Jo Konta - the 'British' thing

[Stat Brother]

so if someones parents were Jamaican (and retired back there) and their child was born in London, you wouldn't know how 'British' they were?

I was talking as more of a personal subjective decision.
It's not for me to tell Chris Froome's mother if she's English or Kenyan.

But in a thread where nationality through residency and grandparents is being discussed I felt it only fair to point out both cyclists mentioned are children of British nationals.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Ah those glorious colonial days, when many cricketers spent their formative years abroad, before coming to England to ply their trade. Dexter, Greig and Parker to name just three, close to home.

 

[portlock seagull]

Tennis is one of those sports where it's pointless following someone simply because of their nationality. You can buy it for starters and it excludes more than half the worlds population because it's so elitist.

Much better to follow a player because of their style or personality whatever their nationality. I couldn't give a monkeys Murray won because he's British. I admire his skill and determination to succeed just as I disliked Mac as a player (unsporting) or Graf (a hard hitting machine) etc. Loved Boris because of his innocence and showmanship. Sampras just dull dull dull. Anyway, we all like players for different reasons but because of their nationality?! Nah, it's a joke as the OP states when it comes to a tennis.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Eddie the Eagle.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

Ah those glorious colonial days, when many cricketers spent their formative years abroad, before coming to England to ply their trade. Dexter, Greig and Parker to name just three, close to home.

However i do believe J/K and along with with J/L plus RMJ are British born ?

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

When the line judges are shouting OUT! I'm not sure if they are referring to the ball or her nipples.

 

[Questions]

You can have her.

We'll have Robert Whittaker.

You can keep him. He's done nothing since Durham Town.

 

[Questions]

I get cheesed off by the constant references to "Eastbourne's" Johanna Konta on Radio Sussex...have the people of Eastbourne clubbed together and bought her?

Maybe it's to do with Eastbourne being in Sussex and you listening to Southern Counties radio. I might be wrong though.

 

[ewe2]

She might be a British national......but she is not British.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Many forces' kids would disagree with you. Friends of mine were in Mauritious with the Navy, their daughter was born there, but that doesn't make her Mauritian, any more than Harry Webb (Cliff) is Indian.

Yes but I am assuming they left their counry of birth while small and have no attachment or family there. I know an Italian who was born in Cambridge but never lived here. He's Italian.

Konta came to the UK because her Hungarian parents emigrated from Australia. She sees herself as British and is legally entitled to be British. End of.

It wasn't so long ago that it was a commonly held view that you 'can't be English if you're black; English is a race' etc. I'm sure there are folk on here who still share that view.

Personally I'm more concerned about people born in the UK who decide that they'd like to murder me for being a citizen of the UK than I am about a rather pleasant and amusing athlete who has chosen to represent the nation to which her parents brought her.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

If you parents are a horse then you're a pony

If your parents are a horse then you're a clone.

 

[portlock seagull]

Yes but I am assuming they left their counry of birth while small and have no attachment or family there. I know an Italian who was born in Cambridge but never lived here. He's Italian.

Konta came to the UK because her Hungarian parents emigrated from Australia. She sees herself as British and is legally entitled to be British. End of.

It wasn't so long ago that it was a commonly held view that you 'can't be English if you're black; English is a race' etc. I'm sure there are folk on here who still share that view.

Personally I'm more concerned about people born in the UK who decide that they'd like to murder me for being a citizen of the UK than I am about a rather pleasant and amusing athlete who has chosen to represent the nation to which her parents brought her.

Nationality and the Nation State is soooo 20th century. It's becoming more meaningless by the year. Anyone can say they're British. American etc but does that mean we have anything more in common other than the same queue at airports etc? Nah, whether you're a home grown jihadi, born here or have taken the citizen test, we're all British on paper but that's where the commonality ends. Christ, Brexit shows even if two people are white, middle class and middle aged indigenous chances are they can't agree on anything and share nothing in common so it's a redundant concept.

Nope, the age of Nationalities is over. More likely to be categorised as an Apple, Amazonian, Googlite or a Facer in years to come the corporates are already more powerful than most countries anyway.

 

[Eeyore]

She's Australian where tennis talent is concerned. It can't be claimed as a victory for British tennis if she wins. I'm not bothered about which flag she plays under, or which nationality she considers herself to be. I'm just bothered if the LTA claim her progress as some sort of sign. It's not.

