Football, just a working class cult?

PardonTheWait · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:18

Psycho Sonny said:
have you ever played it?

people dont get paid up to £500K a week (i think ronaldo will be on that in the 5th year of his contract at real madrid) for nothing. it takes a sheer load of skill to do what he does, the level he is playing at most people can only dream of.

its the same as formula one race drivers, or any other sport with huge demand, i think in india, cricket is on the same level as football. and in america it is american football, baseball and basketball which are in huge demand.

That's what I mean though, it doesn't take any more skill than hundreds of other sports, but no other sport so consistently gets such fanatacism out of so many people all over the world for their entire lives.

So there MUST be something about football that produces this, I just can't for the life of me work out what it is.

I'm not knocking it, I just don't get it.

And I used to play it when I was a kid and found it sort of fun-ish, but I never really got into it and I was crap.

I don't know if I never got into it because I was crap or if I was crap because I never got into it.

Also I know quite a few people who are very interesting and clever people with wide and varied interests who also happen to be obsessive about football, I don't think liking football and being interesting are mutually exclusive at all, and I'm well aware that I'm the weirdo for not liking it and not the other way around.

stoke1863 · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:20

bitslice said:
Two options.

it's either repressed homoerotic male bonding
or
it's too much effort to develop an interest in something less passive

Maybe it's just the people I've met, but I've never known a football fan have an interest in anything but football. Art, history, food, film, politics, music, religion, literature - not a flicker of interest or knowledge.
But ask them about who was goalie in the 1967 away game against FucWits United, and they are able to give you a complete analysis of the entire game.
And I thought Rain Man was special

never seen so much crap spouted on this forum.

Just to play your petty game.

Prince Harry loves football and is a massive villa fan. Id like to think hes quite a cultured individual.

Likewise Stephen Fry is mad on Norwich city he is supose to be a clever chap.

Psycho Sonny · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:22

PardonTheWait said:
That's what I mean though, it doesn't take any more skill than hundreds of other sports, but no other sport so consistently gets such fanatacism out of so many people all over the world for their entire lives.

So there MUST be something about football that produces this, I just can't for the life of me work out what it is.

I'm not knocking it, I just don't get it.

And I used to play it when I was a kid and found it sort of fun-ish, but I never really got into it and I was crap.

I don't know if I never got into it because I was crap or if I was crap because I never got into it.

i think you can usually tell the difference between a football fanatic and one who enjoys the game on a normal level. one will do anything for their team, the other wont.

tattoo's, season tickets, away games abroad, etc.

the other is happy to watch on tv and chat about it properly without aggression.

Going to Cali · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:25

bitslice said:
Two options.

it's either repressed homoerotic male bonding
or
it's too much effort to develop an interest in something less passive

Maybe it's just the people I've met, but I've never known a football fan have an interest in anything but football. Art, history, food, film, politics, music, religion, literature - not a flicker of interest or knowledge.
But ask them about who was goalie in the 1967 away game against FucWits United, and they are able to give you a complete analysis of the entire game.
And I thought Rain Man was special

Face palm. This thread is just pure nonsence. Honestly cannot believe some of the opinions that are being shared here.

Also, you're doing football fans a disjustice when you say they're only interested in football, for example, I know the entire history of Norwich City, I know all bout the match day pies, I own the DVD movie of our title winning season, I protested against our chairman in 96, I know all the words to On the Ball City and always, always buy the latest installment of the Norwich City Bible match day programme.

shifty_uk · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:27

It might be nonsense to you but some of the people I've met and have known fit bitslice's description down to the T.

bitslice · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:28

Psycho Sonny said:
i have an interest in football, ufc, boxing, bodybuilding

I think I would bundle all those under 'homoerotic', but I'm sticking with my passive interest theory for now

stoke1863 said:
Likewise Stephen Fry is mad on Norwich city he is supose to be a clever chap.

cough

"Maybe it's just the people I've met"

While we are name dropping, I'm pretty sure Stephen Hawking doesn't give a monkeys about football, so what was your point?

