• The forums will be unavailable for a few hours on Saturday 6th June, when they do return they will initially be in a degraded state with some features missing, but normal posting/reading will be possible. The main website will not be affected by these updates.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.
    Some other features of the forum are also currently disabled.

Turning your back on football?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Longy said:
I just don’t feel any connection with England. Saying that, I do like the current set of players & how they represent themselves. The feeling around the Euros compared to other tournaments were worlds apart.
Click to expand...
It's always been different for me because my dad is a mag tbh. Never had the thing of going to matches with my dad on a weekend. The only time we support the same side is when England play so it's been something I look forward to from being young.

Generally though I like the fact that the Saudis or whatever can't buy success in international football, so in that way it's more "pure". If you want to improve you can try spending big money on a foreign manager, or calling up anyone with a grandparent from your country. Other than that all you can do is invest a lot in grass roots, get better facilities, invest in coaching. That's stuff that benefits everyone in the country when there's good facilities that people can use regardless of ability. Helps get people healthy etc. I love that side of it. England can't just say "fuck it, we'll buy Mbappe"
 

FN-2187 said:
Do you know anyone who has just said, sod this and walked away from football.

They are sick of the way the game has gone, the money, the pretty much no chance of winning anything for your team. So much so that they just say fuck it. They don't talk about it, post about it, just live their lives as if football doesn't exist.

I haven't. I do know a couple of people who don't have any interest in football and have always been that way.
Click to expand...
I have little or no interest to the game except Sunderland. Went for a bike ride last Sunday instead of watch the Liverpool City game which 5 years ago would have been unthinkable. I think the only televised games I've watched whole are a couple of SPL games. The quality isn't great but their get stuck in and the crowds aren't full of posing tourists.

Still absolutely mad about the Sunderland. Gan to the U-23S today as I'll be at the Pizza Cup game on Wednesday. Can't get enough of the lads
 
LJP1786 said:
I definitely don’t watch as much football as I did. I would have watched as much as I could have once upon a time. Marriage, kids and work commitments change that I guess but I only tend to watch a few games even when I have time.

I couldn’t turn my back on Sunderland though, I almost see it as two separate things.
Click to expand...
Was a time when my now ex would say I'd watch 2 kids in the park having a kickabout. (tbh that's true cos bu that point I f***ing hated her and would find any excuse). But now I don't watch a quater of that and when I do its usually in the background while I'm doing other things. Bit by bit it's losing what I perceived as its soul but I'll always watch it.
 
I’ve got a season ticket at Sunderland, watch Championship & League One on Quest and like to know the scores of all of the other divisions, but I rarely watch any other football on the TV apart from when England are in a major competition.
 
I invest a little in England at tournaments and I’ll watch the major domestic and European finals. Also get roped into Arsenal from time to time through my in laws. Sometimes watch Hornchurch FC or Dulwich Hamlet if it’s a nice Saturday and I’ve nowt pressing going on. Primarily only care about Sunderland though. I used to be an obsessive but I find once you’re older and know how the football sausage is made, the less you are inclined to care. It’s all just rich wankers making even more dough at common folk’s expense.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hettonlass said:
I only watch the Lads and Lasses, internationals bore me.
Click to expand...
Opposite for me.

I only watch internationals and Champions League.

Will probably watch more when we’re back in the Prem but league 1 football isn’t for someone who knows as much about football as me.
 
Guinness Guzzler said:
It's always been different for me because my dad is a mag tbh. Never had the thing of going to matches with my dad on a weekend. The only time we support the same side is when England play so it's been something I look forward to from being young.

Generally though I like the fact that the Saudis or whatever can't buy success in international football, so in that way it's more "pure". If you want to improve you can try spending big money on a foreign manager, or calling up anyone with a grandparent from your country. Other than that all you can do is invest a lot in grass roots, get better facilities, invest in coaching. That's stuff that benefits everyone in the country when there's good facilities that people can use regardless of ability. Helps get people healthy etc. I love that side of it. England can't just say "fuck it, we'll buy Mbappe"
Click to expand...
Good point that, although the Chinese have naturalised a fair few Brazilians lately and the Qataris doing something similar in athletics. Cheats will always find a way.
 
