Help me give a monkeys about the soccer world cup !

[Purebob]

Its difficult living near WBA, Wolves, Villa and Birmingham grounds and being an eggchaser. As a kid all my family were enthusiastic fans and I got dragged to matches , even training grounds. Got things signed and these caused paroxysms of delight amongst my companions.

But I just never "got" soccer. I never saw and still don't see how it is a "beautiful game".

But I am somewhat patriotic, and so I wouldn't mind getting into the spirit of the thing , but I am really struggling with the total lack of reality that almost every other one of my English brethren seem to have regarding England's chances in the forthcoming tournament.

Now in Rugby, almost all fans seem to agree that England are not great now, and are unlikely to be contenders for the tour down under, 2011 six nations and certainly not the RWC. People are still SUPPORTING England of course, but with pretty realistic expectations.

To even breathe such a thing in my local is HERESY ! England have the best chance in a generation to lift the Jules Rimet etc etc, when (my admittedly clueless) perception is that England ( soccer) are just as rubbish as the Rugby lot. Maybe worse as we managed a fluke runners up medal in 2007.

Can anybody help enthuse me about the soccer world cup so I am less of freak in my football town ? :D

[Rizzo]

Sorry, can't help you there, my mother in law and all the in laws are mad football fans.... thankfully my husband is just interested in rugby not football! Our house will be a footie-free zone.

[Purebob]

Just saw a story that says Frank Lampard gets paid £150,000 a week. Thats not per PLAYING week, but 1/52nd of his annual salary.

Seven million, eight hundred thousand pounds per year.

Twice the salary cap of Tigers. All of them.

* shakes head *

[Butchers Hook]

I personally cannot wait for it to start. Every road in England will be empty during matches and i can go and have a great "blast" on the bike!

[madoqua]

Monkeys?

Careful...somebody in PC world will point out the percentage of black players involved.

Only a matter of time.

[Gate]

Cheap supermarket deals on BEER for the World Cup. Have to care about that.

[Sherpa2]

Cheap supermarket deals on BEER for the World Cup. Have to care about that.

Now that is something to get excited about!

Whereas this

[fleabane]

In response to your plea:

"Help me give a monkeys about the soccer world cup !"

- No.

[TigerGirl2210]

Hard to get excited about watching a bunch of over paid ballet dancers prancing round a pitch kicking the wrong shaped ball....so sorry no help from me either!

[kingol22]

It means a few weeks of nothing on tv which will end with england getting knocked out of the semis on penalties to south africa and grown men will be crying out side of pubs.
What isnt there to be excited about?

[Kinoulton]

Does our love of rugby mean that we refuse to watch Wimbledon, the Boat Race, the Open Golf Championship, The Grand National, World Heavyweight Boxing, Grand Prix, Tour De France?

No.

I might not watch some of those events because I find them dull, but to refuse to watch something because you're a rugby fan, or because some of the players are paid a lot, is ludicrous.

On the same grounds, should I refuse to watch Federer, Tiger Woods, and Louis Hamilton?

Like it or not, the football World Cup, by most criteria, is the biggest sporting event in the calendar, bigger than the Olympics, and I thought it was only dumb Americans who didn't realise that.

Refusing to watch the World Cup because you like rugby would be like me refusing to listen to Wagner because I like the Rolling Stones.

[Rizzo]

I don't watch football because I don't understand it, I don't enjoy watching it and there are other things I would rather do....likewise cricket, golf, speed skating, athletics and dressage. I watch rugby because I enjoy watching it.
Unlike some members of my extended family though, if someone comes over when there is a match on, I will record the match and turn off the TV - not expect the visitors to sit in semi-silence and not converse

I also don't watch soaps, Big Brother, Britain's Got Talent, Pop Idol etc etc. I like natural history and I don't give a tinker's curse about who is where in BGT or whatever.

If folk do like and enjoy any of the above things which I don't enjoy, good for them. Just don't inflict it all on me. Football-nation flavoured crisps? special "World Cup" themed food and drink items? Give me strength!

For the record, my iPod contains both Wagner and The Stones.

[Purebob]

Kin, I'm with Rizzo.

I don't understand the game of football, nor its allure. I will TRY to watch the matches that England are in but soccer games seem to last for an absolute eternity with very very little happening indeed.

I tried watching the last one with my old boss who used to lay soccer professionally to see if it would inspire me, but it just hilighted the differences between us really. He was pumping clenched fists at stuff that looked like thin men fartleking in turn. * shrugs *

[tigerburnie]

Does our love of rugby mean that we refuse to watch Wimbledon, the Boat Race, the Open Golf Championship, The Grand National, World Heavyweight Boxing, Grand Prix, Tour De France?

On the same grounds, should I refuse to watch Federer, Tiger Woods, and Louis Hamilton?

I don't watch any of those,not because of a love of rugby,but because I have no interest in any of them,including football.I shall be fishing,which is my number one sport.