PardonTheWait · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:28

shifty_uk said:
It might be nonsense to you but some of the people I've met and have known fit bitslice's description down to the T.

There are people that fit that description all over the world, and you can replace 'football' with anything you like. Computers, films, star trek, star wars, boyzone...

Nitefly · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:29

bitslice said:
While we are name dropping, I'm pretty sure Stephen Hawking doesn't give a monkeys about football, so what was your point?

lmao, well said :confused:

shifty_uk · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:29

Exactly

I'm not disputing that.

Going to Cali · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:30

shifty_uk said:
It might be nonsense to you but some of the people I've met and have known fit bitslice's description down to the T.

I suggest you get out more often and meet more varied people.

Ahleckz · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:32

I think the issues we have in Glasgow are pretty unique to the city, there certainly isn't the rivalry to such a degree in other cities with their derby games as they don't have the religious connections and I don't think people from outside the city really appreciate that. I've been approached on a few occasions and asked who I support in quite a threatening manner. I say Aberdeen, they laugh and everyone gets on but I have no doubt if I said the 'wrong' team things could get ugly.

shifty_uk · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:32

Going to Cali said:
I suggest you get out more often and meet more varied people.

Jeez, did you even read the OP?

Going to Cali · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:37

Yes, I think we're going off at a tangent though. Bitslice is saying the football fans he has met are obsessed with football and football alone, no interest for anything else. I'm saying that normal people are not like that. Doesn't matter if they're football fans or not, normal people have varied interests.

Psycho Sonny · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:43

Going to Cali said:
Yes, I think we're going off at a tangent though. Bitslice is saying the football fans he has met are obsessed with football and football alone, no interest for anything else. I'm saying that normal people are not like that. Doesn't matter if they're football fans or not, normal people have varied interests.

no he says that they havent stopped doing the same stuff they used to do whilst at school, making fun of each other,etc.

he is referring specifically to the old firm derby, which happened recently and there was a lot of violence in the actual match and around the match. 3 rangers players were sent off and many booked. this violence then spilled onto the streets and then onto facebook etc.

it is the biggest derby in the world, with the most fiercest of rivalries, celtic players and management have been sent bullets in the post, etc. and had many death threats.

we arent talking about your average football fans.

bitslice · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:49

Psycho Sonny said:
no he says that they havent stopped doing the same stuff they used to do whilst at school

you are confusing me with the OP I think

Although I reckon even normal football fans would rather discuss football than any other subject, it's like a default setting for conversation.
Given the choice between their teams 2:1 victory or Libya riot/Korean nuke/hot girl at Asda then the thrilling 2:1 statistic wins every time

steve-h · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:51

The mere mention of football puts me in a coma.

Psycho Sonny · 11 Mar 2011 at 00:57

steve-h said:
The mere mention of football puts me in a coma.

if you were at the most recent old firm derby, theres a good chance you could actually of been in one, the violence was shocking. theres another one happening soon, be sure to watch it, it will be the most exciting game you have ever seen.

Morba · 11 Mar 2011 at 01:06

Psycho Sonny said:
it is the biggest derby in the world, with the most fiercest of rivalries, celtic players and management have been sent bullets in the post, etc. and had many death threats.

we arent talking about your average football fans.

thats because scottish football is so **** that only 1 game in the whole league matters. then it gets played over and over and over again.

RossGReds · 11 Mar 2011 at 01:34

The people that don't like football deep down are jealous that they can't seem to enjoy the game, but in reality they would love to be able to. They are angry that they don't understand why they can't fit in. So they take their anger out on the football fans by acting like they are above it.

Peace.

MaxP779 · 11 Mar 2011 at 01:57

Im in glasgow and i cant stand football, it bores me to tears... I find it fascinating that even the people who clearly aren't into it still have some kind of opinion or team they "support". Madness. I wish this country was more like south korea with loads of gamers about, i would go to a stadium to watch a starcraft match for sure. I shouldve been born a korean lol.