To Nige: Well ManU vs Arsenal is only picking a subset of the fans. A better comparsion would be all the televised games over a weekend.
And even then it wont be a truly fair comparison cos soccer is only on SKY.

To mongoose: Kudos for coming back and admitting you were wrong. Other people could take note.

Quote from: Clockd 0Ne

Quote from: SamThe best part of the world cup is that everyone rallies around the flag. Brings out a sense of pride so sorely lacking in Britain.

To be fair, while the world cup might - and even Ill watch a few games of it

Case in point - youre not really a footie fan but youll watch the world cup.

Chris is just a bah humbug.

Quote from: SamThe best part of the world cup is that everyone rallies around the flag. Brings out a sense of pride so sorely lacking in Britain.

[CHELSEAFAN]

Not to mention its the only time ill ever support Steven Gerrard.

[/CHELSEAFAN]

Quote from: Smugs

Quote from: SamThe best part of the world cup is that everyone rallies around the flag. Brings out a sense of pride so sorely lacking in Britain.

[CHELSEAFAN]

Not to mention its the only time ill ever support Steven Gerrard.

[/CHELSEAFAN]

who did you support when they was sh*t

I watch sports sometimes but I still think it is an opiate for the masses like religion can be.

Quote from: SamThe best part of the world cup is that everyone rallies around the flag. Brings out a sense of pride so sorely lacking in Britain.

What a bizarre thing to be proud of, a mere accident of birth. Its like being proud of having blue eyes.

Pride doesnt mean blind obedience or ignorant defence.
It means you have a team to support, a side to cheer, and a corner to sit in.

Do you cheer for China at the Olympics ? Do you want Jensen Button to win the F1? Amir Kahn the boxing title? What about being proud of British musical heritage? Perhaps youre a little bitter that England dominates (perhaps unfairly) the concept of Britain ?

I sometimes wonder how miserable it must be to live in the worlds some of you guys inhabit. Bah humbug the world cup is on. Bah humbug someone is patriotic. Bah humbug its Christmas. Just smile and enjoy some of the good things the world has to offer. Theres plenty of bad things already. Anything that brings community together is a good thing.

As a side note, USA vs England June 12th. Anyone fancy watching it in Philly is welcome at my local. I need more Brits

Quote from: SamNow, as usual for people on here, you failed to back up your statistics. My research shows that the viewing figures for BF1 is

ruined. well done sam. you saved me 10 minutes research cos i was gonna call BS too.

and another thing.

I f**king hate fishing. but you dont hear me bitching about the fishing channels on sky or going off on one every time someone lands a 3 ounce carp.

I get it. you dont like the football world cup when its on. But FFS, get a life and stop complaining about it. you need a proper hobby. nobody else complains that you like watching midget porn, or horse porn, or midget horse porn. nobody else runs down your pasttimes. if indeed you have any other than complainging about mine.

Quote from: SamPride doesnt mean blind obedience or ignorant defence. It means you have a team to support, a side to cheer, and a corner to sit in.

I dont understand vicarious pride. I am proud of some of the things I have done, Im even proud of some things my kids do that I have had a direct influence on, but Im not proud of things *other* people have done. Why should I be proud about something I had no control over or input to? It sounds like people are making up for their own lack of accomplishment if feelings of pride have to come from what other people have achieved.

Quote from: SamDo you cheer for China at the Olympics ? Do you want Jensen Button to win the F1? Amir Kahn the boxing title?

I dont really care who wins anything. From my limited exposure to Jensen Button, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber and Robert Kubica through television interviews they seem like the nicest/down to earth F1 drivers (or as down to earth as one could be in that rarified life) so I would *prefer* one of them to win because I like to see nice things happen to people I consider nice, but I certainly wont feel proud about it since I had exactly zero influence on the outcome.

Quote from: SamWhat about being proud of British musical heritage?

Britains contributions to both music and literature are immeasurable, I respect those that changed those fields and enjoy their work, but, again, why would I be proud of the achievements of other people (most of whom had this influence before I was born) and, more importantly, because they happen to have been born on a piece of the world relatively close to me?

Quote from: SamPerhaps youre a little bitter that England dominates (perhaps unfairly) the concept of Britain?

Despite many wonderful cultural contributions, mostly in the fields of tea drinking and queueing, the concept of Britain from an historical perspective is not one where I would want to place any misplaced pride I would have. Hundreds of years of oppression, subjugation and genocide in the name of imperialistic expansion are not what I would recognise as laudable actions.

Quote from: SamI sometimes wonder how miserable it must be to live in the worlds some of you guys inhabit. Bah humbug the world cup is on.

To the contrary, I am very happy in my life. The interest in the World Cup (and sport in general) is baffling to me, but I dont deny others the right to enjoy it. For purely selfish reasons I would prefer it didnt completely dominate the world for the get_period_of_time(world cup) its on for, but since most of the people with whom I interact socially also have no interest and I dont watch television, its not that big a deal.

Quote from: SamBah humbug someone is patriotic.

