Football Privilege

[Elodiee]

Why, when there is a football tournament do some men assume it their ultimate right to opt out of family life to attend all of these football games with their friends in pubs or other places? As if it's not even negotiable?

I am sick of it.
Does it not occur to these men that some women actually enjoy football too and want some time away from the children to watch it? Or even, God forbid, that the woman and children may wish to watch it together as a family?

I overheard a conversation in the street today whereby a group of men were discussing the fact that one of the men in the group weren't watching it with them at the pub because he had to look after his kids. This is because his wife was covering a shift at work which she "should have said no to" apparently, according to these men. They called it "pathetic" that this father had to stay at home and watch the England game with his kids.
Like, What?

@lazylinguist

Yes this is a husband problem, not a football problem. And I doubt there are many men who do this if they are usually committed, hands-on fathers and husbands who share the load in the house and with the children. I'd be totally happy for dh to go to the pub multiple times and watch the football with friends, because he's a hard-working husband who spends pretty much all his free time hanging out with us and doing useful stuff!

One of my uncles is a hardcore Everton fan, and he's the one who got me supporting them. However, he and my auntie have a very equal relationship and I remember him being very hands-on with my cousins rather than leaving all the work to her. There are male football fans out there who aren't selfish arseholes, thankfully. My dad was the same.