Why do people "hate" football (soccer)?

[Zidane98]

It's this sort of attitude that annoys. There are lots of sports that provide entertainment, passion, emotion etc. but of course not every sport appeals to everyone. This attitude of soccer being something special over and above every other sport (and if you can't see it your an uneducated boagn) is the problem. People don't hate soccer as such, they hate soccer zealots with this attitude.

It's my opinion (as I stated) buddy, deal with it. FWIW I also follow footy and I won't be offended if you tell me that footy is a better sport if you want to watch crunching tackles and an intense physical battle. Because that's how it is.

Football is the only sport that is common to every race & religion on earth, that's part of its appeal and part of why it is such an emotionally charged sport (which can sometimes rear its ugly head). If you have trouble dealing with a statement like that then you need to see a shrink about your soccer complex. The worst example of your attitude that I witnessed was when I attended Aus vs Jap @ fed square in 06, some tosser on the train in his Collingwood jumper was trying to convince everyone on the train that soccer is a waste of time, why are you watching it, it's unaustralian etc etc.

 

[mojito]

The worst example of your attitude that I witnessed was when I attended Aus vs Jap @ fed square in 06, some tosser on the train in his Collingwood jumper was trying to convince everyone on the train that soccer is a waste of time, why are you watching it, it's unaustralian etc etc.

Seriously? 'kin hell. I know most Collingwood fans are weirdoes but specifically going out of your way to do that just shows theyve got some issues there.

It'd be like me going down to the hangar (ports clubrooms) and telling them that their club is worthless...only there might not be anyone there to tell me to piss off

 

[Normy132]

It's my opinion (as I stated) buddy, deal with it. FWIW I also follow footy and I won't be offended if you tell me that footy is a better sport if you want to watch crunching tackles and an intense physical battle. Because that's how it is.

Football is the only sport that is common to every race & religion on earth, that's part of its appeal and part of why it is such an emotionally charged sport (which can sometimes rear its ugly head). If you have trouble dealing with a statement like that then you need to see a shrink about your soccer complex. The worst example of your attitude that I witnessed was when I attended Aus vs Jap @ fed square in 06, some tosser on the train in his Collingwood jumper was trying to convince everyone on the train that soccer is a waste of time, why are you watching it, it's unaustralian etc etc.

This goes the other way though. There was a night a few seasons back when the Victory and Aussie cricket team were playing simulataneously. So a mix of soccer and cricket fans on the train carriages. The Victory fans start 'jumping for Melbourne Victory' and letting everyone know which end of the train was north and which was south. The cricket fans weren't impressed but I was loving life.

 

[Admiral Byng]

It's my opinion (as I stated) buddy, deal with it. FWIW I also follow footy and I won't be offended if you tell me that footy is a better sport if you want to watch crunching tackles and an intense physical battle. Because that's how it is.

Football is the only sport that is common to every race & religion on earth, that's part of its appeal and part of why it is such an emotionally charged sport (which can sometimes rear its ugly head). If you have trouble dealing with a statement like that then you need to see a shrink about your soccer complex. The worst example of your attitude that I witnessed was when I attended Aus vs Jap @ fed square in 06, some tosser on the train in his Collingwood jumper was trying to convince everyone on the train that soccer is a waste of time, why are you watching it, it's unaustralian etc etc.

If the person was wearing a Collingwood jumper I can assure you 100% it wasn't me.

I'm not anti-soccer, I was born of European migrant parents and i played the game as a kid up to about age 12. I do watch the old game here and there. I've even been to a couple of Perth Glory matches at the invitation of work colleagues. I was anti-Australia's world cup bid, but not the sport in general.

I watch lots of different sports, I just don't get into raptures over soccer in particular. Sure there's the odd game to get excited over, but any sport can throw up the odd memorable game. I recall watching the Commonwealth Games gold medal match in netball between Australia and New Zealand a few years ago that went to triple overtime, but I'm not an evangelist for netball. I just don't get this whole "football is unique", "football is special" line.

 

[mojito]

This goes the other way though. There was a night a few seasons back when the Victory and Aussie cricket team were playing simulataneously. So a mix of soccer and cricket fans on the train carriages. The Victory fans start 'jumping for Melbourne Victory' and letting everyone know which end of the train was north and which was south. The cricket fans weren't impressed but I was loving life.