As I say, I dont understand why patriotism is a laudable quality, since it mostly appears to be a thinly veiled synonym for "acceptable intolerance". I fail to grasp how geographic location translates into a desire to be superior over people from a different geographic location. Patriotism completely reeks of "blind obedience and ignorant defence" as it conditions people to think that whatever their country does to another is the right thing and any questioning of the actions immediately gets the "unpatriotic" charge levelled at dissenters. It is used as a strawman against genuine criticism of both domestic and foreign policy and to rabble rouse those who prefer not to think.

Quote from: SamBah humbug its Christmas.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year which lightens the spirits and provides opportunity to spend quality time with the ones you love. Some people have had a situation where those are feelings that are difficult to reconcile with their upbringing. Some people find the gross commercialism offensive. I think its a time where you make of it what you will. I certainly wouldnt want to force someone else into enjoying something they personally find unpleasant and appreciate how the huge focus on it for two months of the year could be difficult for those people. Perhaps a sense of empathy is more what is needed?

Quote from: SamAnything that brings community together is a good thing.

Nonsense. "Nigger hangings" used to "bring the community together". Something that brings people together to be a force for good and positive change is a good thing. Televised football doesnt promote good, it promotes people getting sh*tfaced and beating the crap out of other people because they are wearing a different colour top. Organising a local kids football group is good. It fosters cross community relations, promotes health and encourages teamwork. *That* is a good thing. A load of people drinking beer and shouting at a foreign team is not a positive activity.

Quote from: Eggtastico

Quote from: Smugs

Quote from: SamThe best part of the world cup is that everyone rallies around the flag. Brings out a sense of pride so sorely lacking in Britain.

[CHELSEAFAN]

Not to mention its the only time ill ever support Steven Gerrard.

[/CHELSEAFAN]

who did you support when they was sh*t

Hey I can remember being devastated as a young boy watching Chelsea get destroyed 4-0 by Utd in the 1994 FA Cup final. Not to mention the feeling that we had a great season, if we managed to get into the top half of the premiership for a change.

Im not going to respond to all your points Goblin. I can sum them up in one - Miserable bastard.

Quote from: SamIm not going to respond to all your points Goblin. I can sum them up in one - Miserable bastard.

Well reasoned retort. Thanks, Sam.

Lol. What do you want me to say. You have your viewpoint and clearly most of the rest of the country (and world) think differently. I wont be able to change your mind and nor ought I try.

Quote from: SamAs a side note, USA vs England June 12th. Anyone fancy watching it in Philly is welcome at my local. I need more Brits

Sure, if youre offering free accommodation


Im definitely looking forward to the world cup. Im glad its one of the sporting events restricted to terrestrial TV, Altho it would probably be better if it was just confined to the BBC, and not ITV as well, their pundits arent as good as the BBC ones imo.

One problem I do have with the world cup however, is the supporters. Im not disagreeing with you Sam when you say its a good thing to have a corner to sit in and a team to support; far from it. What I am saying however is that there are things that just seem crass to me. For starters those flags that people have sticking out of car windows, or the massive flags draped across the front of houses. I just think theyre completely unnecessary. I also think the racism that arises from it is pretty appalling too.
Some of the behaviour of english fans disgusts me. All too many of them think its an excuse to get tanked up and cause trouble. I once saw someone nearly get attacked because he didnt like football. He was minding his own business in the pub during an england game in either a world cup or euro match and failed to celebrate when england scored or won the game (cant remember which, was a while ago) and just because of that, he was accused of not being an england fan and a "traitor", of course he tried to explain he wasnt particularly fond of football, but that was as equally as bad. Now, to me, that kind of behaviour is unacceptable, but seemingly becoming all too common.
Personally, I put it down to people not being "football fans" but "england fans", if you get my meaning.

I myself will enjoy this world cup for what it is. A showcase for for the top footballing talent in the world, a chance to see some of the best players playing some great, or maybe not so great football, and hopefully may the best team win.


As a footnote, those people who are anti football, and those people who are english and buy those T shirts mentioned in the OP. Youre just as f**king bad as the thugs who start fights. The missing TV excuse doesnt even cut it anymore, now that on demand services like iPlayer are available. What did football ever do to you to be deserving of your wrath? You just come across as bitter twats jealous that some (most) people actually enjoy watching the sport. If you dont like it, thats fine, thats awesome, its your choice. But dont whinge at people who do like it, just keep ur mouths shut.

Im not sure which hell holes people seem to live in but Ive never seen any football related violence in pubs or at games.

Now of course there will be those who use the event to cause trouble - these are not football fans - these are people who know footballs have the biggest crowds and thus the best chance to meet someone to fight.

Dont blame football. And dont blame the supporters.  If Dungeons and Dragons was popular thugs would go allow to that to cause trouble.

(I actually think most of the trouble we talk about is in the past anyway, and just reputation).

And please for goodness sakes dont start on about chavs. Chavs will cause trouble for any reason, football is just a convenient one. Its nothing to do with the actual game.