You are right there about Liverpool, Birkehead and the other towns chester etc are now considered a lot worse.

I used to drink in birkenhead when I was younger. Gone right down hill now though.

I was referring to the journalist who wrote that article in the paper - I presume he is a Canadian.

I've lived in both countries long enough to make an informed opinion too, and it differs from what the others say. It could be that I frequented different places than they have, or that some people love to complain about Britain (perhaps it helps re-enforce their decision to live in Canada)?

I don't know, perhaps because I'm younger, I see things differently? I'm certainly not trying to distort any truth though and I promise you I'm not telling pork pies.

Have to agree with you. I think "yobs" exist here too - they are just not roaming the streets rat-faced on lager. They drive cars rat-faced on dope or crystal meth..... :p

No doubt that there has been a few such cases that you are aware of dingbat, and I've seen reports of that behavior in the Vancouver media myself. As far as my personal experience, I haven't witnessed such behavior during the last 20 years with the exception of seeing a few drunk Indians in Edmonton's inner city. Of course I only resided in Canada for over 40 years, so what would I know? :p

The real issue is how would you compare the UK with Canada regarding the extent of any yob culture?

yobs
 

the problem with the yobs that it stems from parents who dont give a dam if they are out on the streets till late the only way to stop it getting any worse if possible is have a viable deterent ship them out to sea then sink the ship.........

On the whole - but drawing from the only two provinces I have experience of (Ont & BC), the UK has a far worse yob culture. The level of disrespect for other people and property shown by some sectors of the population is stunning in the UK. Much of this stems from the Thatcher years, the "I want, I get" mentality that baby boomers instilled into the kids. This attitude is also prevalent here in Canada, and manifests itself into immature adults who go nowhere, see nothing outside their little insular communities and breed children who know no better and follow suit. Canadian kids are, in general however, far less likely to congregate in gangs in the town centre and go alcohol fuelled rampages. Kids in the UK are tougher, more street wise and are expected to fend for themselves at a much earlier age. With age comes wisdom; give a 17 year old too much money, freedom, the belief that they are invincible and responsible to no one and you create a monster. It doesn't matter which flag you fly then.

If you read the article, it's clear that he used to live there, so apparently, he's a Brit.

Yes, you're probably right - I had another read.

On dissecting that article a little, it becomes painfully obvious that the writer brands people yobs because of their hair style, tattoos, or because they prefer to spend their stag nights out on the town instead of in a Church.

And Beckham is NOT a poster boy for a generation of thugs. Probably more likely to get your head bent if you had a poster of him on your wall.

p.s. I'm Welsh and a Liverpool fan so this opinion is not influenced by recent events. :p

i came to the uk from montreal in 1996, when i was 22. i have travelled extensive throughout the last ten years and i can honestly say i have never seen the yob culture that exists in the uk anywhere else. i really dont think its going to get any better. im due to head back to canada in the next couple of months and i cannot wait to go!

Well I've moved between the two recently in both directions...
and yes the UK has a "yob" culture and its not nice....

But Canada has its problems too... you don't see it as much in the cities as people drink at home more.... and the kids in cars well that just life in Canadian culture....

But the drinking problem shows up in the smaller towns far from cities... and its just as nasty as the UK ‘yob’ culture.. (and one thing the UK doesn't have much of is Fetal alcohol syndrome… )

But I would say drunken violence in Canada although less common is much more dangerous when it happens than in the UK

i never said canada didnt have any problems... both countries have their positive and negative aspects. i guess its just up to people to weigh out the best option for them

my theory is that yob culture seems so prevalent here due to the fact that there are just too many people crammed into such a small space!

Big cities in Canada have Friday/Saturday night alcohol-fuelled yobbishness and violence problems. But it's a question of degrees. Parts of Manchester, when I left it, were nothing short of anarchic at times.

“The worldwide incidence of FAS is 1.9 per 1000 live births. Incidence rates vary considerably, depending on the region of the world. They reviewed studies from Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and England. The studies from the United States were from Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Loma Linda, Seattle, and the American Southwest. The studies reflect white, Black, Native American, middle class, inner city, and suburban populations. It is clear that certain socioeconomic groups have a greater incidence of FAS. Some Native American populations have the highest incidence in the world (Apache, Ute 19.5 per 1000 births).�

http://www.russianadoption.org/fas.htm

The FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome) rate in Canada is 2.0 per 1,000, which is about the same as the worldwide incidence. That despite the rate being skewed upward because of the high rate of alcoholism in Canada’s Amerindian population.

I have seen no evidence that small towns have more of a problem (with yobs) than the larger cities in Canada. Nor have I seen any evidence that shows the incidence of FAS in Canada (excluding the Amerindian population, many of whom live on remote reservations) is any higher than the rate in the UK. Do you have any verifiable information to the contrary?

The problem with FAS is worldwide. “FAS is the leading cause of mental retardation in western civilization.� FAS is also a problem in the UK.

http://www.come-over.to/FAS/

I’m also unaware of any studies or reports suggesting that drunken violence in Canada is anymore dangerous than in the UK. It maybe, but are you aware of any information that supports your opinion?

Yes, wherever boozing is popular there are problems. That's why the laws in Canada restrict drinking to licensed establishments (outside of the home). That way, at least we have some kind of a handle on the issue.