A United Front Might Just Make It Four Times as Bad

In an editorial, the London Independent proposes dire measures to curb the hooligan activity perpetually associated with England’s national soccer team:

“We should withdraw from the World Cup and spare France any more violence and the nation any more shame.”

Short of that, the Independent advises the dismantling of England’s team and instead sending a Great Britain team--composed of players from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland--to future international competitions.

“There are all sorts of historical reasons why the UK, alone amongst footballing nations, has four separate teams, but if we were to merge the home nations into a Great Britain side, then not only would there be less cause for raucous nationalism, we might even be more successful,” the newspaper proposed. “Certainly the British Lions rugby team is of a far higher standard than any of its individual component teams.”