fuck Rooney doesn't get injured.

Capello's, such a disapointment, but what has he got to work with, Plan A (no Plan B) hope to fuck Rooney doesn't get injured. That says it all really.

Like others I will be watching the teams with Everton players.

Goes out on limb...

New Zealand to get a win and a draw.

Alan C, no-one's saying you should forget allegiances. Do what you want.

Me, I'll be watching the first game with a fellow Evertonian, a Scunthorpe fan, a Villa fan and a few others. That's what I'm talking about, it doesn't mean I'm gonna buy Carragher's biography or get misty-eyed about Gerrard's diving habits.

If you don't like it fair enough, but it's just mates getting together to support their country's team, something that has been going on for longer than advertising agencies and celebrity-obsessed media.

It is Everton's fault England are so poor. The only success England enjoyed ('66 and all that) was a direct copy of the mighty Blues.

For those too young... there was a famous Cup Final that year with the winners forever immortalised because they come from behind to win and famously there were "some people on the pitch" and Wembley shook to the chant of their name.
England copied Everton a few weeks later.

I don't understand the attitude that you can't support Everton and England, there's no conflict of interest. Especially now that no Everton player is involved.

As for supporting teams containing Everton players, I hope they all get knocked out in the group phase, before any of our lads get injured.

I'll be cheering on England, I'll cheer if Rooney or Gerrard or even Carragher score... but I'll never chant any of the bastards' names. For me, the England team transcends club rivalry, but not to the level that I'll actually support a dirty red individual.

I'm sure that all you people who won't support your country will be the first to celebrate if they ever actually win the bloody thing.

Thank God for the backlash, I was starting to think that all Everton fans are twats. Lyndon, as ever, is balanced and measured in his response, and sums up how I feel.

I don't understand Ste saying well done Lyndon AND Alan (Clarke) when they're effectively saying opposite things. I am an England supporter, I used to be extremely proud of that, and as Lyndon says, various things over the years have contrived to make it much harder to feel that pride. However, I will never give up and be a self-hater, a position I see as completely pathetic and worthy only of disdain. Be English (that's if you actually are of course, I'm well aware of the international nature of this site), be proud of it, and want your team to win.

From the Everton point of view, it's easy to argue we should want all our players knocked out as early as possible so they get a decent rest and can be fresh for next season, as well as other clubs not coming calling for our best ones. The exception pointed out above is that if we want to sell players then a good tournament would be useful.

I am no Billy Britain and I do cringe at the people who follow England, but I am English and very proud of it; I wear poppies at cenotaphs, I love our history and I am proud of where I come from.

The players are dickheads and so are many of the supporters, but I was born here and the hatred that some Evertonians have is embarrassing, no wonder there is so much hatred for this area of ours.

I don't exactly support England by cheering, I only keep those feelings for Everton, and I would not be in paradise if they won it, but I am still English and wanting the USA or whoever to beat your own country is wrong and makes people think Everton fans are dickheads; hating England is a Man Utd issue so leave them to it.

I'm with Alan and Peter here.

There's nothing quite like the atmosphere of watching England playing on the big screen, with a load of mates over and being sat on the patio with a shandy in hand and a burger on the BBQ.

Gareth Humphreys... that is EXACTLY what I will be doing. Football is a team game — it's not about individuals. Players come and go but it's the team that I support. It's the England team I'll be supporting, not the individual players in it. Frankly I couldn't give a flying fuck who plays for England or who Everton sign as long as they do the business.

When I was a kid, the World Cup was bigger than Xmas and it still has the buzz for me during the summer, but I can imagine some dads out there turning their kids bitter all because they don't like England.

I echo Lyndon's wise words. Italia '90 was wonderful, but it was probably the last world cup where you could still feel a connection with the players - Gazza's tears symbolic.

Since then the likes of Ince, Ian 'talks shite' Wright, Kieron Dyer etc etc have been blinging it big time as England footballers have turned into major prima donnas.

Ferdinand, Gerard and Lampard are all great players but they mean nothing to me — I cheer louder watching the cricket and half of them are South African! There's only Joe Cole, James and possibly even our very own Judas Rooney whose feet are anywhere near the ground, the rest of them live in cocoon of self congratulation.

I'll be wanting 'us' to win if only for those memories instilled in me as a kid and because, for better or worse, I am English. But a little part of me will be willing Tim Howard to save a pen against Lampard, Cahill to bang a header past Green or Johnny H to drive in a 30-yard free kick past the Three Lions.

I may be English but, most of all, I love the Blues!

Charles King: Everton were the only team ever to get to the old Wembley without conceding a goal... and they scored 3 goals in every game.

So bollocks to England!

Hmmm, not in the Semi-Final they didn't Colin (beat Man U 1-0) nor in the Quarter Final (2-0 v City after a couple of goalless draws).

Otherwise close...!

