I agree England are a southern entity. Growing up I felt no affiliation to a club that played so far away, now I have a bit more of an interest to see how our lads in the team get on, but still...

I've seen England play Japan at Eastlands, thats the only time, and probably one of the very few times they've toured in the past 20 years or so.

Still crying about a couple of City players not being picked?

Most of the starters tonight are at Northern teams.

As for the point about touring, this game is in Norway.

Grated when I saw that downing Johnson and Kelly had been selected and henderson on stand by and micah was no where near I couldn't give a flying surfer about England...how can any Liverpool player be involved and Rob green

The mind is baffled

d'jeezus

Should be touring the country England is a southern club.

I cannot wait for Ribery to tear Johnson apart, I and every other city fan would be smug as a pig in dirt

Joe isn't involved so he isn't injured for the tournament simple as that

Cry more

Not crying about the team selection, that's been done on another thread. I just consider myself a regionalist, and for England to stick in London, makes them another London team to me.

You are talking like England is as big as the US or China.
I have got to Carlisle in 3 hours, not a big deal.

England should tour the country Christ there are loads of great stadia in the country

Burton anyone?

On a slightly different note...

"The Football Association yesterday claimed its new £100m National Football Centre will increase the number of English managers at the top of the game and address fears over a dwindling supply line of homegrown coaches"

Begins with b, ends with ocks, and has oll in the middle.

Actually its not just England and its not a southern thing. Lets be honest its a London thing, thats not the same thing. Its a bit like saying anything from Newcastle is a northern thing and tarring us all with Shearer, Gazza and the essex wanabees of Northern whatevers.
It was more obvious when Chelsea won the CL and it was mediad as the first London club to win the CL. So what, is London another country? As far as I'm aware Celtic were the first British club and United the first English club, after that it just get parochial.

By the way its not strictly true as he was right about Dabo verbally though he went too far and he was also right when he called some of the players that Pearce brought in sub standard.

All in all though am I glad he left.....

Wait, what? England are a Southern entity?

Weren't they in training at the Etihad last week, before they flew to Oslo? Or did I just imagine that part? I also went to watch them play Greece at OT as well, about 3 or 4 years ago.

Anyway, what does everyone expect? So England play in London. It IS the capital, after all. I wonder if people in Marseilles get the hump that the French national side play in Paris? Do those who are from Bergen get shirty that the Norwegian national side play in Oslo? How about those who live in Faro or Rotterdam or Naples or Rhodes or Aberdeen, do they get a gob on that their respective national sides are based in their capital cities?

No, they don't.

Seriously, a Southern thing? A London thing? Please, if you don't want to support the national side, don't make lame excuses for doing so, just man up and say you aren't going to support them!

Leo, I dont mind England playing at wembley, dont mind the cup finals etc being played there (not sure about the semi's though). Dont mind going down to London to the best cheese shop in the world, what I do object to is the fact that there is a definate media bias to London. Probably to be expected with the nation newspapers and Sky and until recently the BBC news being centred there. Londons the capital which I recognise, I just wish occasionaly that London would acknowledge there is a whole country attached to it .

Noted, Lee. And I agree, it's like we're the poor cousins who get brushed under the carpet.