Cut down on the football chatter

[delicatemoth]

Central London, Ray, which ironically means I'm closer to Big Clubs than anyone else. I was geeing myself up to go and see London Bees when an anti-trans hate group leafleted the women's Cup final, which put me off, but I should have a look again as there's no real reason why this should afflict a second division women's team. Most London non-league sides seem to be quite far out. Hmm, I could try Clapton, couldn't I, they're meant to be Good On This, aren't they?

[hobbes]

"Come on, It doesn’t work at all. You could do much better than equating watching sport in a certain way with sexual virility. Which is pretty seedy and unpleasant, don’t you think?"

Hmmm, I think your introduction of the concept of "sexual virility" in to a post designed to highlight the absurdity of decrying live participatory enjoyment (and a football crowd are participants in a match, you should understand) against remote viewing says a little more about your thought processes than mine.

Man, that’s feeble. Keep digging.

[delicatemoth]

wrong thread

[EIM]

There are lots of very good reasons people don't go to football, and empty seat banter manages to be both dull and a bit Tory. However, watching on tv is a very different experience to going to the game to the point that it's two different pastimes. The views of my mates who don't go to Old Trafford are often so different to those of us who do, I wonder if we've been watching the same match or not.

I've got no issue with people who don't go until they start thinking they are due the same consideration, or start telling match-goers how to behave.

[EIM]

But these days, actually going to the game is so intrinsic to my enjoyment of the sport that I can't imagine what would hold my interest if I watched on telly.

[Ray de Galles]

Central London, Ray, which ironically means I'm closer to Big Clubs than anyone else. I was geeing myself up to go and see London Bees when an anti-trans hate group leafleted the women's Cup final, which put me off, but I should have a look again as there's no real reason why this should afflict a second division women's team. Most London non-league sides seem to be quite far out. Hmm, I could try Clapton, couldn't I, they're meant to be Good On This, aren't they?

Clapton and Dulwich Hamlet would be my two immediate recommendations, yes.

[delicatemoth]

I really wish Camden had a football team.

[Lang Spoon]

I still want to go and see East Fife, my much-missed Fifer Twitter pal recommended them as a good community club with a robust anti-discrimination/abuse policy.

New Bayview is fuckin freezing but. Wrap up well, get a taste for Bovril. Only Arbroath is colder in my experience, but Gayfield has amazing pies at least.

[Sporting]

I really wish Camden had a football team.

It does:

https://www.camdentownladiesfc.com/

[Jobi1]

Two Girls Talk Balls have been rather forthright about this in their latest episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3OG...TJ6UJ444v1nVKA

Spoiler alert: They're not a fan of Ann Francke's views.

[Sporting]

Some interesting points raised on this thread so far but I’d like to comment on the issue of why people don’t attend live matches. Now obviously in many ways there’s no substitute for the live experience, the adrenalin, being with other like-minded fans, the pre-match atmosphere etc.

That said, it is expensive.. Now the demographic of this forum is, unless I’m mistaken, that of someone in their 40s or 50s, with grown-up children, homeowner, in a good stable job etc. Now a ticket to watch Levante for a normal league match is a minimum 30€. Not so bad, and for me it’s reasonably accessible given that the ground is within walking distance and so there are no associated driving costs. But if I go with my son that’s 60€ and that money buys an awful lot of food for a normal family. We do attend, but pick and choose the occasions. However, I know plenty of people who love football but could never afford to go. Is anyone less of an opera buff because they have never been to an opera house?

I don’t think these people are particularly resentful of this fact; it’s just the way things are. So telly’s a good second best and given that in Spain for a reasonable outlay you can watch every minute of every game played by your fave first or second division team throughout the season then fans of these clubs have every right to join in the corresponding banter. And you get instant replays and close-ups etc. Even when my eyesight was better it used to be a struggle to see who had scored at the other end and so on. Plus nowadays in stadiums you are often forced to sit down and I really hate sitting down to watch football matches unless it’s on my own sofa. I do it, but get really pissed off at the sheer bile and stupidity I hear all around me.

Obviously one solution to the sedentary problem is to find a local lower league or amateur club to follow but the problem I would have here is the one of emotional attachment and quality. All credit to the groundhoppers on here but god knows I would suffer watching so much crap footie. If instead of going to some youth league game I can stay at home and watch Messi on the box I’m sorry but I know which I’m going to choose. Now I used to watch my son play football and the standard was pretty rubbish but I had an emotional attachment to it which made all the difference.

[Sits]

Bit generalised there on the demographic Sporting tbh.

[Sporting]

Probably yes.

[NickSTFU]

But these days, actually going to the game is so intrinsic to my enjoyment of the sport that I can't imagine what would hold my interest if I watched on telly.

Same here. I hardly watch football on the telly anymore, I find the whole experience tedious.

When attending a game and it's shit, there's so much more going on to hold my interest.

[Patrick Thistle]

.

Obviously one solution to the sedentary problem is to find a local lower league or amateur club to follow but the problem I would have here is the one of emotional attachment and quality. All credit to the groundhoppers on here but god knows I would suffer watching so much crap footie.

You can develop an attachment if you choose to go though. I care about lot about Barry Town's results and I only "declared" and bought a scarf in 2018.

My locallest team is free to get in and yes, you get what you pay for. But last time I went I saw three penalties taken in 5 minutes and only one was scored. Plus buses leave the depot all the time at one end and they're fun to watch. I chat to people. I'm out in the fresh air. It's joyous and diverting and actually just pure fun. I can forget about work for a couple of hours and help my mate who writes the match report as he tries to accurately estimate the attendance.