Why do people "hate" football (soccer)?

[Zidane98]

Some of the arguments in this thread are so petty. Who gives a stuff what's Australian and what's not?

Excellent point. This telling people what to call sports nonsense has to stop. As for supporting Australian things only, can you imagine? We'd be a country with no immigrants, everyone driving Falcons & Commodores and the only take away food available would be vegemite rolls / four n twenty pies (are they still australian???!!!)

We'd only be allowed to drink VB / Carlton / West End /XXXX - how boring. Rejecting anything in favor of something else because it isn't Australian borders on racism IMO. We need to be a country that embraces all sorts of cultures and we should embrace football with wide open arms as it is the only thing we have in common with every single country in the world. And it wouldn't hurt to showcase footy to visitors from other countries while we are at it.

 

[phantom13]

Oh how this thread has lost its way...

 

[mojito]

Wow if English soccer players are getting confused, then how about the general public of Australia! The complete ignorance of soccer fans astounds me. The majority of them are just plain hypocrites.

Joey Barton is widely regarded to be a special breed of idiot.

 

[Still Crowing]

Oh how this thread has lost its way...

Kind of , but still close enough. A theory I had was that the average Aussie(ie not likely to be found here posting as a sports tragic) but your average person in the street still feels the need to hate on Soccer because of the inherent xenophobia(fear of outsiders/unknown) that is routinely whipped up by the media in this country and seems to bubble along under the surface at all other times. If Soccer continues to be painted with the image of a 'foreign game' then that will be enough to prevent it ever getting a fair shake from the mainstream in Australia, which is sad because I think that not only is it a great game(hence why I attend), but it is also a game that has the ability to break down barriers between Australia and the world in a way out other sports aren't able to(You notice this if you've ever tried to talk sport overseas).

 

[.Shotties.]

Whereas it could be just as easily be argued that it's a victim mentality. That "AFL got 7 to bury soccer!!!" falsity still gets regurgitated ad infinitum.

All a case of confirmation bias.

 

[harmesy 37]

Kind of , but still close enough. A theory I had was that the average Aussie(ie not likely to be found here posting as a sports tragic) but your average person in the street still feels the need to hate on Soccer because of the inherent xenophobia(fear of outsiders/unknown) that is routinely whipped up by the media in this country and seems to bubble along under the surface at all other times. If Soccer continues to be painted with the image of a 'foreign game' then that will be enough to prevent it ever getting a fair shake from the mainstream in Australia, which is sad because I think that not only is it a great game(hence why I attend), but it is also a game that has the ability to break down barriers between Australia and the world in a way out other sports aren't able to(You notice this if you've ever tried to talk sport overseas).

What a load of rubbish. 90% of what you have posted has been taken straight from Craig Foster's comments and you just regurgitate what he says. Here's a clue...-think for yourself. Don't rely on Foster for ALL of your opinions.

Soccer is no more foreign than rugby union or rugby league. All three are imported sports and yet they have built a strong niche in the country. If you choose to have a passion for it- or for any other imported sport -bowls, volleyball, hockey, cricket, netball, rugby etc..that is your right and your love. Community groups are built through netball, soccer and cricket clubs amongst many others. No one is stopping you do that. To denigrate the Australian game though (As Foster, Gould and his mates do in the media) to me is the lowest of the low.

 

[harmesy 37]

Excellent point.

We'd only be allowed to drink VB / Carlton / West End /XXXX - how boring. Rejecting anything in favor of something else because it isn't Australian borders on racism IMO. We need to be a country that embraces all sorts of cultures and we should embrace football with wide open arms as it is the only thing we have in common with every single country in the world. And it wouldn't hurt to showcase footy to visitors from other countries while we are at it.

For all your accusations of racism...let me put it in pictures for you, so it is clear.

Who would I prefer to have a beer/shandy/water/soft drink with at the local club?
The bloke on the top - as I have more in common with him. We both have a passion for the Australian game. What am I going to discuss with Lockyer? how does it feel to pass a ball backwards less than a metre to a stationary target? what is your favourite tackle?...maybe once I spoke to Lockyer I would have other things in common with him, but on first meeting if I had to choose I would choose to have a drink with the bulldogs recruit.

 

[Aucklander]

Funny thing is, Lockyer had played Aussie Rules as a kid so your discussion might not be so dull.

 

[Still Crowing]

Whereas it could be just as easily be argued that it's a victim mentality. That "AFL got 7 to bury soccer!!!" falsity still gets regurgitated ad infinitum.

All a case of confirmation bias.

Falsity my arse..they admitted it in their court case(ie under oath):
----------------
The truth is finally out - Australian television broadcaster Seven deliberately screwed soccer when it held the broadcast rights to the national team and the former NSL. The admission was revealed in court.

Seven is taking action against several companies including Foxtel partners, News, Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd and Telstra. Seven claims they conspired to drive its pay-TV sports channel C7 out of business by ensuring it did not win bids for the NRL or AFL rights in December 2000.