On that note, I remember about 2 years ago coming home from uni one Friday arvo and a whole heap of Glory fans were on the same train. Anyway, they started singing, and a few of us were having a bit of friendly banter with them...up until Transit Police told them to shut up or the train wouldn't leave. Killjoys

 

[mark73]

Soccer Australia doesnt want to put themselves up as direct competition to Rugby and Football but they were all too happy to put the world cup on during Rugby and Football season. If Soccer wants to go on about how they are better than everyone else A-League needs to be scheduled during the winter. Talk the talk, gotta walk the walk

Soccer Australia? Gee, that's a blast from the past.


<Liam Boy> - That's how you humour them.

 

[TheOz]

It's my opinion (as I stated) buddy, deal with it. FWIW I also follow footy and I won't be offended if you tell me that footy is a better sport if you want to watch crunching tackles and an intense physical battle. Because that's how it is.

Football is the only sport that is common to every race & religion on earth, that's part of its appeal and part of why it is such an emotionally charged sport (which can sometimes rear its ugly head). If you have trouble dealing with a statement like that then you need to see a shrink about your soccer complex. The worst example of your attitude that I witnessed was when I attended Aus vs Jap @ fed square in 06, some tosser on the train in his Collingwood jumper was trying to convince everyone on the train that soccer is a waste of time, why are you watching it, it's unaustralian etc etc.

Can someone explain what exactly this term means? Heck, it's not like Aussie Rules is a wholly "Australian" creation by any means, moreso a changing of a few rules of prototypical English Football and Rugby.

Why don't we ask the Sydney folk about the AFL's advertising a few seasons ago proclaiming Aussie Rules to be the "Game that made Australia", I think the word "arrogance" will pop up more often than not. As stated earlier, there is no sporting body in the country more arrogant than the AFL and many of the unicodal AFL types are as arrogant as they proclaim soccer people to be, usually much moreso.

 

[GreatBradScott]

Just sheer ignorance.
Australian's are not that receptive to change.

Everyone forgets the argument I hear against the A League from people I know, "OH, it's shit, it's not as good as European soccer. And even that's boring." Seriously, it's been 7 seasons of the A League? Victory already have had over 120,000 people at their home games this season, and we're a third of the way through.

In time, once youth squads and kids play soccer more in local teams (which is thankfully prevailent with growing numbers), the quality will grow.

I can't wait for 15 to 20 years time. Imagine Heart playing Victory out at the MCG for the first time in front of 75,000- 80,000? Shit would go off.

 

[Munro_Mick]

Just sheer ignorance.
Australian's are not that receptive to change.

Everyone forgets the argument I hear against the A League from people I know, "OH, it's shit, it's not as good as European soccer. And even that's boring." Seriously, it's been 7 seasons of the A League? Victory already have had over 120,000 people at their home games this season, and we're a third of the way through.

In time, once youth squads and kids play soccer more in local teams (which is thankfully prevailent with growing numbers), the quality will grow.

Is not this argument you put hardly that of 'soccer haters'. Soccer haters don't care about Euro soccer either.

THe people with this attitude will tend to be the 'euro snobs' as the term is, I believe.

Nothing whatsoever to do with AFL followers, other than some 'euro snobs' might support AC Milan and Carlton rather than AC Milan and MVFC or AC Milan, MVFC and Carlton.

The FFA's biggest issue - as made most obvious in the Australian soccer citadel of Sydney (the biggest soccer participation numbers by a street) is that the FFA and HAL has NOT engaged the latent support for the game.

And that's got nothing to do with AFL followers or the AFL itself or Australian Football in general.

Melbourne after all has provided the biggest attendances for the HAL regular season games. (and not at the expense of AFL attendances).

I can't wait for 15 to 20 years time. Imagine Heart playing Victory out at the MCG for the first time in front of 75,000- 80,000? Shit would go off.

and what's a bet that they'll whinge about the grounds no good for 'football' and I'll remind them that it's perfect for football and tell'em to build their own ground before whinging about other peoples stadia/ovals.

 

[TheOz]

but, why fix it when for most of the world - they don't know any better!! (being as most the world is football wise living in an insular protected soccer dominant society where the only 'diversity' is the odd US flick that revolves around Grid Iron or baseball (e.g. Friday Night Lights, Field of Dreams, The Bad News Bears), or now and then seeing a Rugby story break through the soccer stranglehold on the sports pages.

