IT is an irony lost on nobody that men draped in the English flag proclaiming unmatchable patriotism are the ones who disgrace this country. The latest orgy of violence in Euro 2000 has plunged the nation into another bout of soul-searching. Why do Englishmen, above all others, revel in this pointless aggression?

All nationalities have character flaws and ours is pride. In many ways this is also our greatest strength. We need only look back 60 years to see that. Why did this country manage to stand alone against Hitler's forces? What was it that inspired the nation to repel the aggressors against all the odds? The answer: fierce pride in our independence. One of the few historical facts everyone remembers is that we have not been invaded since 1066.

But this does not make pride a virtue. Quite the reverse: it is one of the seven deadly sins. My thesaurus gives the following synonyms: self-satisfaction, conceit, egotism, self-importance, haughtiness, vanity, hubris, arrogance. Not qualities many of us would wish to be associated with.

Pride as a negative force is ever-present in England. The hysteria surrounding the supposed threat to our "civilised" society from asylum seekers is an obvious example.

But this is not 1940 and these are not invaders to be repelled: as the Financial Times pointed out yesterday, we should be welcoming them. "Immigrants have generally been a very positive force for economic development - the US is proof enough of that," the paper said. "As Europe's population ages, an inflow of immigrants is likely to be an economic plus."

And it is the same warped pride that fuels English hooliganism. In their primitive, tribal minds, these thugs believe that every time they land a punch on a foreigner they strike a blow for England. They are literally fighting for our "good name". Their savagery makes the English international pariahs, but who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

The fact that modern England has little to be proud of only exacerbates the problem. It was English self-importance that built the empire, English arrogance that sparked the industrial revolution, English lion-hearted pride that saved us from Hitler; but these are yesterday's honours.

Those of us who feel happier living in a country that is no longer able to dominate the world are in the minority.

Most English men and women, from the Prime Minister down, seem desperately keen to insist that "British is best". The fact that this is patently untrue - look at our industry, schools, health care - does not detain them.

Neither are England the best football team in the world, however much we would like them to be.

But wishful thinking means nothing to the yobs: whether or not our players show the world a thing or two on the pitch, they are determined to do so off it, only with broken bottles and baseball bats.

For many Englishmen, football is more than a game. It is an intravenous drip into our emotions.

That is why it produces such disproportionate highs and lows. Just look at the delirious jubilance in York on Monday night after England scraped a 1-0 win over a woeful Germany.

Even relatively good-natured men can be moved to mild xenophobia in the heat of a competitive international. But soon after the game has finished, perspective returns.

The rioters have no such perspective. To them the football is not particularly relevant; it is just a handy passion-wagon that will transport them to their next battleground.

Football hooliganism is not about football, or booze, or misplaced passion. It is about rampant nationalism.

If we all cranked up our humility levels, perhaps we could reduce the ugly overdose of pride that prompts a few bigoted idiots to ruin our good name.