Football - it's just a bit pants really, isn't it?

Nothing, your assumptions are correct.

I don't get it either.
But each to thier own.
The only time it frustrates me is when 'the wider world' gets dominated - so business meetings where football is brought up, awkward DJ on the radio chatting about it etc.

I like it, not obsessed but its good to watch.  Can be a snoozefest, but so can anything

Rugby is absolutely hopeless to watch.  Too stop start, never clear what's going on and the rules don't help. Reputedly good to play tho?

I enjoy a good game, but it's 22 players kicking a bag of air round a field. It doesn't form part of my identity or define me, or affect my "national pride" or whatever.

BIKE RIDE!!!

This applies to everything. Some people like/get it and other's don't. Just to balance the argument ; I don't like rugby.

I don’t like rugby, compared to the subtle skill and speed of football it’s  just a bunch of meatheads chucking an egg sideways and giving each other brain damage before doing making each other drink their own body weight in something unmentionable.

So I don’t watch it. But maybe I should start a thread about how shit I think rugby is ?

Edit: what Tom said

Football is brilliant, especially five a side. I've had a fair stab at the gamut of adventure sports over the last 40 years including many insanely intense experiences, both good and bad.

And yet the most happy fun joy I have had this year has been playing football with my colleagues at the bank on a Monday evening.  I come home absolutely buzzing.

The way I see it is,

I get "liking things." I like music, I love a live gig. But the notion that I'd pay a large sum of money to watch my favourite band to play the same set week-on-week for months, over a period of years if not decades, is utterly bizarre to me.

I get liking football, go watch a game. Next week, why not check out the rugby. The week after that, ice hockey, curling, archery, American Football, tennis, cricket, snooker, darts, lacrosse, Aussie rules, etc etc etc.

Does watching the same thing over and over and over never get dull?

If you don’t understand what is going on, you’ll never really ‘get’ it. I used to be like that about cricket, Wimbledon, TdF etc when I was younger, but now I fully understand the objectives, I can enjoy watching them.

That's like saying you might as well only watch one episode of Inside Number 9. After that - well, it's the same people writing and playing the main characters, doesn't it get dull?

Amazed the current TikTok generation are interested. It takes too long and there are so few goals.

Les Gets DH world cup was so much more entertaining today.

Tournaments are boring.

I don't play but can kick a ball. At uni it was chance to meet new friends in kick-abouts outside the halls and on Friday nights. Have also played pickup matches in the US and in Europe at campsites. For that football is unequalled.

I kinda follow Stirling Albion - a club that is part of the community.

Coming back to the OP: The feeling when you are part of a crowd living for the moment is brilliant (yes - even at Stirling Albion).

Agreed, for me it's super boring and I go out of my way to avoid it but each to their own. Probably plenty of people who think riding a bike is a snoozefest

You don’t have to watch it. I love club football but I’ve never been fussed about internationals as they’re generally a bit rubbish. International friendlies are the most pointless form of football imaginable and should be banned

Having said that, I’d literally rather remove my own kidneys with a teaspoon than watch a game of Rugby but I’m led to believe it’s quite popular with people called Olly

Each to their own, innit?

@thegeneralist I get playing it, it's why anyone would want to watch it that I'm struggling with. And why these people are paid so much so that people can watch them.

compared to the subtle skill and speed of football it’s just a bunch of meatheads chucking an egg sideways

You're joking, right? Right?

I don’t care until people start wishing me luck at the weekend (happened twice this week) and bringing it up in conversation. That proper pisses me off. To just assume that everybody likes it is ****ing weird. Some of the reactions aren’t those of fully functioning adults either. All a bit too cult like for me.

I’ll play any sport but not if people take it seriously. That just spoils the fun. Watching other people play any sport is like watching paint dry. Only slightly worse than people talking about it as if they have an actual stake.  Really odd but meh each to their own I guess. Just wish folk would shut the **** up about it.

It takes too long and there are so few goals.

Like saying the Tour de France takes too long and has too many different jerseys ?

Football is weird in that people that aren’t interested feel the need to say so and demonstrate how uninsightful their opinion is. I hate the Stereophonics but I’ve realised that people who love the stereophonics and all of the people that have no opinion on them don’t really need me to tell them all of the reasons why I think they’re so terrible.