It's lost it's soul, I agree 100%, I've considered it but it's hard when all your mates will be banging on about football all the time.
 
Guinness Guzzler said:
It's always been different for me because my dad is a mag tbh. Never had the thing of going to matches with my dad on a weekend. The only time we support the same side is when England play so it's been something I look forward to from being young.

Generally though I like the fact that the Saudis or whatever can't buy success in international football, so in that way it's more "pure". If you want to improve you can try spending big money on a foreign manager, or calling up anyone with a grandparent from your country. Other than that all you can do is invest a lot in grass roots, get better facilities, invest in coaching. That's stuff that benefits everyone in the country when there's good facilities that people can use regardless of ability. Helps get people healthy etc. I love that side of it. England can't just say "fuck it, we'll buy Mbappe"
Click to expand...
Aye, all of what you say makes perfect sense. I just look at England & feel like you’ve got to share it with all the fuck nuts in the country. At least the fuck nuts I share Sunderland with live round the corner from me & have the same background. Fan parks & slinging pints in the air when you score a penalty just feels like everybody’s trying too hard for me. However, if I won the lottery I dare say I’d follow England around the world for the craic.
 
Though I've barely been to more than a handful of games in the last 7-8 years (since kids really) I still watch it on a stream pretty much every game, weekend and midweek, and how we are doing has a fair impact on my mood.

Do enjoy the odd trip to watch the non league games locally, as even though I don't really know the players or teams it's got a great feeling to it.

Follow the prem mainly to know what's going on and participate in the usual chatter and to mange a fantasy team in a league against mates.
 
I watch it all. Strangely calms down the Sunday anxiety having Martin Tyler waffling on in the background.
 
I only care about us. When I see the reprobates who are running this game at the top level, purely for themselves, and the fans have never mattered to them. Sadly it will get a lot worse before it gets better. I can see the PL imploding when the so-called big clubs go their own way. They are not bothered whether Eufa or FIFA ban them in the long-term. Thank goodness they cannot take my memories away from me.

Sad really.
 
FN-2187 said:
Do you know anyone who has just said, sod this and walked away from football.

They are sick of the way the game has gone, the money, the pretty much no chance of winning anything for your team. So much so that they just say fuck it. They don't talk about it, post about it, just live their lives as if football doesn't exist.

I haven't. I do know a couple of people who don't have any interest in football and have always been that way.
Click to expand...

Already have tbf, posted loads of times I’ve not had or paid for Sky for donkey‘s years (they started this slippery slope)

I get free BT Sport app as on EE but don’t ever watch the Champions League it’s nauseating! In fact, can’t remember the last time I watched a live game on TV other the England or the lads’ streams during lockdown.

The money I save on that pay for my season card and a few away days. We’ve been shite the past few years but seeing my family and friends at the match isn’t something I’d give up (less so the rest of football) the game is fucked.
 
Last edited:
FN-2187 said:
Do you know anyone who has just said, sod this and walked away from football.

They are sick of the way the game has gone, the money, the pretty much no chance of winning anything for your team. So much so that they just say fuck it. They don't talk about it, post about it, just live their lives as if football doesn't exist.

I haven't. I do know a couple of people who don't have any interest in football and have always been that way.
Click to expand...

My Mam.

She’s 75 this year, has supported the lads for about 60 odd years. For the last maybe seven or eight years she has said “I’m not listening/watching them no more, I could cry when I see what they like now.”

But the next week/season she still gets her radio out on the bed, Sky Sports News of the telly, and when 3pm arrives on a Saturday, she is still listening.

I might get a shock one day, and she will go through with her decision.
 
FN-2187 said:
Do you know anyone who has just said, sod this and walked away from football.

They are sick of the way the game has gone, the money, the pretty much no chance of winning anything for your team. So much so that they just say fuck it. They don't talk about it, post about it, just live their lives as if football doesn't exist.

I haven't. I do know a couple of people who don't have any interest in football and have always been that way.
Click to expand...
I follow my home town Northern League club now. I still have a keen interest in SAFC but no where near the level I had (home and away).

Money and general morals ruined it for me.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top