Jeremy Corbyn once compared England celebrations to the way ‘Hitler used sport to enhance Nazi regime’
Labour leader signed a motion along with Ken Livingstone during the feel-good summer of Euro 96 saying the success of the Three Lions was marred by ‘jingoism and nationalism’
AS THE NATION counts down to tonight’s crunch match with Colombia it can be revealed Jeremy Corbyn once compared celebrations of the England team to the way “Hitler used sport to enhance the Nazi regime”.
The Labour leader supported a formal motion during the feel-good summer of Euro 96 saying the success of the Three Lions was marred by “jingoism and nationalism”.
The killjoy leftie, who did not back Gareth Southgate’s team to win the World Cup, backed the attack on coverage of the home tournament by Labour MP Eddie Loyden.
The Early Day Motion, a system for Parliamentarians to “draw attention to an event or cause”, was signed by Mr Corbyn along with a dozen other MPs, including the disgraced Ken Livingstone and veteran left-winger Dennis Skinner.
It read: “That this House, while welcoming the success of England's football team in the European 1996 Championships, deplores the jingoism and nationalism in the pages of sections of the tabloid press which does nothing to maintain the true spirit of sport.
“But is reminiscent of Hitler's use of sport to enhance his evil regime in the 1930s.”
He defended his support for such a motion, saying the coverage “tends to get a bit overboard sometimes”.
He told Sky News: “I mean it is a game, it is football, it is sport and be passionate about it but remember there are a lot of teams that are not there that would love to be there and a lot of people love the World Cup all over the world for that.
“Now I think we should do our best, support our team, let’s hope they go as far as they possibly can but above all, enjoy the football.”
As well as praising the “magnificent Brazilian teams” of the 1960s he told presenter Sophy Ridge to read French philosopher Albert Camus about football instead, adding: “He’s your man.”
Earlier in this tournament the Labour leader was mocked for a tweet in support of England which used a quote from a Scottish football legend.
He posted a supposedly inspirational message from “one of our country's finest managers” to the players in Russia – only to be told by fellow users Bill Shankly wasn’t English.
Social media users were quick to point out the sporting legend, who won three league titles and two FA Cups, actually played 12 times for Scotland, nine of those against England.
One replied: “When did Bill Shankly become English?”
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And Mr Corbyn’s man in Brussels declared last week he was cheering on Belgium in their World Cup showdown against England.
Hardcore remainer and Labour’s leader in the European Parliament Richard Corbett described the contest as a “vulgar tournament to prove our superiority”.
But this morning Mr Corbyn did post his support for England, tweeting that he was “hoping for the first win in a knockout round in 12 years”.