Also, nobody likes watching England play. The delta between expectation and reality makes it unbearable.

it’s why anyone would want to watch it

Ah right. I'm that case I agree, but then the same could be said of most sports. I never understand people who say they are into X sport, but what they actually mean is sitting on their arse watching that sport.

Apart from rugby of course. That is one sport I would definitely rather watch than play.

( And all the hitty ones too, obvs)

Aussie rules

I like Aussie rules. It's a bit bananas at times, they mostly have horrific mullets, but what makes it is the goal umpires and the look of fierce intent on their faces when giving their signals!

Edit: for balance I like football, but England are sooo boring to watch, I like rugby, tennis, cricket, athletics too.

I also love American Football, but then, I've followed the game for 40 years and used to play and coach.

You’re joking, right? Right?

Sorry, forgot about the bit where they kick the egg between the posts but there are no defenders or goalie or anything to stop it going in. And the kicker can balance the egg on an egg cup to make it easier.

And that, my friends, is why it’s such a beautiful game.

If you don’t understand what is going on, you’ll never really ‘get’ it.

I used to think that watching golf was boring until I’d played it. Once I’d played it, I appreciated the skill involved a lot more - I quite enjoy watching it sometimes now.

I understand what is going on and get it you condescending individual. Doesn’t change my opinion on it.

What, football?

Rugby, no .  Never beautiful.   Its like a dogs dinner, but they take the bowl away every 45 seconds because a dogs lifted a foot off the ground

Whatever… my comment wasn’t about you. I’m going to get another beer and watch extra time. 🙂

I understand what is going on and get it you condescending individual. Doesn’t change my opinion on it.

But you clearly don’t understand the game, tactics, strategy, technique etc. I get it, we don’t all like all sports, but football is clearly a popular spectator sport so I struggle to understand why you don’t understand that much.

Got to love these "things I hate / don't like" type threads.   They always feel a bit attention seeking to me.

But you clearly don’t understand the game, tactics, strategy, technique etc.

No, I really do. It’s not ****ing rocket science, it’s a game. I just find it really boring along with every other sport. Carry on with the condescending though, it’s appreciated

I understand why it’s popular. Simple things always are. What I don’t understand is the cult like following and the assumption that every man is a fan.

So you don’t enjoy any sport. Says it all.

I enjoy playing any sport and said so up there. Watching people play, not at all. Pray tell, what does it say about me? I’m dying to know oh wise middle aged internet warrior?

TBF, I’m not sure - if you don’t like watching sport then don’t. Do something else.

Says it all.

What exactly does not enjoying watching sport say?

TBF, I’m not sure

But you said you did? I already don’t watch it and do other stuff so what’s your point? My point is being annoyed by people assuming, and this happens a lot, that you do watch a particular sport because they think you should? Gets old fast

oh wise middle aged internet warrior

@funkmasterp maybe read back through the thread and see who this most applies to. You’re so thin skinned you could be a professional footballer!

Loved playing football and latterly rugby. Played both for my university and county and town levels. Now I'm crippled through knee wear I watch with envy.  Will watch most sports that I've played and enjoy the banter with my mates watching a game in a pub etc.

Football is weird in that people that aren’t interested feel the need to say so and demonstrate how uninsightful their opinion is.

It's not weird at all.

People who are interested in football go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about it, yet as soon as someone says they aren't interested in it it's worthy of drawing attention to as a 'them' problem. Those goddamn preachy non-footballers, don't they realise we were born with stereoscopic vision and feet to hunt down and kick footballs around.

I've seen this scenario before but I can't quite put my finger on it...

@funkmasterp maybe read back through the thread and see who this most applies to. You’re so thin skinned you could be a professional footballer!

Not at all. Simply don’t like condescending people telling me I don’t understand a simple children’s game. Also not an internet warrior. I’d be happy to have the same debate in real life.

Cougar nails it in his post above mine. The behaviour of some football fans is downright creepy and cult like.

the Tour de France takes too long and has too many different jerseys ?

TBF... Most of the sprint stages could just be run over 25km as the only real racing tends to be in the last 2km or less.

