How much do you like football (soccer)?

[17 stone giant]

I read the following in another thread and it got me wondering how much interest in football do rugby league fans (the ones on here at least) have?:

59 minutes ago, meast said:

And are very bitter and antagonistic to other sports (assoc.football and rugby union mainly).

I wasn't sure if this should be in the Any Other Sports forum, so Admin please move it if you think it should be. Thanks.

And thanks to all who answer.

[Eddie]

I love football as a game and used to be really into it as a fan (had a season ticket for 20 years) but the money has put me off English professional football big time and I’m not fussed any more. Unless Norwich are on I haven’t watched an episode of MOTD or a televised club game for years. A lot of lads my age (40s) feel the same. 
 

Internationals are still good though, especially the World Cup, Euros and Copa Libertadores. And non-league football is great, not that I have time to watch it. 

[Adelaide Tiger]

Followed Leeds since watching the 1970 Cup Final replay as a nipper.

Coincidentally the same year I remember watching Cas beat Wigan at Wembley.

 

[Futtocks]

I watch it a lot less than I used to, but still enjoy a good game or an international tournament.

[TheReaper]

Generally had no interest after I quit playing in grade 9, didn't make the high school team and discovered rugby. Never watched any pro soccer.

Last year Hamilton got a team in the CPL. My girlfriend played pretty high level high school soccer, and we live two blocks from the stadium, so we got season tickets. It was alright,  the supporters group quickly got old singing the same copied-from-England songs all the time. The game itself is okay when they're playing, but I found myself increasingly frustrated at diving, seemingly unexplained calls from the ref, and stuff like not telling us how much extra time there was.

She didn't renew her tickets, we figured we will go to the occasional bigger game. I never have, and don't have any plans, to watch world cup games on TV. Possibly in person when Canada hosts, but probably only if there's a deal on tickets or something. 

So I like it less than either rugby,  football, baseball and hockey. More than basketball. 

[HawkMan]

I like it quite a lot as I do RL, about evens and I voted accordingly. I have no problem with the money at the top, just as I don't mind or care about movie stars earning big bucks, the market dictates. I don't think money as spoiled anything,  without it the great players wouldn't be here, I want to watch the Zolas, Viallis, Cantonas etc. Now we have Sala, De Bryunne, Ageuro, great players. Yes without the top dosh the league would  be more open and the governance of the game less greed driven, but I'm sanguine about it all.

EPL CL, WC and Euros Brill. If I go to watch live then its Dagenham and Redbridge. 

 

[EastLondonMike]

Used to go over to watch West Ham regularly, from the age of about 10 till my mid-20's, then as more and more money came into the game and my as my club showed very little ambition in progressing i started to fall out of love with the game. My love for Rugby League grew and grew and replaced football as my sport of choice. 

I rarely, if ever watch football any more. Even World Cups et all no longer register interest.

[Wigan Riversider]

Have enjoyed BT coverage ofBundesliga, particularly when Bayern play. Interesting is that players are not verbally obnoxious to referees playing behind closed doors: they are just accepting decisions. 

[Gerrumonside ref]

There’s good and bad in both sports.

[HawkMan]

Just watched a bit of Bundesliga 2, Holstein Pils vs Ernst Blofeld,  at least I think that's right ! 

[Damien]

I like Football a bit less than RL. Most fans I know would also class themselves as Football fans too.

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Damien said:

I like Football a bit less than RL. Most fans I know would also class themselves as Football fans too.

Going by social media, virtually every fan of every rugby league team in West Yorkshire is also a passionate Leeds United fan.

[Tommygilf]

2 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Going by social media, virtually every fan of every rugby league team in West Yorkshire is also a passionate Leeds United fan.

Thats probably true for Rhinos, Cas and most Trin fans. 

There's probably a fair few Huddersfield and Bradford City fans but because those clubs are comparatively much smaller and have much quieter RL fanbases (Huddersfield and some Trin fans in Super League), they'll come across as less supported.

