Some of us had to suffer listening to it every day down south in the 90s and 00s.

It doesn't stop it being an incredibly pathetic argument based on people on both sides being bogged down into a rut just because.



That depends entirely on you view on history. Yes, once in power, the Vichy we incredibly self centred, as their actions towards rugby league showed. But no more so than any other opportunistic leadership in history who has sought their way or the highway. But prior to that, they saw collaboration with Germany, who had decimated most of Europe up to that point, as the only way to protect French National interest.

Spot on Div,I was one of those people who experienced the prejudice and it happened against me.

So what, you're holding a 20 year old grudge?

You ever thought it is time to grow up?

What is your problem,unless you have experienced it first hand don't judge me.
Just curious to know have you.

I lived down south for years. You put two and two together.

You are a patronising bugger I know that much.
You never answered the question.

Sale won't go to Saints. In fact, it probably doesn'tmatter where they go, but it'll be somewhere around south Manchester or Cheshire- just a focal point for fans to go to. Someone mentioned Altrincham- people in Alty are football, not rugby of either code. I used to live in Sale and there's not a great deal of interest there now that they play in Stockport.

As soon as the armistice was signed, the Vichy regime launched the 'National Revolution', a purge of Jews, Freemasons and Communists. Jews were subject to harsher restrictions than any other occupied nation in Western Europe in the unoccupied zone.

The PM, Laval, authorised the forcible sending of thousands of French people to work as semi-slaves in German factories.

Openly Nazi figures such as Marcel Deat, Joseph Darnand, Philippe Henriot, and Jacques Doriot all held positions of power after 1943.

Petain and Laval encouraged the creation of a French Waffen SS unit.

So yep, they were not all Nazis- they were a mix of opportunists, French traditionalists, and actual Nazis.

If you're going to climb into bed with a group, you're bound to get a few.

But it is scary to think that that is what could possibly have happened with Britain had Hitler's hand not been forced East earlier than planned.

Very true. But I do recommend reading Petain's biography- he'd been consorting with European Nazis for years before the War, fairly quietly (sorry, hobbyhorse of mine!)

Rumour has it that David Lloyd George was going to be made PM if Hitler invaded.

Anyway, back to the Sale point- if they do go somewhere, it'll be Salford.

Will look that one up!

Bit of off the point backtracking done there from your Vichy stand. Admittedly with some skill!!

The assertion was they were all Nazi's. I made the point they weren't.

The truth lies somewhere in between.

Only just saw this. I used to live in Sale and my experience was that, other than people who played for Sale FC or who drank in that pub at Brooklands, RU is pretty minor. I do remember being out in my Warrington top and a bloke asking me why I didn't support my local rugby club (had to point out to him that RL is a different sport).

I would agree that it's not people in the Alty stockbroker belt- because they mainly seem to be into football.

I get the feeling that RU fans in and around Manchester are rather scattered across the area rather than concentrated anywhere.