I would love to see England win the World Cup. Somebody as good as Rooney should lift the trophy.

Trouble is, I could not stand to see Rio (a face from The Simpsons) Ferdinand's gob all over the place for the rest of my life nor Stevie G Lah. So I will support the Everton players until the next one when Rooney is still in the team and Rodwell is captain.

So is this how ToffeeWeb's Silly Season is gonna play, then, is it?

A month of England bashing, failing to distinguish club from country, bitching about imaginary transfers whilst periodically calling Carragher a twat.

Oh, the socratic wonder of it all!!

You guys have a good summer...

I hope all our players have a great time during the group stages & then come back early — uninjured!

Well summed up as ever, Lyndon.

I can totally relate to what you say about teenage memories of World Cups gone by. I was a bit young to remember too much of Mexico '86 but Italia '90 was when my love affair with the World Cup began. I was 'there' when Lineker equalised in that semi and felt every bit of the tension as Pearce and then Waddle missed their penalties. Ever since, I anticipate each looming World Cup for what it is — the pinnacle of international football.

I have always supported Enger-land but this year, with the finals in my beloved homeland, I will be supporting Bafana all the way. Many people predict failure but I have a sneaky feeling that there are upsets aplenty afoot. The French are not the force they once were and with plenty of aging players in the squad, not to mention an absolute wally of a coach, they are there for the taking.

Don't be surprised if they don't make the round of 16. Remember Korea — and take it from me lads, Cape Town and all of South Africa is abuzz with World Cup fever. I'll be at the opening game between France and Uruguay, and at England v Algeria singing my heart out and being part of the most memorable World Cup yet.

The slogan down here is 'feel it... it is here.' They are not kidding!

Oh and I hope Pienaar stays, because losing him will put a BIG dent in our ambitions for next season. I think many Evertonians forget just what an integral part of the team he has become, as particularly evidenced when Arteta was injured. If we can keep "Schillo" and get him, Arteta, Fellaini and co to play together for a run of games we can make some major waves in next season's title race — a race I believe will be the most open yet.

Roll on next season, but first, I have to go and prepare to become a little part of history in the making!

We are going to put on an epic show and all the media's fears will be dispelled — it's going to be LARGE!!!

Michael Coffey (13): gem of a post!

I remember the packets of stickers and that you could buy an album with all the blank spaces to stick them in, at the time of the 1970 World Cup, and being mesmerised by all the exotic teams and names — and there were only 16 teams back then. Nowadays, we've seen every player already on Sky, ESPN or whatever. Even so, I'm sure that there will be fantastic games — there always are.

I declare my support to the 'couldn't give a shit about England' camp. I can't stand the England set-up, though I don't know if it's the same with the other big nations and their 'disenfranchised' (like Everton) club supporters not getting behind the team?

Actually, Richard Parker (23), no, I won't claim to support the team if they win, and here's why: Remember 2003 and the Rugby World Cup win, and the eternal hype that went with that victorious squad? Jonny the god and all that, and that in a tournament with basically only 5 decent teams (and it took us 6 goes to win it)?

Can you imagine if this lot actually win it? The number of times Terry, Cashley, Rio, Stevie 'twat the DJ' G, Carragher, et al will be feted as the true embodiment of St George, the heirs of Agincourt, Waterloo, Dunkirk etc — it will be too much for me. We'd never hear the end of it for 40 years afterwards. At least in 1966 we had Ray (and then a true great, Alan Ball). No, spare us all that fate!

I can recall being as enthralled as any in my support of England but I wonder if that was because of Alan Ball's stature in the team, I wonder if the antipathy generally expressed by many is a generational thing.

The kids in the pubs will be fanatical when England play but I'll only watch if I've nothing else to do, it's like my view of modern football... it's shit... but the younger element can't get enough of it.

Can't say I wish England ill though.

I can understand some people not wanting to support England (actually... no, I can't, but nevermind). What I really don't understand is the English posters wanting other countries to do well as though their teams don't contain the same prima donnas as ours. Take Harry Kewell for example, or Drogba, or Torres, or Robinho, Tevez — they are all as bad as Carra, Terry, et al.

I am curious as to how many of the non-English TWer's support their national teams. Is this an English thing or an Everton thing, personally I will be watching England's opening game with a Barcode, a Spurs fan, and a Chelsea fan. Last time round, I watched the Brazil game with some United fans. Why? Because they are my friends (apart from when they play Everton), and we are all football supporters.

To me, that is what this is all about: football. Everton is a state of being, part of life itself, and England is about football, (hopefully) proving that this nation of ours is the best in the world and that next season Everton will be champions of the best footballing nation in the world.

You're right, there, Brian Denton. I was in a bit of a rush. What I meant to say was, we beat the Manchester clubs a combined 3 - nothing! Sorry for that.

