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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

“Once in a lifetime event”

24 replies

Dyrne · 10/07/2021 15:24

Billions of football threads around, I keep seeing the same thing being said - that this Sunday is potentially a “once in a lifetime event”

AIBU to wonder why so many passionate football fans have so little faith in our boys? People were saying it about even the quarter final, for crying out loud!

There’s been a sea change in how the England squad is managed, I think they’ve been doing really well, still finding their feet a bit but if they carry on as they are then surely it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we would expect them to carry on doing reasonably well in future international competitions?

(And, in case I need to say it, this is a lighthearted thread!)

OP posts:

Hankunamatata · 10/07/2021 15:26

1996 lyrics say it all - 30 years of hurt. Now we are up to what 55 years lol

Tal45 · 10/07/2021 15:31

Another good thing, they're a young squad, lots of years left in them yet.

Lockheart · 10/07/2021 15:40

It's a once in a lifetime event for the mens team. The England women's team make finals much more often.

ahoyshipmates · 10/07/2021 15:43

Everything that happens is a once in a lifetime event.

Some are more memorable than others though

stillcrazyafterall · 10/07/2021 15:46

Well it's not once in my lifetime as I remember the world cup in 66. 😡

LeggyLinda · 10/07/2021 15:48

It’s demonstrably not a “once in a lifetime” event.

Football continuously happens.
Even if you do your best to avoid it it is still there.

Every couple of years there’s the argument that this is the “most important moment in history”.

Every time someone “wins it” and then normal people think it’s done and dusted. But then it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on

Nobody ever wins the football. Except those who have money invested

TotorosCatBus · 10/07/2021 15:51

I'm in the 40s and it's not happened in my lifetime so I think that once in a lifetime event is accurate.

I've had a quick scan and from the first Euros in 1960, the most a country has won is 3 times and only one country has won back to back.

3 times in 60 years is still once every 20 years for the most successful teams which makes it a rare event imo.

melj1213 · 10/07/2021 15:52

Because for anyone under the age of 55, the mens NT have never reached a major final in our lifetimes and - based on this historical precedent - if it does take another 55 years it may not happen again in many people's lifetimes.

As much as every country hopes they'll go from winning nothing since the 60s to winning the Euros and World Cup back to back ala Spain (Euro 64 - Euro 08/WC10/Euro 12) it is not something that happens on a regular basis, so if this is England's one chance for the next half century, it should be celebrated.

Imissmoominmama · 10/07/2021 15:53

I think the term is being used loosely because it’s been 55 years. I’m not a huge football fan, but I follow England because I’m a 66 baby and somehow feel invested .

TotorosCatBus · 10/07/2021 15:56

@LeggyLinda

It’s demonstrably not a “once in a lifetime” event.

Football continuously happens.
Even if you do your best to avoid it it is still there.

Every couple of years there’s the argument that this is the “most important moment in history”.

Every time someone “wins it” and then normal people think it’s done and dusted. But then it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on

Nobody ever wins the football. Except those who have money invested

Team GB women at the Tokyo Olympics seems to be the next tournament. Hopefully they will get lots of support from back home.

Theredjellybean · 10/07/2021 15:58

I had the discussion with family... Its not a once in a lifetime event... Lots of people alive when we won whatever it was back in the 60's.
Tjis is just the European championships, wasn't there a world cup a few yrs back when we got to quarter finals and tge whole country seemed to go bonkers.
And I am sure there arw other tournaments.
You do not here this about other sport... When we got to final of rugby World Cup.. It was more of a "well this is a good result for this time around"... None of this nonsense about its coming home, and once in a lifetime. There was talk of how well they played compared to four years earlier.
Also agree these players potentially have many more big tournaments ahead of them, as do their fans...
So frankly I think it's rude and disrespectful to the team, and just the wrong side of bonkers.. Its like the nation takes leave of its senses

Whogotdakeystomabeamer · 10/07/2021 15:59

Well it's (so far) a once in a lifetime event for me - mid 30s, so?

RancidOldHag · 10/07/2021 16:02

Well I suppose it's the first time in my lifetime to reach the finals of this regional competition.

Even if we won the next World Cup, it still wouldn't be 'once in a lifetime' for me. Or any of the other millions of Brits aged over 55

DrSbaitso · 10/07/2021 16:08

They're just working up the drama a bit, makes it more fun. Very few teams win major tournaments on any kind of regular basis.

x2boys · 10/07/2021 16:13

Well it will be the first time in a lot of people's life time
And yes people keep going on about the women's football but rightly or wrongly there is just not the same interest.

TeenMinusTests · 10/07/2021 16:16

'First in a lifetime' might be more accurate.
For football fans though it is a big deal.
And there are a lot of football fans!

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 10/07/2021 16:18

Once in a lifetime even applies to everyone who is 54yo or younger. I'd say that's a long time!

If they win this, and then never win again for another 55 years, I'll be dead by then.

RancidOldHag · 10/07/2021 16:23

If it's once in a lifetime, then it shows we don't expect the men's team to win anything major for the next 55 years too.

Yeah, I get that it's a bit of hyperbole, but it's a fairly pessimistic out if you stop to think about it.

Silvercatowner · 10/07/2021 16:25

Well it's not once in my lifetime as I remember the world cup in 66

Me too!!

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 10/07/2021 16:49

I am with you on this and agree original poster. What really shocks me is a previous England national men’s team being invited to celebrate with a previous prime minster when they were defeated but reached a latter stage of the knock out competition.
Why previous celebrations for losing?

Come back to the next game I hope England win and indeed go on to win more matches in future competitions. Italy being multiple World Cup champions are currently unbeaten for quite a few matches. So it may be coming home or coming Rome but probably definitely Covid coming home! Come on England and let this be the start of more winners not once in generations!

User135644 · 10/07/2021 16:55

My mate said that to me the other day, adamant we all need to meet up to watch the final as it could be the one time it ever happens.

I said there's a World Cup next year, that'll be bigger.

MissKeithsNeice · 10/07/2021 17:24

It’s demonstrably not a “once in a lifetime” event.
You're right. Because, as many people have pointed out, if you're older than 55 it's already occurred in your lifetime. Wharsmore it may well happen again.

Football continuously happens.
Absolutely, but international tournaments don't. And your national team making final certainly doesn't.

Even if you do your best to avoid it it is still there.
If you open and then post on a thread about it, can you really claim you are doing your best to avoid it?

Every couple of years there’s the argument that this is the “most important moment in history”.
Noone has ever said that. Ever. About anything, but especially not about football.

Every time someone “wins it” and then normal people think it’s done and dusted. But then it goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on.
Im not sure anyone has ever claimed that a team has won football? The idea that that leagues and tournaments happen in a cycle is not a concept that is tricky to grasp.

Nobody ever wins the football. Except those who have money invested
Yup, football is indeed profitable. Its a huge source of income for this country. £4bn annually in foreign tv sales from Premier League alone. Then there money that comes to FA from selling tv rights internationally to FA Cup, or money that comes in from all the international brands who are shirt sponsors, or the huge paydays from Champions League participation. In Manchester, football is makes up 2% of the local economy. So I agree, those who have money invested in it do win. But economically, so do we all.

lemonsandgingerbeer · 10/07/2021 17:33

@x2boys

Well it will be the first time in a lot of people's life time And yes people keep going on about the women's football but rightly or wrongly there is just not the same interest.

"keep going on about women's football"

Head In Hands.

If only people would stop GOING ON ABOUT WOMEN ALL THE TIME!

BatshitCrazyWoman · 10/07/2021 17:59

'Our boys' 🙄 They're nothing to do with me!

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