Several years ago a friend of mine told me that he thought the fact that football was the nations favourite sport was just a passing fad, and that it would soon lose its appeal and something else would take over. I strongly disagreed with him at the time, but am starting to worry that it may, in fact, come true. This season and the last have seen a Russian Billionaire effectively buying the Premiership title. We've seen the England football team put in some truly dreadful performances (See the England thread), and when you sit back and compare the two England matches we had in that week it was a clear contrast between the hungry determined cricketers who came as under-dogs and defeated the old enemy through fantastic leadership, teamwork and individual skill, and the England football team that individually earn more in a week than most of us could expect in a year (And that makes a bigger point when I'm talking to Actuaries!), who failed to muster any spirit as if playing for their country meant nothing to them. Even personally we are starting to see more and more how our Cricket and Rugby heros can maintain their discipline and composure while on the pitch and save the celebrating/petulance for off it. On top of that we are starting to see regular fans priced out of the market. There is outrage at the number of different football shirts that come out, and ticket prices are rising sky-high. And in every sport there will always be those who try to cheat the officials, but I know of no sport where something such as diving to fool referees is so well known and so ignored...practically encouraged. And my biggest issue of them all. In every Rugby match I've ever watched, the refereeing has been superb. Every cricket match I've ever seen the umpires defy belief with the accuracy of their decision. Of course they sometimes make mistakes, but they are always just that....mistakes, and they are few and far between. I cannot sit through a single football match without flying into a rage about the inconsistancy and incompetance of football referees and linesman. I know it is a hard job, and I doubt I'd come even close to getting any decisions right on the pitch...but that's why I'm not a referee. Why are the standards in football so much lower than elsewhere? Is football on a downward sprial? Does anyone else think that things need to change, or will it start to work its way back up again as soon as England start winning again? Or is it too late, and should we all brush up on our Freddy Flintoff trivia so that we can keep up with everyone else... leafy
football isn't on a downward spiral. top-flight football is i support a league 2 club and, as far as i understand, attendances in the lower leagues are on the increase. football in the basement is more entertaining (none of this west brom resting players against chelsea as they know they can't win, very rare you see the unbelievably dull 4-5-1 formation from teams desperate not to lose so they can scape 7th spot and a uefa cup place) even though the quality isn't as high i will never buy sky tv as i don't want to line sky's or the premiership's pockets. once the premiership broke off from the football league, they tore football apart in this country, the gulf between the premiership millionaires and league 2 paupers is ridiculous (although it was nice to see grimsby town knocking a full strength tottenham out of the carling cup, especially as i'm a town fan, hehe) i'd better stop ranting and get on with some work i guess...
Talking about the Gulf between Premiership and lower leagues...coming up nest week. Barnet vs Manchester United!!! Come on you Bees!! leafy
