Yes, anti-racism in Spain lags behind the UK. However that's not surprising, given that when the first Race Relations Acts were introduced in Britain, Spain was still as fascist dictatorship. Spain has entered the mainstream of progressive thinking in Europe in many ways (gay marriage) but is still behind in others (race).

So what? We can all cherry-pick. However, it is undoubtedly true that there is hardly any violence at, during or after major football matches. No Swiss person had to hide indoors after Swizterland beat Spain in the opening match. Given past history - and recent history at that - could the same be said of England? Think back to the incidents involving Portuguese people in the UK after Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006.

There are significant numbers of Honduran, Chilean, Portuguese, Paraguyan, Germand & Dutch people in Spain (the other countries Spain played at this World Cup). None of them has to hide away before, during or after a game. Dutch supporters could walk openly through the streets of Madrid & Barcelona before the final. Can the same be said of London & Manchester?

And before I get accused of letting my Scottishness get in the way of reason, let me say that my wife and I went out for a stroll last night to observe the celebrations here and it was my wife (English to the bone) who observed how different this was from the home life of her own dear country.

Another rant from MacIntyre that reveals his anti-English prejudices and displays his complete lack of knowledge about football and its working class fan base (or, for that matter, the Spanish).
I live in Madrid (last night was indeed wild!) and regularly go to Athletico matches. It can be quite dangerous with firecrackers being thrown around by drunks and going off whilst queuing to get in .... the police have automatic sub-machine guns...scarey combination.
The English fan base has never needed armed policia to keep it orderly. It is still largely working class though and, as I noticed at the Europa Cup match against Liverpool a couple of months ago, the English working class these days tend to be big (relative to the Spanish), quite scarey looking, shaven heads, tattoos, etc.... and drunk, loud and wholly ignorant of the culture, rules, etc of where they're visiting. So what, despite appearences, they do tend to be well behaved and it's clear that its the football not the spanish language, Madrid's fine architechure or urban ecology that they're here for. Just because they don't share many middle class cultural interests, this does not entitle anyone to feel "ashamed" of them or to dismiss them as thugs.
I suspect that MacIntyre (like many effete middle class types... and I say this as a 62kg, late middle-aged gay weakling) feels his manhood threatened in some way by these big noisey boys and hence uses his privilaged position to spout utter crap about them.
As mentioned in a previous comment, yes I'm afraid, some Spanish folk do tend to be quite racist (particularly about North Africans, who a bit like the Liverpool fans, tend to be big and look just a bit scarey in a group). However, Spain has come a long way quite quickly and I've no doubt that the majority know what direction they ought to be moving in this regard...as indeed do the English working classes.

Nice post Colin. However, I think that your final question "Why else would he call for a UK football team?" implies that MacIntyre has a well thought out political agenda. This unduly flatters the twerp as it's clear that his call for a UK team confirms that he's simply a shameless, self-promoting, ignoramus (and racist).

Yes, the Spanish do know how to celebrate; and part of that is that they are not made to feel ashamed of their patriotism and their nationhood: their government, state and national media were all 100% behind the team and participating in the celebrations.

Would the reaction of civic leaders and the media have been anything like as unambivalent here: immediate reception by the king and prime minister taking unalloyed delight in the team's success as the nation's success, holding aloft the trophy, etc? Can you imagine David Cameron proclaiming an England team's success as an honour for the 'whole nation'. No, he wouldn't want to celebrate a triumph for England in such an enthusiastic manner as if it were indeed a victory for 'the nation' he supposedly represents, i.e. the UK. And doubtless many in the media - especially, the Liberal sort - would snivel and jeer at the vulgarity and jingoism of it all.

Besides which, not all of Spain was celebrating. I read and heard reports of anti-Spanish violence in Barcelona and the Basque land. In the Basque land, there was a defiant parade of cars hooting and displaying their own flag, not the Spanish one; and in Barcelona, they were treating the whole thing as a victory for the Barcelona team - humorously, but with an edge. So, you see, Spain is not without national issues of its own.

God knows why Macintyre wants a United Kingdom when he hates England?
I've found that dyed in the wool unionists are usually the most vindictive towards the English. The plan of action is to denigrate anything English and hope we keep our heads down for the sake of their poxy union.

The Spanish know how to celebrate? I'm sure the Scottish don't. They never win anything to celebrate! I will not be supporting the British teams at the next Olympics and I wouldn't support a UK soccer team. Not that it would ever happen. Scotland Wales and N.Ireland have about as much to offer the English football team as they do the English nation ie nada! Look at N.Ireland. Rioting on the streets!
I will however support the English teams at the Commonwealth games!

'The experience made you think about what it is to be English these days'
What is it to be Scottish these days. Quite depressing I'd say. Their sporting teams are fourth rate and courtesy of English voters they have a Tory Prime Minister! The Scottish have whinged about us English for centuries yet they are still too scared to declare independence. Do they not have any self respect? Are they really going to accept this or are they going to pluck up the courage to go it alone? We English nationalists hope they go!

I have written already about the relative merits of Britishness and Englishness in relation to football, proposing a UK team, and I was told off in various quarters for being a naughty boy.

No, you were "told off" for being a tit.

When Spain scored its late winner there was hugging and dancing and flag-waving, but with none of the screaming, aggression or violence that accompanies England games.

Did you not read about the violence in the Netherlands (particularly in Amsterdam) after the final? Or did you conveniently "forget" to mention it to avoid looking like a hypocrite for not declaring your hatred of the Dutch and your pleasure at them losing?

Come the revolution, Comrade, you will be one of the first against the wall.

As Mr Wonderful said James....stick to what you do best....whatever that is for it's certainly not writing unbiased, probing, incisive columns....I hear McDonalds are recruiting!!

Its worth remembering that when England last played Spain in Spain (recently) our black players such as Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Philips were greeted by a very loud chorus of monkey noises whenever they touched the ball. It was clearly not a small minority of the crowd involved. As I understand it, anti-black racism in Spanish football generally is where it was in England in the 80s. Also, spectators turned up to the Spanish Grand Prix in blackface when Lewis Hamilton first raced there against Fernando Alonso a couple of years ago.

I'm delighted Spain won. They're one of the great footballing sides of history. But you're glossing over a lot here, James.

You're also, I'm afraid to say, guilty of caricaturing English football. The game here has moved on a long, long way since the dark days of the 1980s. See Gary Younge's recent (wonderful) piece in this magazine. Like him (and for the same reasons), as a 2nd generation immigrant I was a long way from being an England supporter 20 years ago, but am quite comfortable with being one now. The country's moved on and the sport's moved on. There are still major problems of course, but the bleak picture you're painting ignores a lot of progress and improvement.