Watching Football
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Here's a question for you all:
Is it possible to be a truly disinterested spectator of a football match?
My opinion is that it isn't. You can be UNinterested, which to my mind is not the same thing, but if you have an interest in football, there is always some baggage that makes you root for one team over another.
For example, if you're watching Spurs v. Watford, you might want Spurs to win because you know it'll piss off your mate who supports Arsenal.
Another one: this year's (1999) European Cup Final. This was a difficult one for most English non-Man. U. fans. They couldn't support Man. U., because they hate them. But, the opposition was German (Mexico '70, Italia '90 and Euro '96 coming into play here), so it was a case of which winner would stick in your throat the least.
Watch any football match and you will eventually find yourself rooting for one side over another, even if your reason is that you think their 'keeper has a stupid haircut.
The nearest I got to not caring who won was a couple of years ago when Liverpool played Celtic in the UEFA Cup, when I would have preferred both of them to lose. In the end, I settled for wanting Celtic to get knocked out first, then Liverpool to take a spanking in the next round, which seemed to me to be the lesser of two evils (I got the first, but not the second).
I'm sorry that this entry sounds so negative, but supporting a football team is like that. There are certain other teams that you HATE, so you naturally cheer on any team that plays them.
Is it possible to be a truly disinterested spectator of a football match?
My opinion is that it isn't. You can be UNinterested, which to my mind is not the same thing, but if you have an interest in football, there is always some baggage that makes you root for one team over another.
For example, if you're watching Spurs v. Watford, you might want Spurs to win because you know it'll piss off your mate who supports Arsenal.
Another one: this year's (1999) European Cup Final. This was a difficult one for most English non-Man. U. fans. They couldn't support Man. U., because they hate them. But, the opposition was German (Mexico '70, Italia '90 and Euro '96 coming into play here), so it was a case of which winner would stick in your throat the least.
Watch any football match and you will eventually find yourself rooting for one side over another, even if your reason is that you think their 'keeper has a stupid haircut.
The nearest I got to not caring who won was a couple of years ago when Liverpool played Celtic in the UEFA Cup, when I would have preferred both of them to lose. In the end, I settled for wanting Celtic to get knocked out first, then Liverpool to take a spanking in the next round, which seemed to me to be the lesser of two evils (I got the first, but not the second).
I'm sorry that this entry sounds so negative, but supporting a football team is like that. There are certain other teams that you HATE, so you naturally cheer on any team that plays them.
