Addendum: I’ve changed “UK” to “England” in two places here, because commentors are right that I’m talking about the England entry into the World Cup. My points however were more generic than simply the England football team.
I’m not finally decided on my views on this year’s World Cup. I think my views on football (soccer) itself are pretty clear – that in the UK it’s largely polluted by a contingent of troublemakers who travel around and give this country the bad name that it’s earned around the world as a result (actually in very specific parts of Europe where these people go for their troublemaking). It’s a game that fuels the supermarket tabloids and generally doesn’t do it for me at all. However, I’m in two minds about the cup. Here’s the conflicting thought process:
- Part of me would love for the England team to lose as quickly as possible. This would reduce the number of nutticisms going on all around me, calm the flag waving nuts just a little and bring back some variety to TV programming over the coming weeks. But it probably would do nothing to stop endless debate about small bones in the human foot.
- Part of me would love for the England team to go all the way and win. This would keep football supporters occupied elsewhere and reduce the chances that I’ll see so many going on drunken binge trips to mainland Europe on the weekend. Winning this time around would remove the interest in football during the 1960s and perhaps bring a sense of reality to many people.
If only people were as interested in world politics as they are in the tiny bones in some pointless footballer’s pointless foot. Just think what would happen if “The Sun”, “The Daily Sport” or one of these other disturbingly pointless newspapers would devote some time to serious issues on that backpage real estate. Just think what would happen if Sky weren’t so sexist in their advertising (“here’s the crap that’s left while the boys are out watching the football” – see their advertisements for more examples). Oh, what a place the UK could be without the “footie”.
There. I dislike football. But you knew that already.
Jon.
“Part of me would love for the UK to …”
Erm, you do know that “the UK” doesn’t have a football team, yes? It’s England playing in the World Cup, not “the UK”.
Maybe you were being ironic, I’m not sure
I think you’re in for a hefty lynching.
Before anyone else steps in:
1. The “UK” is not taking part in the World Cup. England is. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all failed to qualify.
2. People in Scotland in particular (who are happy to hate the English for no reason anyway) have a massive loathing for the huge amount of press that the England Football team get. And will be actively supporting any team that England play. Trinidad and Tobago are current favourites, as may of their team play in Scotland, and they have a played called ‘Jason Scotland’. (So that makes racism alright……)
What exactly does Ashley Cole bring to the England team?
He didn’t break sweat in the Trinidad game.
He isn’t fast. He certainly isn’t skilful. His passes and crosses aren’t accurate.
He often passes to players under more pressure than he is.
All too often Trinidad players were getting round him easily. But nobody ever criticises him.
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