Why are England football fans so entitled?

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00:00Why did England get booed so much and so often during those early Euro games?

00:05Players had missiles thrown at them, even St. Gareth.

00:09Family and relations of the players, even the lesser known figures confined to the bench,

00:14also had abuse, beer and coffee hurled at them by fans nearby sitting watching games

00:19in the posh seats.

00:21Fans are meant to be supporters, loyal to the team, who love the players and their country.

00:27Why else have they travelled all that way and at such expense?

00:31Because England played shite.

00:33That's the simple answer.

00:35I was more surprised when Belgium got booed off the pitch after a goalless draw with Ukraine.

00:41There were jeers and whistles aimed at Kevin De Bruyne, a brilliant player and national

00:45hero.

00:47And I think it is because modern fans of the top football countries, very like modern players,

00:52feel entitled, though in a different way, expecting different rewards.

00:57England and Belgium were among the hot favorites when it all began and their fans got carried

01:01away expecting excellence or at least entertainment.

01:06They feel personally let down when they're lauded, pampered heroes don't provide what

01:10they, the fans, have expected or have led themselves to believe would happen.

01:15The deluded fools.

01:17I don't think fans resent the massive salaries the top players earn, millions a year

01:22at every Premier League club.

01:25Not if they are doing the business.

01:27But if not, the fans turn angry.

01:30Perhaps the abuse is more prevalent today because of the effects of social media.

01:35It is so easy today to rubbish and attack our heroes and celebs rather than worship

01:39them.

01:41Perhaps England and Belgium and the other leading countries, their players and fans, have grown

01:45to assume they are always going to stuff the lesser counties, way down the pecking order,

01:50with small populations and players we have mostly not heard of.

01:54I did not recognize any of the names or faces in the Georgian team, now defeated by Spain.

02:01They are rated just 74th in the world, with a population of only 4 million.

02:06But they still beat Portugal, a football superpower, which had the superstar Ronaldo on the pitch.

02:13And of course that victory was greeted by ecstasy back home in Georgia, one of the greatest

02:17moments in the country's history.

02:20I rather envied them their joy.

02:22These small countries, Slovakia, Serbia, watch all the Premier League games and of course

02:27know all our superstars and superteams, and probably feel quite inferior at their own

02:32status and achievements.

02:35So how lovely and satisfying to give us all and themselves a surprise.

02:40Switzerland beating Germany 3-1 was probably the best such example so far.

02:45Austria, Turkey, Romania, middle ranking in the world order, all did pretty well and I

02:50enjoyed watching them.

02:53Being organized and sensible, working hard, pulling together, and not being expected to

02:58get to the final does help.

03:00One of the explanations for England's poor play has been that the players are tired,

03:04poor pedals, after a long, hard season.

03:08But all players appearing at the Euros have had long seasons.

03:12Seeing the might of England take on little, humble Slovakia in the first of the knockout

03:17games, I half wanted them to be beaten, to get sent packing, so it would be all over.

03:23They had given me such a headache in each game so far.

03:26We wouldn't have to worry about them for another year.

03:30Phew.

03:31Gareth could take holy orders and become vicar of a tiny parish on Teesside.

03:36Peace at last.

03:38But amazingly, after another 90 boring minutes followed by a Jude Bellingham spectacle, England

03:44somehow managed to beat Slovakia.

03:47We foolish, self-deluded fans now now tell ourselves the best is yet to come.

03:52We can't keep playing rubbish forever, I suppose.

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