I can remember Frankie Boy at Wembley 96 after the Engs
got stuffed, priceless.

Alex Montrose, montrose, britian

Thank God that somebody is blessed with a brain Frank,as you're one of the few people that has a sensible outlook on the shambles that is English Football. I will be one of those still concerned with English pride, forget supprting a team for the sake of it, lets hope that Portugal just LOOSE!!!!

Scott, Leeds, UK

hi frank,

I find your position a little saddening really. Fine, that you're pleased that you don;t have to endure the anguish of supporting England but don;t have you any european affiliations? I lived in Berlin for a while and so will be supporting Germany

Chris, Exeter, UK

The Scots are on to a good thing always wanting England to loose. The must enjoy watching games with England playing far more than English supporters.

Julian, London,

Thank God Frank Skinner has finally stopped trying to be funny. It was getting embarassing.

Rob Mein, South Shields,

ahh the sweet taste of sour grapes...!
FORÇA PORTUGAL

nUNO, Lisboa, Portugal

That guy Ronaldo should be offloaded please. Which palyer has been bigger than a club??? Even Henry was let off and Arsenal survived 75% of the last season ... and would have done even better.

Go on Ronaldo. ManU's done with you please.

Sam, Lagos, Nigeria

By this definition (supporting teams to lose), I will be an avid German, French and Italian 'supporter' this summer, with a soft spot for Portugal lol.

ChrisW, Lewisham, UK

Us Scots have years of experience of this anti-support, except this time England aren't involved so we're lost all bereft!

Jonathan Main, Kuwait City,

I thought 'hate' was a crime in our exciting new society?

Jack, Stamford, England

The usual format, a few bob on those that must be despised Germany, Portugal, Italy, France. If one of them wins you're quids in if they all lose....quids in.

Sean, Greece,

I tend to take the "anti-support a team" route with international football, based on how much I dislike one team's players. Unfortunately this means that I always end up cheering on whoever is playing England.

Daniel, Northampton, England

No, Nick, that's what its like to be British. Football should be the winner. Just as long as it isn't Italy. Diving cheaters.

It will be good for the Germans (which i'm half) to win the cup on Penalties (as long as Ballack doesn't celebrate too early like he did it Moscow after Lampards penalty)

Micky, Brisbane, Australia

Frank, your piece has the prescience of Nostradamus, considering what Ronaldo has gone and said about Real Madrid! I really want to slap him now.

Colin Bowley, london, UK

I agree with your approach, Frank, And we get to watch either Italy, France or Holland fall at the first hurdle...for certain!!! That's got to be worth seeing for a start.

David, Sydney, Australia

Hating a team and supporting their opponents because your own team haven't qualified?

Wow! So this is what it's like to be Scottish!

Nick , Brisbane, Australia

I know it's lighthearted but there so many examples of spite, malice and hate these days, Frank, that your article left a quite miserable tongue in my cheek.

paul, eastbourne,

As a Scotland supporter I don't care who wins it. I only have one country and they're not there. Might watch the odd game but getting tired of the patronising and frankly desperate attempts by the tv and press to drum up support for euro 2008 to get us to 'support' another country. GO SWEDEN!

Henrik Larsson, Glasgow,

Scott (Miami) is dead right. Bet your shirt and ride the roller-coaster. After all, who'd bother watching a horse-race if it weren't for the betting?

Ken Leyland, Liverpool, U.K.

We already have England Brazil fans. It was only a few years ago one could buy the ridiculous half England/half Brazil shirts.

I guess it's no different to Exeter-living fans' of teams in the north.

D.Heath, London, England

England fans have dellusions of grandure. Euro's are harder to win than the world cup. Germany, France, Russia, Czech republic, Italy, Spain Holland. Denmark and Greece have won it. Brazil, Argentina and Uraguay to thave won more world cups, England watch the Euro's and learn football.

DS Mali, Bangor, Wales

Isn't the problem with picking a team to want to lose the same as wanting a team to win? No matter who I pick now; Portugal (Ronaldo), Germany (tradition) or Italy (smug mate) there pretty much guaranteed to win the thing while playing a boring style.... on that logic I'd best stick £10 on Italy.

Jon M, Ongar,

great read

Padhraig, newry, Northern Ireland

People are rooting against us now?! Like they say in England, now we've really arrived!

A football fan from Portugal.

PS: lots of Portuguese get really annoyed by Ronaldo too. Your instinct to give him at least a little slap is spot on!

Patricia, Lisbon, Portugal

Brilliant as usual Frank

James, Leeds,

As an Englishmen with old ancestral family connections to Portugal, i'll want them to win it, as they should of done last time if it hadn't been for negative Greeks. But as long as the Germans or French dont win i'll be happy enough.

Billy, stevenage, england

Totally agree with Frank that you need a team to hate, unfortunately due to English incompetence us Scots are being denied that oppurtunity!! Imagine having the whole tournament without the visits to camp England,maybe now we will be able to enjoy the spectacle but not through English eyes.

neil simpson duncan, banff , scotland

This anti-support approach has much to commend it but its hard to pick out just one team and what happens when, lets say, Portugal play France or Germany? It all sinks into a morass of long-held grudges and bile.

Steve, Oxford,

Hmmm....I don't think so ---tried negatively supporting Manchester United for the last two years and look what happened!!

Graham, Pattaya, Thailand

That was a good read Frank. I'm currently writing an article about the Euro's and we've adopted a similar angle. At times like these people seem to have a lot more interesting things to say about who they wont be supporting rather than who they will.

Gareth, Portsmouth, UK

He's not the best player in the world? He changed the way people can take free kicks( By using the valve).He dominated the EPL all year long. He made everything he did look easy. His minor mistakes show that he is human. Human yes, Best player in the world. YES

Colin, Winchester, USA

as a born Portuguese.....THANK YOU!

As an concerned citizen...
.....great article if you want to rally up the troops to adopt such anti- whatever group mentality 'cause that's just what FIFA wants for English fans to be, now that you cant play the hooligan part in a tournament .

victor, lisboa, canada

Or you can always place a bet!

Scott, Miami, Florida, USA

how can anyone want ronaldo to win anything, hes not the best player in the world, he just plays in the best team in the world at the moment, did he as an individual change results when it mattered in the big games, no, no-one did this year, the closest we got to it was ballack for chelsea.

David, Melbourne,