DevilsDuck wrote:what I find worse is that moment when for some reason I end up stood with the wifes best friends new boyfriend at the bar.......not sure what to say I always ask what team they support.......which I really shouldnt as they never give the right answer!
Perfect example. I bet it doesn't take long before you end up asking it either. Then, if the response is "to be honest, football is a foreign language to me" then you stop talking to process how this is possible. I mean, the thing in front of you LOOKS like a man, surely it MUST understand the one thing that ALL men have in common...?
Not that this is a personal gripe or anything.
chrysostom wrote:in my experience, it doesn't really translate into national football (unless there's a head to head meeting).
with germany and france there's no real unprovoked national rivalry with england unless they somehow cross our paths - with club football it's quite common, but still - those fans who do it are usually in a rivalry with a club much bigger than them (hence the jealousy, and mentality of a small club by justifying their rivals' failure as a success).
I don't really follow all you said about big clubs and small clubs. All I know is that I have watched my mates turn from being normal guys I get on well with to racist, bigoted dicks, all because of football. And that's just with Celtic and Rangers.
Chuck in the fact that this football pish is a good chance for the Scotch to feel all patriotic (and what better way is there to feel patriotic than to cry FREEDOM etc from our cruel Engerlish rulers) and that the Engerlish tend to antagonise the situation, It's not really surprising that everyones getting highly strung.
Can we just ban football and have a hug instead?