Are you falling out of love with football?

[rhroyal]

Have to admit, reading the above post, that one thing I want to do when I grow up is take my kids to games. If they get into it I'll be loving it.

[Terminal Boardom]

sort of, it's been crap since the mid to late 80s and certainly since satellite tv companies got involved

You can have too much of a good thing.

[Terminal Boardom]

Even beach football has its moments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4sqqV2R2RA

Apols to anyone who has already seen this via the exceptional F365 website

[Murts-is-Lej]

Unfortunately once you're hooked on football it's quite difficult to kick the habit. I can imagine if you've only ever been a lukewarm supporter of RFC because they happened to play in a league where the big boys played then I can see why you might go off it. However, if you're like me and you watch live football at all levels every week and even get your arm twisted to play once in a while then you get so many reminders of the excitement and enjoyment that you can't let it go. Last month I watched RFC, Cambridge United, Hungerford Town, RFC Women, Newbury Ladies, both my daughters teams, oh and ref'ed a couple of mini-soccer games. The range of abilities (players, managers and refs), tactics (or lack of!), crowds and venues was huge but the passion and enthusiasm was always the same.

[Ryn]

Love football, hate the theatrics that goes with the 'modern game'.

[Thaumagurist*]

Love football, hate the theatrics that goes with the 'modern game'.

Does the "theatrics" include Thierry Henry cheating?

[Uke]

No. Football was my first love; it will be my last.

Football of the future; and football of the past?

[Tony Le Mesmer]

It was a spin up for me the other weekend. Havant v Maiders or Derby v Reading. I didnt spin the coin but went to Havant.

Free parking by the ground, £10 to get in, standing, pint and maybe a fag whilst watching the game. Could stand wherever you like, nice tidy ground, all 22 players on £200 a week giving it their all, and having a good chat with strangers who didnt need to worry about segregation. Maiders managed by a guy who should have his boots cleaned by Reading's Mr Bullshit, should be a full time manager in the league, but chooses to stay part time where he is because he just enjoys it too much.

I think my decision summed up how i feel about football at the moment.

[handbags_harris]

It was a spin up for me the other weekend. Havant v Maiders or Derby v Reading. I didnt spin the coin but went to Havant.

Free parking by the ground, £10 to get in, standing, pint and maybe a fag whilst watching the game. Could stand wherever you like, nice tidy ground, all 22 players on £200 a week giving it their all, and having a good chat with strangers who didnt need to worry about segregation. Maiders managed by a guy who should have his boots cleaned by Reading's Mr Bullshit, should be a full time manager in the league, but chooses to stay part time where he is because he just enjoys it too much.

I think my decision summed up how i feel about football at the moment.

It's people like Drax who keep their feet on the ground who I would love to see given an opportunity in league management. Floyd and I both agree that he would be easily good enough for a club like Barnet. A very endearing bloke, and as compelling as Steve Coppell to speak to, unlike RFC's current incumbent who speaks a lot of bollocks.

[Big Foot]

Have to say I've been to see my mate play for Wokingham a few times this season and really enjoyed it. Wouldn't go week in week out but their fightback from 3-0 down to win 4-3 away at Holyport the other week was as compelling as a "Super Sunday" clash

[soggy biscuit]

Haven't read through the thread so apologies if I am repeating things but for me the whole falling out of love with football is generally just people growing up and realising football isn't all that important.

[Row Z Royal]

I enjoy watching football as a neutral. I have difficulty with being a fan.

I also love playing for and managing a team - it's one of the most challenging things that I've ever got involved with.

[Jerry St Clair]

Football is a bit like Christmas. As a child it thrills and excites you, but into adulthood you become weary and cynical towards it, the hype gets tiresome. That said, deep down you still enjoy it for what it is - but it is just nothing like as magical as it felt when you were a lad.

Floyd, I find the thought of you ever being anything other than weary and cynical, frankly, disturbing.

[Terminal Boardom]

The perfect antedote is non-league football.

[Sarah Star]

Football is a bit like Christmas. As a child it thrills and excites you, but into adulthood you become weary and cynical towards it, the hype gets tiresome. That said, deep down you still enjoy it for what it is - but it is just nothing like as magical as it felt when you were a lad.

Floyd, I find the thought of you ever being anything other than weary and cynical, frankly, disturbing.

You're like twins

[FORSTERS_RIGHT_FOOT]

Don't think i could fall out of love with it entirely.

I enjoy playing and watching it too much. I play football 3 times a week at max and watch most games that are on the tv in the hope of it being a cracker, and there have been a few this season to start with. Yes there has been times where im lost a little interest in it, but then a Reading match or game on tv will turn me back into the football mad bloke that i am.

[floyd__streete]

Floyd, I find the thought of you ever being anything other than weary and cynical, frankly, disturbing.

I smiled once when I saw a duck slip on an icy pond, that is the best I can do I am afraid.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

The perfect antedote is non-league football.

I like non-league football in theory, but I generally find the low crowds, crap grounds and crap football make it a much grimmer prospect that idealists make out.

There's just no atmosphere at all with 250 people there, and the stands make you think that somewhere there's a bus stop missing its shelter. A ground needs to look like a ground, not a partially covered footpath.

I give it a go now and then, but worry I'm going to turn into one of those old blokes leaning by a railing in a flat cap, who is convinced brown and green are a fetching colour combination for clothing.

As it happens I went to see Corinthian Casuals at the weekend. It was OK, although it didn't help being in Tolworth, which must be the biggest shithole in the south of England. The town centre didn't possess a single pub. We ended up drinking in the bar of a bowling alley, which provided this magnificent vista from its window



The ground was like the Taj Mahal in comparison, although getting food was very slow. If you ever wondered what happened to Oddbod from Carry on Screaming, he's "learing to do the onions" at the serving hatch at Corinthian Casuals FC.

[Wide and Wonderful]

It's not the football that's the problem (the actual game is only 50% of why most people go anyway, I believe) I don't care about the fact that players get paid loads (would you rather the Chairmen pocket the cash?), are bad role models (when was a football player EVER a good role model anyway) or party late etc.

Football should be a social occasion, meet up with your friends and family, enjoy a bit of a singsong, perhaps a few drinks, and maybe one of the players will deliver a memorable moment that can be discussed/criticised/mocked/rejoiced for a long time afterwards. Have a good moan about a poor performance (Moaning is one of the best things about football!) or speculate on how long a good spell will last.

With allocated seating, it's hard to move around the crowd - move to the noisier section if you want to have a bit of a boisterous sing song, change ends at half time, run down to the front to tell the full back how to do his job properly or simply watch the match in silence and enjoy the football etc.........

The more relaxed lower/nonleague games don't have these restrictions for their fans, and that is why it seems a better experience.

The money side of the game doesn't matter - you don't have to subscribe to it, you don't have to buy the RFC mug, replica kit, RFC dog collar etc,

The social/community aspect is what is important and that is what needs addressing.