View Full Version : England Vs Poland tonight.. solidarność.
What a nice touch. I'm sure our fans will show the gesture the reverence and appreciation it deserves.
BBC News - Poland fans to unveil flag commemorating WWII pilots (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24535805)
(hope we still stuff 'em though, 1974 and all that)
Wrathmonk
15th Oct 2013, 15:06
I'm sure our fans will show the gesture the reverence and appreciation it deserves.
Sadly, given the age and intelligence of the average wendyball supporter, they will boo and whistle throughout :(.
Unless, of course, they watched THAT film on Sunday ....
"Stop that Polish chatter and steer 230"
"Repeat Please"
Battle of Britain - "Repeat please!" - YouTube
;)
peter we
15th Oct 2013, 16:04
What a nice touch.
Not quite.
Polish people are fully aware that in 1939 Britain and France reneged on a pact to invade Germany (which was basically undefended in the West). Together with being sold down the river at Yalta, this is referred to as the Western Betrayal Western betrayal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_betrayal).
There is also the fact that the Polish weren't wasn't allowed to parade on the 1945 Victory Parade. Thats after 250,000 had spent 5 years defending Britain and then discovering their homeland was given to their sworn enemy who would kill them if they returned home.
Polish fans have a habit of making 'comment' with flags.
Europa League - Legia Warsaw fined for 'Jihad' banner - Yahoo! Eurosport (http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/18112011/58/europa-league-legia-warsaw-fined-jihad-banner.html)
Opinion: "Wilno nasze" or why Toma?evski failed to congratulate ?algiris FC on victoryThe Lithuania Tribune (http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/47943/opinion-wilno-nasze-or-why-tomasevski-didnt-congratulate-zalgiris-fc-on-its-victory-201347943/)
BEagle
15th Oct 2013, 20:49
On my way home this evening, after a day in Town, I was enjoying a Bakerloo Line 'experience' :uhoh: when a group of merry Polski yob-ball supporters joined the train.
High spirited, but well behaved and a credit to their country!
ShotOne
15th Oct 2013, 21:29
The Western Betrayal argument belies the fact that Britain had very limited land forces available to attack Germany and even more limited ability to get them there and supply them. This was obvious to all at the time, including the Polish leadership so this part of the betrayal argument doesn't stand up, even though it was an idiotic piece of diplomacy on our part. Either way, we DID go to war for them and undertook great sacrifice as a result. It remains a valid question though why we declared war on Germany but not Russia even though both attacked Poland at the same time. Anyway they'll be more annoyed at the 2-0 score line!
peter we
15th Oct 2013, 23:41
Agreed, there was little the British could have done.
However, the French point-blank lied and told the Poles they were attacking Germany. They did have the ability to withhold the treaty and chose not to.
The Americans alone may have prevented Poland being given to Stalin at Yalta, but the Poles blame Churchill.
Fox3WheresMyBanana
16th Oct 2013, 01:52
Very pleased to see the ref having no truck with the usual Wendyball 'rolling in agony as soon as they're touched' rubbish - made for a much better game.
Do catch the Sweden-Germany game if you can; another 8 goal thriller between these two, like last time.
Floppy Link
16th Oct 2013, 11:35
...both attacked Poland at the same time...
Not exactly, ShotOne, the Russians waited a couple of weeks before heading west. See
Soviet invasion of Poland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_invasion_of_Poland)
ShotOne
16th Oct 2013, 14:40
They did...I'm sure those two weeks made all the difference to the hundreds of thousands of Poles who were deported to Siberia, summarily murdered or imprisoned and tortured by the NKVD over the following decades!
Note that the 3 Aircraft at the rear of the formation are actually 109's. - Somebody needs to check their six more often...:8
oxenos
17th Oct 2013, 10:38
A pity that the tribute referred only to the Polish fighter squadrons. There were some 15 Polish Squadrons in the R.A.F, plus some Flights. They served with distinction in the Bomber, Coastal, Transport,and Special Duties roles throughout the war, as well as in Fighter during the B of B.
bobward
17th Oct 2013, 21:47
AR 1,
They painted up a few Hispano Buchons (Merlin engined 109s) to simulate more Hurricanes, but flew them at the rear of the formation. think they only had three or four Hurricanes flying when they made the film back in 1968/9.
Off to dry clean my anorak again....
Cheers