 

[Eeyore]

Nationality and the Nation State is soooo 20th century. It's becoming more meaningless by the year. Anyone can say they're British. American etc but does that mean we have anything more in common other than the same queue at airports etc? Nah, whether you're a home grown jihadi, born here or have taken the citizen test, we're all British on paper but that's where the commonality ends. Christ, Brexit shows even if two people are white, middle class and middle aged indigenous chances are they can't agree on anything and share nothing in common so it's a redundant concept.

Nope, the age of Nationalities is over. More likely to be categorised as an Apple, Amazonian, Googlite or a Facer in years to come the corporates are already more powerful than most countries anyway.

Most true.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Nationality and the Nation State is soooo 20th century. It's becoming more meaningless by the year. Anyone can say they're British. American etc but does that mean we have anything more in common other than the same queue at airports etc? Nah, whether you're a home grown jihadi, born here or have taken the citizen test, we're all British on paper but that's where the commonality ends. Christ, Brexit shows even if two people are white, middle class and middle aged indigenous chances are they can't agree on anything and share nothing in common so it's a redundant concept.

Nope, the age of Nationalities is over. More likely to be categorised as an Apple, Amazonian, Googlite or a Facer in years to come the corporates are already more powerful than most countries anyway.

I beg to differ. People form an affinity for the familiar surrounds as they grow up, and develop a sense of nationality (which has nowt to do with ethnicity) whether they like it or not (with a relatively small number of perverse exceptions, like the home grown jihadis). The only way this will end is if the majority of people actually move around from country to country with a regularity. Few people are peripatetic. Most of us like to be settled. Look how hard it is for adults who emigrate - many can't cope and 'go back home'. A bloke who worked for me went back to Hungary on one fifth the salary even though he could have stayed here for ever, because the lure of the familiar and family were too great.

I am rather fond of my nation state, crap though the present government may be.

 

[portlock seagull]

Most true.

Indeed it is, California is already well on the way in this respect building corporate communities that unless you're part of, you'll be physically and geographically excluded from. We're not talking small communes or gated communities but vast tranches of land owned and enjoyed only by an exclusive elite that governments will be in the pockets of until the nation state eventually crumbles into non existence. Most people don't realise Nation States are actually a relatively new concept, only past few hundred years. In the era of globalisation and increasing wealth divide they just can't exist. UK could shatter into a dozen regions very soon, which makes the Corporate Scenario above even easier. London for example is anything but English!! It feels the rest of country is like a ball and chain as it is, fast forward 20-30 years and things could and most probably will look very very different to how they are now. Nationality is outdated and unsustainable. People will be defined and ordered by different classifications instead, corporation communities being the most obvious in the west; tribal ancestory and religion in other more obvious places. Even health and lifestyle may be another, technology driven.

 

[Brighton Mod]

You seem to have omitted one key point?

His mum maybe, or because he won gold, the TdF, World Championship TT, Bradley is a very English name, his grandfather was a father figure in his life, he didn't get caught for drug taking, he likes Paul Weller, he is a 'Mod' at heart, he can play the guitar, he was at Cofidis when everyone was 'charging up', he had a somewhat turbulent relationship with Dave Brailsford, he had sideburns during the London Olympics or have I still missed it? lol

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

It wasn't so long ago that it was a commonly held view that you 'can't be English if you're black; English is a race' etc. I'm sure there are folk on here who still share that view

Well no one immediately springs to mind, Harold, but I'm sure you know your onions.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Nationality and the Nation State is soooo 20th century. It's becoming more meaningless by the year. Anyone can say they're British. American etc but does that mean we have anything more in common other than the same queue at airports etc? Nah, whether you're a home grown jihadi, born here or have taken the citizen test, we're all British on paper but that's where the commonality ends. Christ, Brexit shows even if two people are white, middle class and middle aged indigenous chances are they can't agree on anything and share nothing in common so it's a redundant concept.

Nope, the age of Nationalities is over. More likely to be categorised as an Apple, Amazonian, Googlite or a Facer in years to come the corporates are already more powerful than most countries anyway.

What is Roger Federers native tongue? This should add to this debate, because he doesn't speak Swiss.

 

[Albumen]

She's as British as John Terry.