Enlightened countries such as Australia - where there's diversity and competition are sadly all too rare. And so, FIFA and Sepp can continue on with effectively doing nothing. (granted, if the ICC finds it hard to make anything happen fast, then, FIFA, should it want to - would have a devil of a time getting agreement.)

What elitist, nationalist claptrap that parades back to the "us vs them" mentality I described earlier.

How are we more enlightened than the UK who have three highly professional leagues of the world's major football codes and yet association football wins support wise hands down? Politically, how are we more "englightened" than any former colonial outposts when our track record of human rights towards our indigenous population is utterly reprehensible, where we lock children in detention centres, where we fabricate stories about refugees willingly throwing their children overboard, where our idea of a good time is to go out on the piss and get blind drunk, where we are years behind Europe, Japan and the US technologically and where our wealth comes not from technological or scientific enterprise but because we are lucky enough to live on a continent with resources we can dig out of the ground?

Our top universities aren't even within the same ball park of those in the UK, Europe and the US and it was at Cambridge where Association Football was born, Aussie Rules was born in a pub somewhere in Melbourne, yep, what an "englightened" mob we are, just ask the Thais and Indonesians about how well behaved and civilised Aussie tourists are when they travel to these places.

 

[Munro_Mick]

What elitist, nationalist claptrap that parades back to the "us vs them" mentality I described earlier.

How are we more enlightened than the UK who have three highly professional leagues of the world's major football codes and yet association football wins support wise hands down? Politically, how are we more "englightened" than any former colonial outposts when our track record of human rights towards our indigenous population is utterly reprehensible, where we lock children in detention centres, where we fabricate stories about refugees willingly throwing their children overboard, where our idea of a good time is to go out on the piss and get blind drunk, where we are years behind Europe, Japan and the US technologically and where our wealth comes not from technological or scientific enterprise but because we are lucky enough to live on a continent with resources we can dig out of the ground?

Our top universities aren't even within the same ball ball park of those in the UK, Europe and the US and it was at Cambridge that Association Football was born, Aussie Rules was born in a pub somewhere in Melbourne, yep, what an "englightened" mob we are, just ask the Thais and Indonesians about how well behaved and civilised Aussie tourists are when they travel to these places.

I was partially tongue in cheek -

I apologise if I didn't attach an emoticon or something like that to make it more clear (yes, sarcasm doesn't type that well without 'em - emoticontagion that is).

However, me thinx you've gone a little overboard in your response.

However, let me review some of your response.

Our top universities aren't even within the same ball ball park of those in the UK, Europe and the US and it was at Cambridge that Association Football was born, Aussie Rules was born in a pub somewhere in Melbourne, yep, what an "englightened" mob we are, just ask the Thais and Indonesians about how well behaved and civilised Aussie tourists are when they travel to these places.

ahem - the London Football Association was the result of a series of meetings across 1862-1863 at the Freemason's Tavern. That sounds to me like a bunch of fellows at a pub somewhere in London.

- - the Cambridge game was a precursor, but, also to the Melbourne game. The Cambridge, Eton, Rugby and Harrow games at least have been acknowledged as having been considered. Fancy that, Cambridge and Eton - - what fine cultured establishments - - and that they should influence a bunch of yokels in a pub somewhere in Melbourne. (note - dripping with sarcasm).

How are we more enlightened than the UK who have three highly professional leagues of the world's major football codes and yet association football wins support wise hands down?

1/3rd the population and we have 4!!!

Question - what made you draw on the UK for your defense? Why not Italy, or Greece, or Spain or Denmark........etc. y'know, all those countries were the only 'football' known to about 98.5% of the population will be soccer.

Politically, how are we more "englightened" than any former colonial outposts when our track record of human rights towards our indigenous population is utterly reprehensible, where we lock children in detention centres, where we fabricate stories about refugees willingly throwing their children overboard, where our idea of a good time is to go out on the piss and get blind drunk, where we are years behind Europe, Japan and the US technologically and where our wealth comes not from technological or scientific enterprise but because we are lucky enough to live on a continent with resources we can dig out of the ground?

I thought this was a sports discussion.

I tend to agree with you on most of the above. If not all.
(note - no sarcasm).

 

[Zidane98]

Can't stand AFL bigots who parade the nonsense that football should be ignore because "it is a foreign game and we have our own game made here".

Plenty of room for both sports, no need for garbage like that. And FWIW, football has had a large part to play in Australia's rich history. Been played here for over 100 years.