[Tommygilf]

I enjoy club football mainly when my teams are playing.

World cups and European championships are obviously another highlight. 

We also have a thing as mates where we watch the champions league in "famous European nights at Old Bar" (the uni pub).

[Griff]

Soccer's dull these days. Rarely watch it, though I like to know who's won.

I watch quite a lot of GAA, though.

[WakefieldCityLoyal]

Used to be Elland Rd on a Saturday Belle Vue on a Sunday followed England away in the 90s but got bored with all the money in football the last 20/15 years.

Wakefield Whites

Up the Trin 

[Copa]

I’m generally indifferent to it.

[Mr Plow]

I’ll sit down and watch any rugby league game that’s on but I couldn’t do that with football. Who wants to watch Watford v Bournemouth? 

[Hela Wigmen]

Love it about the same as Rugby League and go to random games when I can. 

Football has its issues (the money) as does Rugby League (the lack of money). 

[ATLANTISMAN]

Its NON LEAGUE for me Whitstable Town v Beckenham Town is as good as it gets:)

* Day out in Whitstable 

* Oysters at the Royal Native Oyster Reserve 

* Get the old binoculars out to view the Mansell Forts (Radio Sutch/City/390)

* Visit the vinyl record shop and pick up a gem (Last visit mint condition copy of the Beach Boys Holland album complete with free single)

* Watch the match with around 3/400 anoraks 

 

In order

1/Rugby League/Cricket 

2/Football (Kent Non League) Premiership etc NO INTEREST overpaid posers:)

3/Gaelic Football/CFL

4/Female beach volleyball featuring Eastern European teams :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

 

Paul

 

[doc]

As a Scouser I was brought up on football. Although I always tell people that I know nothing about football, I'm an Everton fan. Years ago I'd have been desperate for Liverpool to win nowt, but now find myself indifferent to it all. Thank goodness for rugby league!

 

 

[HawkMan]

6 minutes ago, doc said:

As a Scouser I was brought up on football. Although I always tell people that I know nothing about football, I'm an Everton fan. Years ago I'd have been desperate for Liverpool to win nowt, but now find myself indifferent to it all. Thank goodness for rugby league!

 

 

Don't you mean you know nothing about football because you're an Everton fan ?

[paulwalker71]

I used to be a massive fan, but I've gradually lost all interest over the past ten years or so.

A lot of that is down to the incredible excess of money floating around in football, and the resultant greed from the players and agents - which we have seen again in spades in past few weeks. 

As a result I've gone from routinely watching most televised games, plus going pretty regularly to watch Bradford City live, to barely ever watching a game, even though I have Sky. I would probably make an exception for England games at the World Cup or Euro, but those are more of a national event than a pure football match.

TL:DR Money killed football for me

[Northern Eel]

3 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Going by social media, virtually every fan of every rugby league team in West Yorkshire is also a passionate Leeds United fan.

Being a season ticket holder down at Valley Parade has made football a bit of a chore over the last couple of years!

During lockdown, I've been giving quite a lot of thought to what it is about live sport that I miss the most, including my three favourites, Rugby League, Soccer and Cricket.  Interestingly (well, for me at least!) it has become apparent to me that my enjoyment of attending each of those comes for different reasons:

Rugby League - I love the game, I coach the game, It is my favourite sport by some way. I don't need to do anything other than turn up and watch it - whoever is playing, at whatever standard.

Soccer - I love the day out, most of my family (including wider family) join me and we often have a beer and a curry afterwards too. Unless I have a cheeky small-stakes bet on, I have little interest in watching teams with whom I have no affinity - it's a bit more tribal perhaps?

Cricket - I love the relaxation afforded by a test match and the energy and excitement of T20 (that and T20 gratifies us with a result for a few hours out)

 

[Futtocks]

3 hours ago, HawkMan said:

Just watched a bit of Bundesliga 2, Holstein Pils vs Ernst Blofeld,  at least I think that's right ! 

Not as good as Borussia Munchinpastry v Horst Buchholz, though.