To not understand all the obsession with footbaall

[Thomasina79]

Live and let live and I understand people love it, but it’s a mystery to me? DH has been glued to telly today watching Crystal Palace!

Not really a fan these days but I did watch the cup final. So pleased for Palace as they played so well. Eze’s reaction on his goal was great and it’s been a while since the winners actually looked happy to win rather than something to be ticked off the to do list.

Societal conformity 🐑

I feel extraordinarily sorry for anyone who doesn’t enjoying watching football or doesn’t have a team that they support. I refuse to believe that there is a feeling in life like your team winning something. And I say that as a supporter of a team who haven’t won anything of note in my lifetime.

Bingo.

It’s much better in real life.

Still not a fan but you can see the strategy play out (on TV you’re always zoomed in) and experience the crowd. It’s much more of an “event”.

It means a lot to a local community. My team won their first trophy in a lot of people’s living memories in March. My 4 year old now thinks his team will win a trophy every year 🤣 some people get it and some don’t, let people enjoy it and crack on

I don't like football and agree about it being dull, love tennis and have got back into snooker after being off it for a few decades (I was really into it back in Jimmy White's heyday).

But what I like best is cricket: not the limited over game, but the full 5-day stuff. Sadly, I can't justify paying for a sports subscription, so don't see much cricket these days. I really miss it.

I’m not a football fan or follower but have had great fun today watching my local team win the FA cup. I was in our friendly local for part of it, loved the sense of community.

I always watch the World Cup final.

It’s exciting when it’s an occasion ,

And I can see that those who know what they are talking about enjoy the skill , tactics and strategy of the players and teams. So must be very interesting.

So what if you aren’t into it? Are you really ‘live and let live’ if you whine about not getting it on cup final day? Just keep quiet and live and let live 🫤

It's about belonging, the communal spirit. The skill, the passion, the highs and all to often, the lows.
it's about your community, your town, your city, or it was until money, the mighty mammon destroyed the top tiers of the game.
It's about the mate who's surname name you don't know but have stood near for 20 years, watching his children grow and leave home and now he's bringing the grand kids.
It's about the shared release of a goal. Of shared despair at one conceded.
It's about crying as a 45 year old man as your team drop out of the league without shame or embarrassment.
It's about your left back scoring with his right boot to promote you for the second season in a row, closing part of the city with your calibration. It's about winning 7-0 to pip another team to go up. It's about Wembley victory and defeat.
It's about raising money for the lad who played 500 times for your team and can't afford a special bed for his illness.
It's about Bradley Lowery, Hillsborough, Bradford, Heysel.
It's collective feeling, love and hate.

Is football a matter of life and death, no its more important than that.

You don't have to get it. I find ballet and musicals boring and music festivals are my idea of hell but a lot of people love them and spend a lot of money on them. It's just unfortunate that you don't understand the enthusiasm for football while living in a country where it is very very popular.

I don’t like it but I sort of get what it gives people, especially men.. I do think many need that sort of interest, give them that togetherness and camaraderie, focus, tribal feeling. When you see them all chanting together in crowds it’s pretty cool. At the same time they can get a bit much with the rivalry and drunkenness

I'm a fair weather supporter, but Palace were my home team when I was growing up and I'm thrilled to bits for them.

I bloody love football, but I get that others don’t. Similarly I don’t understand people’s love of rugby, cricket or golf..buy I’m sure there’s plenty on here who are avid fans. Each to their own, I guess.

@JabberwokCouldn’t put it better!

I do ask myself why I keep putting myself through so much stress though!

@CraftyNavySeal agree being there is much better, the same can be said about many sports from my experience.

Today a team won where I'd guess 90% plus of their supporters either live in the area, or have done, or a parent or parents come from the area. Makes a change from last year's winners where it is probably nearer 0.9%.

A much bigger game on Wednesday night (IMO), don’t watch it then! 😆

I’m sure lots of football supporters can’t understand other peoples obsessions with Wimbledon or the Olympics or Big Brother or Strictly Come Dancing! People have different interests!

People get different things, it's what makes us unique and individual. I don't get the obsession with plastic surgery & shows like Love Island but it's what some people love.

Different strokes for different folks as they say.

Have you ever thought that maybe you aren't compatible?

You don't have to like the same things but not to being to even remotely undetstand what your other half sees in something they enjoy shows a lack of empathy or basic interest in the other person. If you can't use your imagination why not ask him?

Plus it's the number one sport in the country. It's not a weird niche interest.

Rubbish. Man Utd have supporters around the world but it doesn't mean that local people don't support them also. I'm from Manchester - you had to pick blue or red at school.

I grew up in a house with my dad and 2 brothers being huge football fans and I became one by default! I live in a city which has 2 premier league football teams ( one of which has just won the league ) and the excitement on Derby Day is palpable. I support the team who haven’t just won the league and today is a huge day for us as it’s our last ever game at our ground as we move to a new stadium in August and the emotion in that ground will be real and deep.
my ds is 22 and is autistic. He has been a season ticket holder since he was 10 and travels the length and breadth of the country to watch the away games, it’s a huge part of his life and he’s gutted to be leaving our stadium and said he will probably cry and I’ve not seen him cry since he was a little boy. Football is huge for us and it’s one of the first things people ask about when meeting a new person- “red or blue?” And it’s good old fashioned rivalry, banter and camaraderie either way 😊

It's a waste of life because you have to sit through an awful lot of mediocre dull and boring games as some sort of torturous sacrifice for the odd game like yesterday's Crystal Palace win which was historic. Most Cup Finals are a real let down and let's please not talk about the World Cup, the Euros etc which England always crash out of, after excessive amounts of hype, with flags on every pub and car and then everyone blokes covered in tattoos wearing football strip at the age of 50+ surprised that we lose on penalties. It's so predictable!

You don’t understand why different people might like different things? It’s not a difficult concept. I was glued to Eurovision last night, but I don’t find it baffling if people don’t.

Sounds similar to Wimbledon, Olympics, Eurovision Song Contest and lots of other things really!

@Zoflorabore I don't think there'll be a dry eye there! Just the thought of it makes me well up a little and I'm a red! I think it's absolutely amazing that the women will keep Goodison alive though.