National team? Then sing the National Anthem!

Jess my reply to POGS would have been as you have written. I don't equate national pride with being the subject of a queen, nor do I believe athletes will not commit to the task and their team because they do not identify with the words of a song. There are many republics represented at the games, and some will take home gold medals, having stood on the podium and been able to join in singing an anthem they feel belongs to them.

We aren't going to agree on this, so let's agree to differ

It was quite funny sometimes, to watch the people who'd just got up and were halfway down the row on their way out when the National Anthem started. Some of them would hover, not knowing whether to stay or go, and others would just carry on, pushing past those stalwarts who were standing to attention!
In the latter years, though, it seemed more people than not just ignored the National Anthem and left anyway.

Years ago in the cinema when the National Anthem was played at the end of the film, I seem to remember a huge rush to get out before it started, thus avoiding having to stand there being bored!

On the podium some will be too emotional to sing. Some people just cannae sing (like me) so perhaps they think it wiser to keep quiet. I generally do my goldfish act when public singing is required.

For the coronation, our school had learned the Te Deum for a special assembly. Then we went to visit posh friends with a telly to see the ceremony and on the Sunday were at church with them, seated in the front row the better to observe our posh friend singing in the choir. When they broke into the Te Deum, I joined in - well I had learnt it hadn't I? Apparently I put several valuable choir members completely off tune.

That was when I learned to keep schtumm.

version, I mean.

Love Granny23's verion

Oh, I see, POGS, how strange! I don't think I've logged out or been logged out since I joined, but obviously it isn't just you as NannaAnna has the same problem. Lets hope GNHQ/Tech department can sort it out - it must be very frustrating.

I watch Rugby. When they play the Welsh national anthem at the start of the rugby, some players sing and some don't. Doesn't mean they are not burstingly proud to play for Wales. They just choose not to sing at that precise (emotional) moment.
Likewise those on the podium. The anthem is played. Some sing. I don't think this just applies to Brits - you see it in all nations. I think it is an unreasonable requirement. Whatever the anthem (and however dire, as it is in our case - dirge like even if you did want to save the queen) I think the podium moment is the athletes moment, not ours to impose values on.
Don't know what you scots are complaining about - Wales does not even figure on the flag!

Annabel why are they privileged to be at the Olympics. They train incredibly hard and make sacrifices in their private lives to give the time required.

They're not privileged to be there .....they've earned the right.

POGS It seems that if you have logged in but don't post fairly quickly, you are automatically logged out! There must be a time limit thingummy.
I found this incredibly frustrating in the early days, as I had a tendency to write very long winded posts. I would log in specifically to write a reply, and by the time I'd written it and clicked 'post message' I'd been logged out and my well-constructed and thoughtfully composed long-winded reply would have disappeared. Gone forever!
It has meant I don't bother to even get started on a lot of threads (Probably a good thing!)
I now copy before sending, so if it has disappeared into the ether, I just have to log on again and paste it
Note to Admin I do think the automatic log-out time is unreasonably short, for those of us with a tendency towards verbosity. Any chance we could stay logged in a little bit longer?

Anagram.

Because I keep typing and I am logged out. Don't know why but it is frustrating so I test it out to see if I am still O.K. to post. If anyone can tell me why it happens I will be pleased to know. I don't leave the site and have successfully posted all night?.

Whenim

That is the whole point. They are competing on behalf of Great Britain. Whether we like it or not the Queen is the Head of Great Britain and the national anthem is what it is. It is not a case they are competing for their birth nation so they have a duty to their fellow team members and the peoples of those countries who they are representing that make up Great Britain (United kingdom).

If they are so apparently impassionate about being British then they should not be surprised if the question is raised will they give the same level of competence to their sport on the day if they hold no love or respect for concept of Great Britain, the reason why they are competing. The Olympics are the ultimate team sport, playing for your country is the ultimate goal for any sportsman/woman. If you cannot embrace the fact you are playing for team Great Britain then have the courage to say it straight and refuse to play until the time comes you can play for your birth nation. I sadly think that may be the future to come and I wonder then if we will look back at Great Britain (United Kingdom) and think how better off we were but that is another story yet to unfold.

Why do you keep doing that, POGS?

w

As children, we had our own version - a tribute to my Auntie who had a corner shop.

God save our Auntie Jean
Long may she sell ice cream
On our back green
Send plums - victorias
Shampoos called Glorias
Keep rain from over us
God save Aunt Jean

I'll head for the Tower now!

I'm not specially fond of our National Anthem, but it's the only one we have. Athletes and sportspeople are incredibly privileged to be able to represent our country so it's really a very small sacrifice to sing - or at least appear to sing - the anthem.

I think there is no problem playing for Team GB, by the way. The issue is about singing a song that is excluding of some people, requires a feeling of obligation to the queen, and is totally out of date.

My family origins are Irish, Scottish, Jewish and whatever else. I was born in England so I am English. My g/parents did not hate England for some long ago battle. Things have changed these days, it is stupid to hate a country for something that happened so long ago, it wasn't undertaken by anyone still alive or within living memory. Do you know that why the Serbs and Bosnians hate each other. Over a battle in medievel times. The English behaved like brutes at the Battle of Culloden, Ireland had suffered for years under the English. We aren't like that now that is why so many people come here because they know they can be free to express themselves. I just think not singing our anthem but competing under the GB banner is a bit mealy mouthed.

Why on earth should anyone who is Scottish feel obliged to sing of "crushing rebellious scots" whether they are monarchists or nationalists or unionists! I remember seeing Billy Connolly arguing that we should adopt the Archers theme tune as an anthem. It is cheery and doesn't offend anyone. Maybe that is the way forward.

I don't think they have much choice for these Olympcs, POGS. there is only GB they can represent. I can't see anyone denying gold medal success depending on whether the athletes sang the anthem or not. If they win, they win!

To me this type of question always raises the ugly head of republican against monarchist or National Independance against United Kingdom.

We are practically all living alongside friends, family, workmates who make up the 4 countries of Great Britain. It is the saddest thought to me this joyous part of our heritage is about to change and I fear not for the best, I will be happy to be proved wrong.

As for the question at hand I ask this. 'Why would you play for team Great Britain if you obviously feel there should be no such thing?'

You are being nothing short of a hypocrite and should have the courage of your conviction and state clearly you will only play for your independant country whether that be Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales or England. Easy really, do not play as a member of team G.B. if you do not accept the Queen as the Head of State for Great Britain .

I don't understand how refusing to sing the National Anthem shows a lack of self esteem or how they are somehow showing themselves up.

home

Yes, and preferably not dirge-like....

A good tune is essential.