During the court case it was revealed the executive in charge of C7, Steven Wise, lamented in one email that the AFL was not giving Seven credit that "we have secured the soccer rights and suffocated the sport, much to the chagrin of its supporters (by giving AFL games preference)".

This revelation is the first official confirmation that there has been, in the past, a deliberate campaign by some sections of the AFL friendly media to damage local soccer.
---------
"Nobody screws Soccer like 7" was and still is a well remembered slogan.

 

[Puddy]

Falsity my arse..they admitted it in their court case(ie under oath):
----------------
The truth is finally out - Australian television broadcaster Seven deliberately screwed soccer when it held the broadcast rights to the national team and the former NSL. The admission was revealed in court.

Seven is taking action against several companies including Foxtel partners, News, Publishing & Broadcasting Ltd and Telstra. Seven claims they conspired to drive its pay-TV sports channel C7 out of business by ensuring it did not win bids for the NRL or AFL rights in December 2000.

During the court case it was revealed the executive in charge of C7, Steven Wise, lamented in one email that the AFL was not giving Seven credit that "we have secured the soccer rights and suffocated the sport, much to the chagrin of its supporters (by giving AFL games preference)".

This revelation is the first official confirmation that there has been, in the past, a deliberate campaign by some sections of the AFL friendly media to damage local soccer.
---------
"Nobody screws Soccer like 7" was and still is a well remembered slogan.

So you are saying 7 should have played Soccer games over Football?

 

[.Shotties.]

Falsity my arse..they admitted it in their court case(ie under oath):

I think you should re-read my post and try again.

 

[Munro_Mick]

Some of the arguments in this thread are so petty. Who gives a stuff what's Australian and what's not?

actually, it can be relevant.

and forgetting foreign ownership of Fosters and all,

but, for Australia as a stand alone nation (nation-continent), pushing a sport like Australian Football (and there's an enthusiasm for it) in nations is pushing a cultural icon that is 100% Australian (especially post 1859).

Whereas if Clive Palmer hopes to use soccer as a 'foot in the door' tool for trade in China.....all well and good, but, he's perhaps no different to 50 other wealthy individuals seeking to do the same.

I put it a bit like this - - soccer might be the universal language of sport, a bit like a rice pudding. At it's heart, that's what it is, a rice pudding. There's some minor variations on garnish and the like, but, walk through the food hall and everyone is displaying rice puddings......then you come to the Australian Football table and by golly, it's NOT just another rice pudding.

So, if others can't get a kick from people in nations like Denmark, USA, Canada, Iceland, UK, Tonga, Vanuatu, Fiji etc who get a kick from playing Aussie Rules, AFL, Australian Football.....whatever label is used - - and from them looking towards Australia to see the 'big time' in the sport.....if others don't get a kick from it and are at best just apathetic, or at worst, downright combative to it......that's a shame.

At the end of the day - - it's good to give a 'stuff'.

 

[Ray Nolan]

What a load of rubbish. 90% of what you have posted has been taken straight from Craig Foster's comments and you just regurgitate what he says. Here's a clue...-think for yourself. Don't rely on Foster for ALL of your opinions.

LOL, as someone who is a personal friend of Still Crowing I can only say how laughable that comment is!

Still Crowing is guy who has a love for Aussie Rules, but I think I can say for both of us that love has waned because of the way the AFL and its shills have continually sought to denigrate Football in this country. The frustration is borne out of that fact that our enjoyment for the game has been diminished by various AFL administrations & the AFL media over the years who have not been happy to allow Football to co-exist with Aussie Rules and have sought to put the sport and its followers down continually.

I understand why the AFL might act that way, after all, it's a miniature prawn in the global sea of sport but it really does get a bit tiresome after a while.

 

[Zidane98]

Ray this thread is just going round in circles may be a good idea to just close it?

 

[.Shotties.]

I understand why the AFL might act that way, after all, it's a miniature prawn in the global sea of sport but it really does get a bit tiresome after a while.

But as we saw during the World Cup campaign, the FFA (and many of the fans as well, I might add) were happy to act in the exact same way that apparently pains them when they were in a perceived position of power. Did that put you off soccer at all?

 

[morri]

No. I remember a time when i absolutely hated soccer. I thought it was the most boring thing on the planet and for pussies. Fear has nothing to do with it, it's all about entertainment mixed in with the culture.

However I started to really appreciate soccer when i actually played a few seasons at my local club.

Currently, I find all A-league and Australian international games boring as bat s**t, and I still think soccer players are absolute girls due to the constant diving and over-reactions. However I'm really into the EPL due to my family, and find some games great to watch.

I agree with this, the funny thing is though that it took really long actually for womens football(which is played cleaner and fairer than mens football) to get hold , even now ithasnt got a huge followship, and you may find enough people that still think football isnt for gilrs . In any case I can understand that people may find their onw national site boring if they come from nation such as aus or south africa, it is the same as I don#t know much about the German cricket team(male) apart from that 2 or 3 members of my local club played for them , and I know enough about the females team to not like it much(the dutch and belgians are nice though) and same with the local rugby team, havent got a clue who they are . ) as said it is just a matter of immersion, every little village has a football team , and at least one pitch, or a back garden in which ball games are played- so still you get people who dion't like it, but those kind just don't like sport in general very often.