I think it is good that we have a unique code of football to watch, it can be a refreshing change from the norm. As for it becoming a sport that bridges international boundries , races and religions I think it has a long way to go.

 

[Munro_Mick]

Can't stand AFL bigots who parade the nonsense that football should be ignore because "it is a foreign game and we have our own game made here".

Plenty of room for both sports, no need for garbage like that. And FWIW, football has had a large part to play in Australia's rich history. Been played here for over 100 years.

I think it is good that we have a unique code of football to watch, it can be a refreshing change from the norm. As for it becoming a sport that bridges international boundries , races and religions I think it has a long way to go.

agreed all.

re last - certainly a long way to go. In the main, the job has been purely domestic in Australia. The role of international minnow is fine, and the AFL has only really accept responsibility in the past few years. For followers of this side of the game - there've been some nice things - and, as observed on the night - if only the Brownlow Medal night could be like the International Cup Gala night. That (the IC Gala) was for me, almost my footy highlight of the year - and that does exactly what your last point questions.

 

[liam_13]

When was the last time Australia represented their country in an AFL world cup?

So does this make soccer better then football??

Because it has a world cup?

 

[Normy132]

So does this make soccer better then football??

Because it has a world cup?

It certainly doesn't disadvantage soccer when comparing the two.

 

[NMFCMUFC]

Football fans pre match:

[youtube]MdbphEC7Rwc[/youtube]

AFL fans pre match:
[youtube]UR_BFB5FS8Y[/youtube]

 

[Hoops]

Football fans pre match:

[youtube]MdbphEC7Rwc[/youtube]

AFL fans pre match:
[youtube]UR_BFB5FS8Y[/youtube]

Are you serious?

 

[NMFCMUFC]

are you serious celebrating VFA titles brah

 

[Hoops]

Don't knock it. The Cats were the elite football club in the elite competition at the time.

 

[NMFCMUFC]

where's your night premierships man

 

[Zidane98]

lol @ Cats fans who count their VFA premierships.

 

[Puddy]

This has turned into a Football v Soccer shitfight. This is a thread about why alot of Australians dont like Soccer.

 

[NMFCMUFC]

they dont like football cos they're convicts, close thread

 

[Munro_Mick]

This has turned into a Football v Soccer shitfight. This is a thread about why alot of Australians dont like Soccer.

I reckon the Smith report helps highlight why some of us get sick of the moaning and whining from soccer people.

Michael Cockerill refers to the $150 million the "

$150 million it's received from the public purse since 2004".

We know the financially bereft FFA only has so much money to put out there. That's half the issue of the Smith report.

However, it seems soccer is a bit of a golden child in Australia, and by hook or by crook it's going to be rammed down our throats by those in Parliament.

So, for those of us who support the AFL, and see that the only funding we get is to projects that the AFL and clubs also invest their own funds in - and mostly it's CAPEX (not OPEX as large sums are in the FFA case) - and most the capital improvement is then owned by the public via local councils.

Well - it's just a bit rich that soccer people keep on bleating. And carrying on as though they are owed something. To me, it looks like they've been getting a bit of a free ride for the past 8 years in particular and this is the best they can do????

(note - this clearly is more a slight on the management of the game than the game itself).

(btw - also, this is an attempt to redirect onto topic).
​

 

[Boro]

I reckon the Smith report helps highlight why some of us get sick of the moaning and whining from soccer people.

Michael Cockerill refers to the $150 million the "

$150 million it's received from the public purse since 2004".

We know the financially bereft FFA only has so much money to put out there. That's half the issue of the Smith report.

However, it seems soccer is a bit of a golden child in Australia, and by hook or by crook it's going to be rammed down our throats by those in Parliament.

So, for those of us who support the AFL, and see that the only funding we get is to projects that the AFL and clubs also invest their own funds in - and mostly it's CAPEX (not OPEX as large sums are in the FFA case) - and most the capital improvement is then owned by the public via local councils.

Well - it's just a bit rich that soccer people keep on bleating. And carrying on as though they are owed something. To me, it looks like they've been getting a bit of a free ride for the past 8 years in particular and this is the best they can do????

(note - this clearly is more a slight on the management of the game than the game itself).

(btw - also, this is an attempt to redirect onto topic).
​

Surely a clever guy like yourself can see the perfectly good explanation as to why Football gets given Government funds to grow? And lets face it...it is only in recent years that this has become the case as Governments wise up to what Football can do for a country economically...