Football, just a working class cult?

shifty_uk · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:47

I live in a working class area, in a town 15 miles from Glasgow, there's obviously going to be a severe Catholic/Protestant, Celtic/Rangers divide and it was apparent and rife throughout my school years. Constantly bombarded with football strips, football talks, even kids under at the age of 5 were die hard followers of their teams. Insanity.

I'm intelligent enough to think for myself and despite the years of bombardment I took zero interest in football and managed to finally escape it when I left school. Years have passed, I've barely heard any mention of football whatsoever because I don't associate with anyone like that. I'd totally forgotten that crazy world of following a certain team to the grave....until now!

I recently got Facebook and quite a few girls/chaps I went to school with managed to find and add me. It was nice, initially. For the catch up, old banter and whatnot. Then the football status updates begin when the matches are nigh. After all these years, you'd think people would've grown out of it but it's stronger than ever. The abuse, the insults, the cult-like following, the football strip clad profile pictures, the uploading of 'goal celebrations', the constant score updates.....DELETE, DELETE, DELETE, DELETE, DELETE, DELETE!!!

It's not about the game at all, it's just one big ******* cult passed from generation to generation. To me, it only bares resemblance to die hard religious fanatics. Those nutters you get in the 'deep south' of America, wanting death to homosexuals and all those who oppose!

Sorry for the wall of text. Anyone else 'get' where I'm coming from? Is it purely because of the Catholic/Protestant divide up here? Not that you could even call it that, I bet not one football fan has ever clapped eyes on a Bible

Apologies if I offended anyone who is a genuine fan of sport.

drunkenmaster · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:53

Totally agree, just like every person I knew who went to a private school now can't stop talking about the opera, and every dude I know who went to a boarding school is a closet homo(and likes Rugby), etc, etc, etc.

A group of people you knew years ago like football, and they still do, not really much of a story is it.

hurfdurf · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:55

It's a pathetic game that's popular because it gets the subconscious need to fight out of their system, but they are more often than not too wimpy to actually fight so they follow a silly game where a ball is kicked around.

Once one stands and bangs, the idea of football being any good goes straight out the window.

shifty_uk · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:58

drunkenmaster said:
Totally agree, just like every person I knew who went to a private school now can't stop talking about the opera, and every dude I know who went to a boarding school is a closet homo(and likes Rugby), etc, etc, etc.

A group of people you knew years ago like football, and they still do, not really much of a story is it.

Yeah, totally and your chums from private school, who visit the opera every week curse, swear, cause trouble and shout abuse at folk who like the opposing equivalent of opera? A town nearby even vandalised the local Asda so much, they were forced to change the logo colours from green to blue. That would totally happen with your opera comparison, totally.

Morgoth · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:58

I agree with you completely, I was in a similar situation, I got tired of seeing "WATP FTP" and got rid of them. They're worse now than they were at school.

Curio · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:59

hurfdurf said:
It's a pathetic game that's popular because it gets the subconscious need to fight out of their system, but they are more often than not too wimpy to actually fight so they follow a silly game where a ball is kicked around.

Once one stands and bangs, the idea of football being any good goes straight out the window.

I don't even know where to start with this.....

apeZ · 10 Mar 2011 at 21:59

I think most children grew up with it. I agree that it is somewhat more prevalent with working class people but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Small pleasures in life and all that, I enjoy watching games every now and again and I don't consider myself a 'fan'.

Read 'Fever Pitch' by Nick Hornby? Good book.

Or watch 'Football Factory' for a completely different view.

PardonTheWait · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:00

hurfdurf said:
It's a pathetic game that's popular because it gets the subconscious need to fight out of their system, but they are more often than not too wimpy to actually fight so they follow a silly game where a ball is kicked around.

Once one stands and bangs, the idea of football being any good goes straight out the window.

Please stop saying stand and bang all the time, it's honestly painful

Nitefly · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:02

Football is an awesome game! Accessible to all, tough to master.

I don't follow / support football though... nor do I play it any more, sadly.

semi-pro waster · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:03

I can see how you might well get a somewhat jaundiced impression of football based on some Old Firm fans (and I use the term loosely). You can make an argument regarding football being a religion substitute for some in that there are parallels to be drawn in the rituals to be observed, the chants to be sung, the rigid times for worship, officials in their uniforms, an overseeing body etc.

However football is also great fun to play and to watch, it's just when it is taken to extremes that problems arise (as with most things).

[FnG]magnolia · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:04

I assume you're talking about the Old Firm games specifically? This is less to do with sport and everything to do with 'religious' intolerance.

Sinny · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:05

I don't mind talking about football occasionally if it's the world cup or something, but I don't understand how people can talk about it all the time, like it's the only thing they do with their social life.

I've never been able to 'get' it's appeal unless I'm playing a friendly game.

[TW]Fox · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:06

Ah, a football thread in GD. The opportunity for me to ask a question I've always wanted to ask but would be considered trolling if I asked it in Sports Arena.

How come at a football match, the Home and Away fans are kept away from each other yet at a Rugby Match you can sit where you want they will happily serve you alcohol?

shifty_uk · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:06

It maybe an awesome sport, not one for me but it might well be. It's merely the somewhat extreme cult and religious following which baffles the hell out of me. Particularly when not a single person is religious in anyway, shape or form.

Morgoth · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:07

[TW]Fox;18645415 said:
Ah, a football thread in GD. The opportunity for me to ask a question I've always wanted to ask but would be considered trolling if I asked it in Sports Arena.

How come at a football match, the Home and Away fans are kept away from each other yet at a Rugby Match you can sit where you want they will happily serve you alcohol?

Football is infested by mongoloids that like to cause trouble.

Nitefly · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:08

[TW]Fox;18645415 said:
Ah, a football thread in GD. The opportunity for me to ask a question I've always wanted to ask but would be considered trolling if I asked it in Sports Arena.

How come at a football match, the Home and Away fans are kept away from each other yet at a Rugby Match you can sit where you want they will happily serve you alcohol?

It's just the culture of the sport. Some football fans are more aggressive towards one another than rugby fans, bit of a shame, but there we go.

deko · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:08

shifty_uk said:
Yeah, totally and your chums from private school, who visit the opera every week curse, swear, cause trouble and shout abuse at folk who like the opposing equivalent of opera? A town nearby even vandalised the local Asda so much, they were forced to change the logo colours from green to blue. That would totally happen with your opera comparison, totally.

So, you stay in Larkhall then? Larkhall is probably the most extreme example of fanaticism, so your opinion is somewhat clouded.

Liefrich · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:08

Shifty, you were rubbish at football weren't you?

It's a great game, yes some fan elements are not tasteful but that does not take away how bloody awesome it is to play and/support a team.

Football rocks.

PapaLazaru · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:08

[TW]Fox;18645415 said:
Ah, a football thread in GD. The opportunity for me to ask a question I've always wanted to ask but would be considered trolling if I asked it in Sports Arena.

How come at a football match, the Home and Away fans are kept away from each other yet at a Rugby Match you can sit where you want they will happily serve you alcohol?

Because rugby is boring and everybody falls asleep?

shifty_uk · 10 Mar 2011 at 22:12

deko said:
So, you stay in Larkhall then? Larkhall is probably the most extreme example of fanaticism, so your opinion is somewhat clouded.

I said a town nearby. No, I don't. I stay in Hamilton.

Liefrich said:
Shifty, you were rubbish at football weren't you?

I actually wasn't, I've always been very active, played all sorts from Football to Rugby to Basketball to running and whatnot at school, a decent all-rounder but I had no further interest in them. Bores the hell out of me.