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??!

You don't need to enjoy it or understand. You just need to put up with the fact that lots of other people do.

user I’d be curious as to how many football related DV offences are committed by intoxicated men.

I’m from the west of Scotland (and a Celtic fan) so all too aware of the awful effects of alcohol/football rivalry. I’ve lived with it all my life.

But aye, it’s the perpetrators who should be the target of our anger and disgust not the excuses they come up with.

Oh my goodness - football is a soap opera, that’s the point!

A sort of tribal soap opera that positively effects the economy up further than that is doesn’t really matter!

It depends if you like football or not. I don't, not really into any sports now (used to be when I was younger) so I don't really care although I would be pleased if England won it as I think it would be a much needed cheer up for the country. I wasn't really bothered if they went out or not last night though.

Me and H don’t like football and don’t watch it, but it is nice to see them doing well. It doesn’t bother us as much maybe as we tend to watch Netflix or Amazon Prime most evenings anyway so don’t notice tv disruption

Dream Team was awesome

I don't understand the "overpaid" argument. They aren't overpaid. Football is as close to a fully capitalist worldwide market as possible. Footballers are paid what the market deems their value. So they are paid exactly what they are worth.

I don’t like football and never expect the national side to do well but I still end up watching the World Cup England games. I’m Not sure why when league matches etc I have no interest at all and don’t know many of the footballers names / clubs they play for.
Most sports are silly and pretty pointless though ( if you think about it too much) but lots of people disagree with that.

I'm not a footie fan - I actually thought DH was talking about someone from One Direction when he mentioned Harry Kane recently (yes, I know... I am being teased endlessly about that).

I watched the first half of the first game for England then got bored.

And I watch Freeview or Netflix in the other room when DH and DS are watching the England matches. Mainly because I got so fed up in the 90s of hearing we're going to win and being majorly disappointed when we missed a penalty (which we now seem to practice thankfully unlike in the 90s) that I can't get enthusiastic.

DH can't understand it as he's a Scot and more 'patriotic' about the England team than I am. But he enjoys a regular game of football - I'd rather watch paint dry so why would I get a sudden urge to watch a game?

But...I hope they do well. I will them on (even if I am watching Designated Survivor instead) and DH and DS are enjoying themselves. It's good, clean fun (most of the time), encourages kids to kick about a football just like Wimbledon brings the tennis racquets out and it's making people happy. Plus people can enjoy me getting Harry Kane muddled up with Harry Styles. So what's not to like!

I think YABU OP. Just smile sweetly (and don't mention One Direction)

So they are paid exactly what they are worth
Nobodys worth half a million a week. If everyone was paid exactly what they're worth the country would be bankrupt.

Yeah I don't get it either, why enjoy or have interests in anything at all..

You're also right on them being money grabbing bastards, pssh, should be more like f1 drivers, film stars etc who get paid an absolute pittance.

Piss off you miserable sod OP, IT'S COMING HOME!!

LondonJax you could try confusing people by mentioning Nobby Stiles (retired England and Man U player)

Harry styles ! Made me laugh , kind of thing I get mixed up about. I called Rio Ferdinand Leo Ferdinand once. My brothers are big footie fans ( West Ham , so they know about disappointments) they think I’m funny I know so little. I live with 3 males ( dh and sons) and they all dislike football though. People tell me I’m lucky.
I agree that the whole ‘ this is our year’ can be tiring - would be lovely if it was just so they can put 1966 behind them!

I find it odd that if you enjoy football, you're seen as being 'of the people' and doing something which should be socially encouraged, but if you enjoy reading, you're part of a cultural elite that needs to be destroyed.

I watch eastenders and chat about it on mumsnet with other fans! Yes it’s rubbish etc etc but it’s nice to just escape from the hum drum! I imagine sport is the same but more money ( if your a die hard / hard core fan)

They aren't paid what they are worth.

There are actual people out there teaching our children, driving ambulances, saving lives, caring for the elderly. THEY are the ones who should be receiving footballer wages.

As a Scot (aye I know we’re shite at football grin) watching as a neutral has been great. Same. I'm even wishing England well (maybe I should go to the doctor to check that I'm OK).

I feel for real sport haters - tennis is an acquired taste and the main channels don’t have a lot on apart from sport!

Professor / yes I agree. Sport has become too money orintated. That part is annoying.

I find it odd that if you enjoy football, you're seen as being 'of the people' and doing something which should be socially encouraged, but if you enjoy reading, you're part of a cultural elite that needs to be destroyed. DH is obsessive about his football club and reads history and science fiction the rest of the time. He is neither 'of the people' nor part of a 'cultural elite'. But then he's Scottish and we don't give a shit about that class stuff.

Rosesgarden, it wasn’t difficult, click a button saw Corrie, answered my own question

Corrie actors earn more than most GPs, I’m reading that the top actors are on over quarter of a million a year for around 60 days on set and you’re fine with that. That’s well over 10 times what a nurse earns for working 10 times the hours.

Meanwhile a tiny percentage of footballers at the top of their profession, who have a career window of 15 years and are being paid the money that their sport generates as a business and that upsets you that they are overpaid?

The money flows into the game. If it didn’t go to the players it would line the pockets of the billionaire owners. They earn it.

JK Rowling, incredibly talented woman, one worth almost one billion pounds. What does she do to deserves that money, she writes about a boy wizard. With her pockets lined by the people that buy her books, watch the films, pay 20 quid for popcorn. Why is she worth the money and a footballer isn’t?

They are doing exactly the same thing, providing entertainment and inspiring kids.

I would have loved Scotland to get through - they used to do quite well when England didn’t qualify back in the day. Their rivalry with Brazil was good fun for a few of the years! They always seemed more lighthearted than England fans.

oh I hate the 'pay' argument - look football is business and players are paid because they play well and bring in business

I take it all those people who find that terrible never go to the movies, buy music, watch tennis/motorsport/golf or do anything that involves talented people being paid lots of cash!

Those players pay tax ...

They always seemed more lighthearted than England fans

The Tartan Army does have a good reputation worldwide, but I’d definitely attribute our lighthearted demeanour to being resigned to the fact we’re shite

Professor please tell me you don’t teach economics.

How are they not worth the money. Tv channels pay billions to show the game. Consumers pay billions to watch it. The money is there, you can’t make it disappear. It has to go somewhere, better in Harry Kane’s pocket than roman abramovich’s.

It’s a global game. We cap the wages over here so we can redistribute the money to doctors and nurses, then they just move overseas and we lose one of the most valuable exports our economy has.

To say they are overpaid is naive at best, ignorant at worst, please tell me you don’t teach economics.