My point, Mike Allison, is I am fiercly patriotic and proud to be English. I wear poppies! I remember going to watch England play Holland at Wembley as a lad and I don't think I've ever matched that excitement. I remember spending hours trying to recreate David Platt's goal against Belgium in my back garden and pouring ketchup on my head to be like Terry Butcher.

I am not however proud to support that bunch of tossers whose only motivation to play for England is to inflate their own egos and bank balances. What is Carragher's motivation for playing for England after retiring? He turned his back on his country so why does he deserve to be playing? It's probably an indication of a wider problem with football but it shows how utterly out of touch the players and management are with the rest of us.

I am not wishing England get beaten or knocked out. If they win it then well done but I won't be making any special efforts to watch them and I won't be joining in this whole cringeworthy flag-waving round the BBQ 'just believe' nonsense.

"I am not however proud to support that bunch of tossers who's only motivation to play for England is to inflate their own egos and bank balances."

Here's the problem, you're looking for the most negative interpretation possible of the situation. You have no idea that that is their motivation for playing for England. Even if it was 100% true, you still wouldn't be justified in saying it on the evidence available. You're projecting your own assumptions and dislikes onto these people, and have a certainty that betrays a lack of rational perspective.

"What is Carragher's motivation for playing for England after retiring?"

I don't know, and won't claim to. Neither should you.

"I won't be joining in this whole cringeworthy flag-waving round the BBQ 'just believe' nonsense"

You have that right and your time this summer is yours to do with as you like, but I just find it's a lot more fun to join in and feel part of something. Your own summer will be the worse for deliberately stepping away from the World Cup and the England team. Yes, there are individual players in our squad who I don't have much time for, but things don't always have to be perfect. It feels like a lot of people cut off their nose to spite their face and indulge in this peculiar English (British?) pastime of self-indulgent misery.

Your memories make you sound like you're a similar age to me (I'm 29, and remember spending entire lunchtimes at school with my mate — who was actually Irish — taking turns being Gazza, chipping it and Platt roundhouse volleying it (we properly nailed it once too) and I completely understand that you don't feel the way you did during Italia '90 or even France '98; I feel the same.

The innocence has gone, both from you and from football, but that doesn't mean you have to reject the whole thing completely. It's a month of three football matches a day, the whole world focusing on one thing together, and the whole country focusing on our team and how it can represent us in that. Sure there are negative things, but it's a deliberate choice of yours to focus on them rather than all the positives that are there as well.

Was Bainesy only playing for England to 'inflate his own ego and bank balance'?

What about the reasons for Cahill, Howard, Yakubu, Yobo, Piennar, Johnny H, and Donovan playing for their respective countries?

People are trying to make out that only England players cna be classed as villains, whilst any team with Everton players in it consists of true patriots.

If you don't like international football fine, but don't try and make out that it is sinful, and let those people that enjoy football in all of its forms enjoy what could be a very interesting World Cup.

I'm not supporting those other teams though Pugh. I look forward to the world cup as a spectacle and the 3 games a day. Good on you for getting sucked in to the whole advertiser's wet dream but I don't think it's pathetic to turn your back on those mercenaries.

I don't claim to know Carragher (thank God) but it's easy to make some assumptions. This guy openly criticised both England and Everton in his autobiography. He retired because he wasn't getting picked - diddums! Imagine if they all did that. He's a year closer to retiring, he's just had a dreadful season and he won't be playing CL football next year. His reasons are completely selfish. I even heard him say he only agreed to play for England so long as he wasn't taking anyone else's place! What about Dawson or Jagielka? He's taken their fucking place. Will he walk out mid-tournament if he's not getting picked again?

Gerard admitted his head wasn't in the right place last world cup because he was pondering over a move to Chelsea. Some of the players admitted the Wags were a distraction in Germany. If these fellas can't get their fucking heads right to play in a world cup they don't deserve my support.

Like I said I'm not hoping they do badly, I just won't be watching them and calling them "Crouchey" and "Rio" and chanting that Judas twat's name when he scores.

Gareth (Post 11): I can't watch a footy match without supporting one of the teams, otherwise I find it boring.

I'm English so support England. I'm an Evertonian so hope our players there do well and "half support" their national teams but if they play England, that's my team and I want England to win.

If EFC played England, of course I would want EFC to win, but unlikely to ever happen!

As for Yak, I hope he scores – no down side for us. Sadly, I think both Pienaar and even more so, the club, want Pienaar to go and he'll go whatever – so I hope his transfer value soars.

The England players are not getting paid, all money gone to Bobby Moore cancer fund. USA are on max $750k each if the win and $54k for just qualifying; other countries similar to USA yet all you do is slag them off basically out of envy, nothing else but utter envy!!

Take off the blinkers and wake up people, treat others as you would your own... some of you are just pathetic with your excuses. I want England to win because I’m English and proud of it, not because a Mars bar tells me too! COME ON ENGLAND!!!!! COYB!