This thread, and many others could be distilled down to this. People like different stuff.  This is OK. If those preferences are different to yours it's not a personal affront.

I get that and agree with you. I don’t expect anyone to like what I like and never raise my hobbies and interests in conversation unless they come up or I’m asked. Now, if people who like certain others sports could return the favour and not look at me like I’ve got six heads when I don’t like whah they do, that would be great. I’ve even had folk carry on telling me about a game when I’ve already politely told them I’m not interested. The only other time this happens is with Jehovah’s Witnesses!

Its coming home, its coming home!! Wahhheyyy, gooowaaaan England!!!!!

People like different stuff.

Yeah, sure, I get that. But I am genuinely puzzled as to why football gets such a massively greater audience than rugby, just as I am as to why F1 is so much more popular than MotoGP.

Wasn't a dig at you funkmasterp, just a general comment. Not being the biggest fan myself I do get where you're coming from. Having said that, as a very occasional tournament only viewer, I did "enjoy" the game tonight. Not sure enjoy is exactly the right word! I couldn't be doing with that stress on a regular basis.

telling me I don’t understand a simple children’s game.

Tell me you don't understand the game without telling me.

I don’t enjoy the game, it’s 22 players kicking a bag of air round a field. It doesn’t form part of my identity or define me, or affect my “national pride” or whatever.

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I’m perfectly capable of admiring the skill shown, on occasion, but when it’s starting to show drama worthy of an Oscar, I roll my eyes, and think, give us a break, luv, you tripped over someone’s foot, and skinned your knees on the grass! What are you, five?

That’s where I appreciate rugby, when someone gets taken off the field, you absolutely know they’ve been hurt. Hopefully they’ll have survived and won’t get eaten by the survivors!

I’ve been watching the tennis, and I really admire the stamina and skill involved with that as a sport, the same with professional level cycling.

I can’t wait for the Olympics to start, and this year especially the archery, because it’s a sport I’m able to take part in myself, and as a result, I know the skill it takes to put an arrow on the ‘spider’, the little cross in the centre of the gold, at 70 metres - getting an arrow in the gold at 40 yards is hard enough!

I've said this before around discussions like "screen time" for kids. Things only really become a problem when they become all-encompassing. If a kid was glued to a tablet 24/7 I'd tell them to go outside and kick a ball about; if all they wanted to do is play football I'd drag them back indoors occasionally to build some Lego. Exclusive obsessions aren't healthy, we recognise this in children but normalise it as adults.

I’ve even had folk carry on telling me about a game when I’ve already politely told them I’m not interested.

One time at work, I had this conversation with a bloke I've never seen before:

"See the game last night?"

What game?

"Manchester."

Right. Uh, what were they doing, then?

"The footie!"

Oh, I see. Sorry, I don't follow football.

"No, no, me neither." *proceeds to talk at me about football for the next 25 minutes.*

?‍♂️ I have my interests, some quite niche, but I have more than one.

But I am genuinely puzzled as to why football gets such a massively greater audience than rugby,

But do you seriously believe that someone is going to pop up  on this thread & come up with half a dozen reasons why people like football which will lead you to say “Oh that’s why it is”.  The fact is, football is massively popular on a global scale  so it can’t be that much of a mystery. If you don’t enjoy it, that’s fine, we don’t all like the same things , but there is never going to be an  answer to your question  which will satisfy you. 

hammerandcycle

Les Gets DH world cup was so much more entertaining today.

It was in a slightly frightening way! The amount of really hard crashes, more so in the women's race was not nice to watch!

I can’t wait for the Olympics to start

"Can't wait" would be an overstatement, but whilst I'm no particular fan of spectator sports I'll likely watch some of the Olympics just because it's something different.

and this year especially the archery, because it’s a sport I’m able to take part in myself, and as a result, I know the skill it takes to put an arrow on the ‘spider’

As a lapsed field archer, I'll be watching the target archery as perhaps a rugby fan would watching football, thinking "bunch of tarts, why don't they do it properly?" 🙂

Oh and I enjoy watching league football but not international stuff, conversely I enjoy international Rugby Union but club less so???

