Never mind you having a lie in Glenn, I miss out on the best rant in years cause I had a houseful of screaming kids
Anyway...my pennyworth! Its all been said, but so...my turn now!
As a child, I was brought up surrounded by my fathers friends who were all public school boys who believed in Rugby, Cricket, Rowing and Tug-o-war. Thats about it. So my exposure was very limited to football. I started playing rugby at 6. Trained 5 nights a week, played twice at weekends. I played for county sides up till 16 then played for a first division side until I was 20. Left the game for a while and then my career ended in 2001 with a fairly horrific knee injury that saw me in plaster for 4 months and rehab for a further 6 months. I still wake every morning aching and miss the game that was such a big part of my life. I can honestly say that if anyone has passion for a sport that consumes ya life then fair play. Different strokes for different folks.
However the thing that really gets to me about football is the majority of players don't seem to have that passion. Its nothing more than a pay check. How can we really support a sport that encourages cheating, lying, deception and pre-madonnas. If I earn't half the money of even the lesser paid stars, I would put my body on the line day and night until my body gave in.
But as a reasonable intelligent chap, I do find the passion of the fans massively intriging. I have recently moved up to the Wirral which sees the great rivalry of Everton vs Liverpool. Blue or Red. I have spent so many nights listening to friends who have known each for twenty+ years still arguing about who is best. And some times this has meant wives pulling em apart and going home early. Brilliant viewing
Its a shame that passion doesn't leak on the pitch and into the dressing room. The stands are full of passion filled people who wish they had the opportunity to make a difference. However, this passion does sometimes turn into anger, violence and hooliganism. That I cannot condone or agree with. And as Andy J said, how can we take a child to a game that will be filled with bad language and all of the above.
So personally, I don't like football. Like a bad relationship. once the con's outway the pro's its time to walk away. I reached that point with football when i was younger.
Biking however is my new passion. Riding since rugby went out of my life and something that has let me experience the commoradery and friendship that rugby gave me. The open road, a twist of the throttle and your smiling. There are no "bad games" when ya on the bike (crashes excepted). You always come home smiling and feeling great. Then ya get to share it with like minded people...other bikers on the road, at ya local bike meet, track day or forum
For me...Biking & Rugby my lifelong passions...football no thanks! You can have it....your welcome to it gents!
