The end of football, according to the Daily Mail. I wish! It seems that with the recent racism scandals, coin throwing on Saturday at Ferdinand and general unrest on the terraces, the Daily Mail has come to the conclusion that the end is nigh and we had better get used to it. What a load of tosh. If only part of it was true, and what has changed in the last 30 years? Almost nothing as far as supporters go, but monumental changes to the way the game is commercially organised. ..but it only goes to show that footy has always attracted 'the wrong crowd' whether we like it or not. For me, football is a take it or leave game, the same as most sports actually. Because you encounter quite a few keen supporters during a normal day, then it's only polite to keep one's self informed so as to make polite conversation. Take my colleague in accounts. He's ridiculously keen on Leeds United (something I seem to find wherever I work) and I can either humour him with soundbites I happen to espy in the news e.g. I see Leeds let in a goal at the weekend... and let him fill me in with the rest of the match report which can kill a few minutes, or I could try the 'how did Leeds do at the weekend?' type or opener, which would get the same result, but I don't think he would bother with all the detail he does now that entertains me, so I try the former tack, picking up as much info as I can be bothered to about the aforesaid team and instead of nodding I even interject with an intelligent comment or two. Or at least I kid myself I do.
I would do the same if there was an avid hockey, basketball or cricket fan. When I was working with a lot of off-shore support guys in India, I suddenly found myself an expert on cricket rather than an enthusiastic onlooker. So there you are, I'm a bit of a fake really which is probably reality for most of us, so if you're one of the die-hard enthusiasts ready to start a conversation, please give me some warning so I can do my homework.
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