That’s where I appreciate rugby, when someone gets taken off the field, you absolutely know they’ve been hurt.

The sheer amount of shithousery in a typical rugby match tells me that football is in no need of ethics lessons from that direction.

Tell me you don’t understand the game without telling me.

And you insist on carrying on! Pretty much all sports are children’s games. I understand the rules, tactics blah blah blah. I used to box and do martial arts, I ride bikes and used to climb. Don’t watch any of them and still understand them. Football isn’t special in that regard. It’s a relatively simple game. Like most, it takes a hell of a lot of skill to master. Telling me I don’t understand ‘the game’ is just a bit sad. It’s perfectly easy to understand something yet not enjoy it.

Very global. Once had a kick-a-bout in Aït Benhaddou with a few Bedouin.

I reckon one of the reasons it is so popular is because the basics are very easy to pick up and understand when compared to some other team games. Also helps that it can be played anywhere and only requires a ball. Not that I understand the game though, just too complex ?

People like different stuff.

Excellent. Can someone please tell the die hard football fans?

Because their reaction can range from confusion though incredulous to downright angry that another man might possibly not care about their so called beautiful game.

When I have over my years recieved a good amout of abuse purely because I like different stuff, then yea, I'm going to be pretty negative about the whole cultish thing that football seems to have around it.

To enjoy watching sport you need to both understand what you are watching and be invested in it. I reckon football 'wins' as a spectator sport because most people have been forced to kick a ball about a bit so vaguely know the rules and it's popular enough that peer pressure gets a lot of people to join a tribe. Then it snowballs - the more you watch, the more you know and the more you get invested in your tribe.

Football.....very sporty kid and did lots of sports to a high level but football never did it for me. My dad wasn't into football in the slightest and I didn't live anywhere near a 1st division club so suffered no peer pressure to speak of. Consequently I am totally meh about football.

Pretty much the only sport I enjoy being a spectator of is cricket. Even then, it's being there or listening to it - not too fussed about watching on the telly.

A bit like actual religion, I reckon family have a lot to do with your attitude to football. Very few people become football fundamentalists from football agnostic households.

Excellent. Can someone please tell the die hard football fans

Except that there seems to be certain portion of the population who don’t like football  who sometimes seem to want to go out of their way to provoke an argument. For example:
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/football-its-just-a-bit-pants-really-isnt-it/

Spot on Convert. It’s the investment bit, not the understanding I lack. Quite enjoy a good kick about for a laugh. Falls down when taken seriously for me.

Its coming home, its coming home!! Wahhheyyy, gooowaaaan England!!!!!

At risk of being mildly controversial, how well do you think it would go down if we waded into the Euro 2024 thread and posted about how pants we think football is.

What you have just done is the equivalent of saying 'but bacon' to a vegan. Have a word.

But I am genuinely puzzled as to why football gets such a massively greater audience than rugby,

Because Rugby is shit! It’s not even a proper game. It’s just a load of Ruperts running headfirst into each other in an attempt to see who can get brain damage the fastest. That hardly requires much skill, does it?

Side note. Is it just me who is getting auto subscribed to this thread and getting an unwanted notification every time someone posts in it?

The "notify me of follow up replies" box keeps checking itself. I deselect it, leave the thread and it's selected again when I come back!

Except that there seems to be certain portion of the population who don’t like football  who sometimes seem to want to go out of their way to provoke an argument.

If you have taken the thread as a whole as wanting to provoke an arguement might I suggest that is on you. Lovers of football do seem to take any such slight against their chosen sport a bit too personally.

Personally I saw it as an opportunity for other people who also don't particually like football to congregate and have a good moan.

Much like the Euro 2024 thread is an opportunity for people who do like football to congregate and talk about football.

Also, nobody likes watching England play. The delta between expectation and reality makes it unbearable.

YOU think its unbearable? Try being in any of the other home nations listening to folk endlessly prattle on about it. FFS I remember watching the rugby world cup and the arse commentating brought up 1966 as if it was in any way relevant. As a nation you really need to temper your expectations, try taking a leaf out of Scotlands playbook.

When I have over my years recieved a good amout of abuse purely because I like different stuff, then yea, I’m going to be pretty negative about the whole cultish thing that football seems to have around it.

