World Cup- is it really all that?

[RebeccaBunchLawyer]

Just that really.

A group of lads dashing around after a ball, on a patch of grass.

Am I missing something? Why is it so exciting? Is it the actual game, or the fact that it only happens every 4 years? Also, these young men are paid more per week than most hard-working folk (with
proper jobs) earn in a year, so surely they should be winning the odd match anyway?

Why are people so delighted when they actually win? Have I just answered my own question??!

I can't really claim to be a football fan, but have enjoyed the atmosphere at football matches when I went many years ago.

I haven't had much interest for a number of years, and there has been too much hype on barely mediocre squads in recent tournaments. But this year is different. We have a young talented squad working well as a team, an intelligent, sensible manager. We're doing much better than we have since many of the players were born! The competition is more open than usual. At times like this, you can get a wonderful communal atmosphere.

I'm not sufficiently fussed to watch other teams, but I have had England on when I've been free. Having young kids who are old enough to get some appreciation for the first time has made it a family experience. Last night I let them stay up to watch it, and the family excitement that had brewed by the penalty shootout was wonderful. Clinching that final goal was a fantastic moment as we all cheered together in raw excitement.

As a national squad, we've been playing quality football with interesting games, and winning on penalties is a great new chapter for the England team, both for this squad and future selections. Like Andy Murray getting the Olympic gold at Wimbledon, followed by winning the tournament the following year.

So despite the fact that come August, I'll be back to my usual chuntering about 22 overpaid players, I'm willing to suspend that for now and enjoy the moment and hold it up there with my other anomalous moments like London 2012 and Euro '96.

People can enjoy it if they want. Personally, I hate it.

I also can't stand those who use it as an excuse for violence, drinking to excess or anything else that is blamed on football.

Nothing against the football - its the rampant xenophobia and aggression I can't stand.
Gangs of drunk men shouting in the street or in pubs whilst uniformed police lurk behind.
Domestic violence sufferers will be dreading the moment England lose.

Post Brexit I can't even bring myself to say I support England in the WC.

It's coming home after 52 years. It's been sorely missed .

All the pundits calling them heroes and using hyperbolic language to describe 22 men kicking a ball around on a patch of grass as if it's a genuine source of national pride.
The fact that women in the sport get nothing like the training, support, attention or money.
The fact that people object to paying for, say sick notes or school trips but pay for premium sports channels and match tickets.
That it distracts from and gets more news coverage than, say, a boatload of refugees in the Med, or children being caged in the US.
It's not even as entertaining as other sports like rugby or even lawn bowling.
And domestic violence rates soar during the world cup, not to mention the fan violence.

OP, you might want to reflect on the fact that our personal opinions on what is and is not meaningful (or pleasurable/revolting, ethical/immoral, reasonable/unreasonable, etc) are just that: personal opinions, not universal truths.

You don't like football? Fine, you're perfectly entitled not to. So don't watch it, don't talk about, don't post about... While the World Cup is on, go and do whatever it is that toots your horn!

if you dont like it don't watch it , I'm no Football fan but even I got a bit excited last night , just imagine if England does win(yes there will endless mumsnet threads about people saying they can't see the point in football) but in real world it would be great to see.

In football you can't rule anything out. It only takes one goal for the underdogs to win. A lot of other sports don't have that unpredictability. And the World Cup is the biggest competition in football. There've been so many upsets this year too.

Of course the people who don't care don't care. That's up to them.

Its no love island

But thats a good thing

I love football, and since it’s the end of the season I’ll watch whatever is on.

As a Scot (aye I know we’re shite at football ) watching as a neutral has been great.

If you are a lawyer, which I’m taking you may be from your username. And you have the gall to talk about footballers, at the top of their profession for a very short period being overpaid

Do you listen to music, watch films, watch TV even read books? Those people are paid as much if not more and for an extended period for doing the same thing, providing entertainment.

Bitter doesn’t even begin to describe these attitudes.

Mumsnet - is it really all that? Just a bunch of women tapping away at their phones/computers. Am I missing something? Why are you here?

Yeah, fuck Jk Rowling, overpaid untalented so and so that she is. Writing books about wizards, she contributes nothing to society does she, that’s not a proper job, entertaining people, inspiring youngsters

Kind of exactly what footballers do though isn’t it.

There's already 21 pages on this subject....

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3296296-To-wish-the-people-screaming-outside-would-shut-up

It's about being patriotic

Wow, I get lunch ready and all these replies appear!

I’m not trying to insult football, its supporters or participants, I am honestly trying to work out what attracts people or builds them into this mad frenzy!

And to the pp that said to imagine myself running around a pitch for 2 hours: I quite agree with you, I would not be able to do that, quite frankly I couldn’t be arsed as I am no athletic at all!

I quite like tennis and rollerskating myself, but don’t get quite as excited, I suppose!

The thing is, you don't have to get it.

I watch the winter olympics whenever its on and genuinely feel baffled and bewildered by curling. It's the maddest thing I've ever seen. Yet my Granny bloody loved it and was obsessed when she was alive.

Football is like religion; either it's in you or it's not.

For me it was growing up with a Dad who took me to watch Tigers and Leicester City play frequently; football and rugby both evoke strong memories of being part of something exciting and different to the humdrum school/homework/sleep routine as a kid and now I'm a parent, I take my children to sports games in the hopes they'll find a team they love. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone else, so long as they feel part of something bigger than themselves.

Plus there's the psychology side that shows that humans (mostly) have an innate desire to be around other humans so they seek out groups, clubs and teams in order to feel as though they belong; belonging can be enormously important to emotional health and increases happiness, productivity and self-esteem.

We are a cricket household so football doesn't normally feature in our house. But my two teen boys are sufficiently interested to know what's going on and watch parts of the England matches.

Last night they bounded into the living room at 80mins to watch the end of the game and were suitably excited by the result.

I however, was far more excited by the fact that the half an hour or so they spent watching it was the only time we had all been in the same room for months

@dailymailbestformums

Domestic violence spikes with alcohol. This has been proven over and over again. Alcohol consumption spikes in the World Cup. Do you see the link?

I think using a major event to raise domestic violence is a great idea, anything that raises the profile of the issue is.

But people like you and others in this thread and beyond that blame domestic violence on a football result disgust me.

There is one person to blame for domestic violence. The perpetrator. It has nothing to do with football. These are despIcable people who’s partners live in fear of them every day of the year, not just because there is a bloody football match on.

Shameful attitude that minimises who is at fault.

Maybe you should have put that in your OP then. rather than bitch about overpaid players without proper jobs.

I don't understand the off side rule or follow domestic football but I love the world cup and euros.

Every player has spent probably 20 years training hard and wanting to be there. The pressure is immense and they've got to pull it off in front of millions.

Yep, it really IS all that

I don’t think players are overpaid. They’re paid commensurate with the interest in the game - people buying season tickets, sky subscriptions, merchandise, TV rights and so on. The money flows into the game and they’re paid accordingly, as they should be.

I have a passing interest in football generally but love the World Cup because it brings out passion, dedication, togetherness, drama and excitement. Which makes a lovely change from reading about fucking Trump, Brexit, people suffering and children dying, most of which I can do bugger all about.

@Storm4star England will never win

You sure about that?