Gareth Southgate has expressed concerns about the unity of England amid a debate over flying the St George's flag. The former England manager, who is now a bestselling author, believes that the display of the flag can create divisions rather than unite people.
Southgate was asked for his opinion on the flags debate during an interview with BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay. When asked what he thought about the use of St George's flags in certain circumstances, Southgate replied: "I worry about unity. I've seen what we did with the team [England] to unify every community."
He emphasized that there is more that unites people than separates them and encouraged everyone to focus on their commonalities rather than their differences.
The display of St George's flags has been a topic of controversy in recent months, with some people viewing it as a symbol of patriotism, while others see it as intimidating or divisive.
Former England defender Gary Neville recently criticized the "negative" display of the flag and ordered the removal of a flag from a building site he invested in.
Southgate's comments on unity and patriotism come after his eight-year tenure as England head coach ended with a Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain. Despite failing to win silverware, Southgate is widely recognized for uniting the country in support of the national team and has written a book called "Dear England: Lessons in Leadership".
Southgate was asked for his opinion on the flags debate during an interview with BBC Breakfast presenter Jon Kay. When asked what he thought about the use of St George's flags in certain circumstances, Southgate replied: "I worry about unity. I've seen what we did with the team [England] to unify every community."
He emphasized that there is more that unites people than separates them and encouraged everyone to focus on their commonalities rather than their differences.
The display of St George's flags has been a topic of controversy in recent months, with some people viewing it as a symbol of patriotism, while others see it as intimidating or divisive.
Former England defender Gary Neville recently criticized the "negative" display of the flag and ordered the removal of a flag from a building site he invested in.
Southgate's comments on unity and patriotism come after his eight-year tenure as England head coach ended with a Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain. Despite failing to win silverware, Southgate is widely recognized for uniting the country in support of the national team and has written a book called "Dear England: Lessons in Leadership".
. As someone who's been around the football world, he knows how much of an impact the team can have on people's lives. When you're supporting your country's football team, it's not just about winning or losing - it's about coming together with others and feeling a sense of pride. But when it comes down to it, if flying the flag is causing divisions rather than unity, maybe we should take a step back and think about what really matters 
. It's easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment, but at the end of the day, it's all about putting people before flags 
.
I know some people might think it's a big deal, but at the end of the day, it's just a flag! 
I think Gareth hit the nail on the head when he said there's more that unites us than separates us. We need to focus on our shared values like equality, justice, and compassion 
. It's time for us to shift the conversation from flags and nationalism to building a society where everyone feels seen and valued 
.
. I mean, Gareth's right - there's more that unites us than divides us. We're all human beings, we've all got families and friends... it doesn't matter where we come from or what flag we fly (although, gotta say, the England flag is pretty cool 
๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง). Gary Neville's just being a bit too harsh with his criticism. I think Gareth's right that we should focus on what makes us similar, not different. And yeah, Southgate did do a great job bringing the country together while he was England manager... now let's just enjoy the flag and not worry about it, okay? 
]
]
]
]
๏ธ
]
but i can see what Gareth's saying...we should focus on our shared humanity rather than getting caught up in petty differences, right? 
. We're all human beings living in the same world, after all! But maybe instead of getting rid of the flag altogether, we could find ways to use it in a way that brings people together? Like, imagine if everyone just waved their flags with a smile and a chat... I think that would be a win-win 
.
he was SO calm about it but his words are like, totally on point! i mean, i get why ppl are passionate about the flag and all, but southgate makes a valid point that we should focus on what unites us rthan what divides us. 
. Seriously though, unity is key, and if flying the St George's flag makes you uncomfortable, then maybe don't do it 
can't say i agree with him tho, seems like a bit of an odd stance to take on a national pride flag 
anyway guess you gotta respect someone elses opinion even if u dont agree 
. Southgate's got a point that there's so much more to us than our nationality or cultural background โ we're all just humans trying to figure things out together 
๏ธ.
. He was doing some sick tricks with his quadcopter and I was like, "Whoa, that's insane!" 
Then I started thinking about how Gareth Southgate is right on point about unity, you know? Like, when we're focusing on the small stuff that divides us, we're missing out on all the cool things that bring us together 
. And I was just eating this amazing pasta dish for lunch and it got me thinking about how much better food can be when people from different backgrounds come together to cook it 
. Anyway, Gareth Southgate's book sounds like a must-read, btw 
. As someone who's all about unity, I think he's spot on โ let's focus on what we have in common rather than what sets us apart 
. We should celebrate our differences while still coming together as one big family 
that it can create more divisions than unity. like, can't we just focus on what unites us, instead of getting hung up on what separates us? 
. Gary Neville's at it again, ordering a flag to be taken down because he thinks it's negative? honestly, can't we just focus on the positives