Also this. Been on the receiving end of that shite too many times. That's before you even get into the SW Scotland sectarian toxicity.

try taking a leaf out of Scotlands playbook.

What, instead of winning something rarely, win nothing ever?

Because Rugby is shit! It’s not even a proper game. It’s just a load of Ruperts running headfirst into each other in an attempt to see who can get brain damage the fastest. That hardly requires much skill, does it?

That's just silly. But how stupid are football players, giving themselves brain damage by heading the ball? The pathetic play acting is pretty off-putting too, particularly in comparison to the way cyclists or rugby players cope with injury.

I have never been particularly bothered by it but my youngest loves sport including football, this has lead to me to actually enjoy it. I’ve watched more matches in this cup than probably other euro comps put together.

People like different stuff. Who knew?!

* wanders off to start ‘chocolate is rubbish. Cheese is miles betterer’ thread*

But how stupid are football players, giving themselves brain damage by heading the ball

To be fair, heading a plastic bag full of wind is going to cause brain damage a lot slower than repeatedly head butting Giles the solicitor from Basingstoke

It’s a relatively simple game.

At a very basic level. To watch a pro game and understand the tactics properly is a different matter. Hence the OP describing it as tedious leads me to suspect they don't really understand the tactics and patterns. And while at a basic level scoring at one end and not allowing the other team to score kind of summarises it, at that level if you see a tactical game without lots of goals then you can be mistaken into thinking it is a poor game.

Kind of like watching the TdF and thinking it's 176 people all in a bike race; once you understand GC, drafting, crosswinds, echelons, puncheurs, grimpeurs, domestiques then you can actually enjoy it properly.

What a strange thread

I'm in a pub at the moment with 5 of my mates.  2 of them not drinking as they're doctors on call. Watching the match, chatting about it. Its not a cult meeting. They're mainly Gaelic football fans. But love footy too.

Tomorrow out on our bikes and talk punctures.

What, instead of winning something rarely, win nothing ever?

No, by tempering your collective expectations. Every sodding time it's the same, convince yourselves this one is it then go into collective mourning when it isn't. Set your expectations low and you won't be disappointed

What a strange thread

Strange thread for a strange sport, can you name another where DV rates increase after a game?

I do think these threads are reverse snobbery. Oh look at me, I don’t like football and all these people talk to me about it.

I live and work in Liverpool.  Football is a big thing in Liverpool. I’m not a football fan, I played rugby until I was in my 30’s, injury made me take up road cycling. Raced until I was 45….Im seen as following odd sports by most folk up here. But no one looks at me like I have six heads, that sounds more like paranoia. If they want to talk to me about their sport, that’s ok. They enjoy it and that’s fine.

My friends still play vets Sunday league football. Sounds like madness to me, but they enjoy it. So I don’t criticise the things they want to do, the things they enjoy. Live and let live.

Binners comments about Rugby, that’s also fine. It’s just jesting. He may think that, but that’s ok. If we were having a beer and he wanted to talk about football, that would be fine. I won’t understand why he likes it so much, but he does. I also wouldn’t have a clue what he was talking about for the most part. My friends rib me all the time for not liking football, the jokes about me preferring to stick my head up a fat blokes bum, sharing a post match bath with 30 blokes etc.

(I actually go to the odd Everton game, it’s free as is the beer! I don’t particularly watch the football, but it’s still a good day out, my friends really enjoy it and I enjoy the Guinness!!)

It’s easy to set your sights low if your team hasn’t ever made it out of the group stages. England have got to the semifinals on three out of the last four tournaments. It’s not unreasonable or unrealistic to assume that they have a chance of winning something. To pretend otherwise would just be false modesty.

At risk of being mildly controversial, how well do you think it would go down if we waded into the Euro 2024 thread and posted about how pants we think football is.

Yeah, zero crossover of posters.

Half my "problem" with football is the fans, their tribalism and their antics.

Really happy that Turkey lost given the amount of booing going on each time the Dutch touched the ball.

Set your expectations low and you won’t be disappointed

What a way to live your life!

can you name another where DV rates increase after a game?

That's often stated, have you actually read any articles behind the stats?