 

[Ironmonger]

Ray this thread is just going round in circles may be a good idea to just close it?

Should have happened a long time ago, IMO.

 

[mojito]

So you are saying 7 should have played Soccer games over Football?

Where on earth does he say that?

If they had the rights, they should have broadcasted matches as they happened, not at the dead of night FFS . Otherwise, they should have let someone else take the rights on.

 

[.Shotties.]

Where on earth does he say that?

Bolded part in the post he quoted.

 

[mojito]

Bolded part in the post he quoted.

Touche. Haven't had my morning coffee yet.

 

[madmug]

For all your accusations of racism...let me put it in pictures for you, so it is clear.

Who would I prefer to have a beer/shandy/water/soft drink with at the local club?
The bloke on the top - as I have more in common with him. We both have a passion for the Australian game. What am I going to discuss with Lockyer? how does it feel to pass a ball backwards less than a metre to a stationary target? what is your favourite tackle?...maybe once I spoke to Lockyer I would have other things in common with him, but on first meeting if I had to choose I would choose to have a drink with the bulldogs recruit.

Matter of fact is Lockyer would have made a very good footballer He has all the attributes, good hands, good balance, good evasion skills, excellent game awareness/vision skills, tough++, & a nice kick of the Rugby League football. What a package. However he grew up in a RL football culture. Where he comes from they call their game Football, others play AFL & Soccer & Rugby. Here in Tassie we play Football, others play rugby or soccer.
Soccer calling themselves Football or Australian football makes it very confusing in areas that have a dominant code other than soccer, ie everywhere except maybe western Sydney? .

 

[Munro_Mick]

LOL, as someone who is a personal friend of Still Crowing I can only say how laughable that comment is!

Still Crowing is guy who has a love for Aussie Rules, but I think I can say for both of us that love has waned because of the way the AFL and its shills have continually sought to denigrate Football in this country. The frustration is borne out of that fact that our enjoyment for the game has been diminished by various AFL administrations & the AFL media over the years who have not been happy to allow Football to co-exist with Aussie Rules and have sought to put the sport and its followers down continually.

I understand why the AFL might act that way, after all, it's a miniature prawn in the global sea of sport but it really does get a bit tiresome after a while.

????

sounds a bit like the devil you know,

show me an administration that's done better or ethically/morally better.

NRL?

FFA?

ICC?

FIFA?

"diminished by various AFL administrations & the AFL media over the years who have not been happy to allow Football to co-exist with Aussie Rules and have sought to put the sport and its followers down continually."

where's this come from???? What's your justification to
A. mark the AFL as hard as you seem to be doing.
B. not mark other codes seemingly as hard.

 

[Munro_Mick]

Matter of fact is Lockyer would have made a very good footballer He has all the attributes, good hands, good balance, good evasion skills, excellent game awareness/vision skills, tough++, & a nice kick of the Rugby League football. What a package. However he grew up in a RL football culture. Where he comes from they call their game Football, others play AFL & Soccer & Rugby. Here in Tassie we play Football, others play rugby or soccer.
Soccer calling themselves Football or Australian football makes it very confusing in areas that have a dominant code other than soccer, ie everywhere except maybe western Sydney? .

pretty sure where Lockyer initially grew up that he was playing Aust Footy first, and it was really the tyranny of distance in those days that left him no real option to continue and thus he resorted to RL......and the rest as they say (but, explains his more tuned spacial awareness perhaps??).

His cousin Tarkyn Lockyer of course didn't have that dilemma. I wonder if he'd've made a decent 5/8th?

 

[Still Crowing]

Bolded part in the post he quoted.

typical straw-man argument response. You claimed that seven buying the rights to screw soccer was a victimhood falsity held true by soccer fans to perpetuate their victim mentality. I proved you wrong. Instead of admitting you were wrong, you latch onto the tiniest part of an argument that can be debated and head off in that direction. Whether I believe that soccer should have been shown over footy is irrelevant(the seasons barely overlap - how many times is it ever going to come down to a one or the other decision?) The important point is that Ch 7 bought the rights to soccer with the express purpose of hurting the sport so they could curry favour with the AFL. Now here's the hard part....


try to put yourself in the shoes of a die-hard soccer fan. Combine:
1. the screwing of SocAus by seven on behalf of the AFL..it is implied in the response by the 7 exec that the AFL had knowledge of the tactic(if the 7exec was emailing the AFL about the issue, surely there would have been prior emails leading up to the actual acquisition of the soccer rights...to discuss tactics etc)
with
2. the random articles that pop up in the newspaper by reporters who usually write about other codes calling soccer everything from boring, to claiming violence in the terraces, to calling it a useless foreign sport, and ask yourself
3. Ian Collins boasting that the AFL were ecstatic the night Australia was defeated on away goals at the MCG by Iran to prolong the suffering of Socceroos fans...is it reasonable to assume that a big majority of soccer fans are going to put all of that together and decide that the AFL and the media/fans that so passionately defend its actions are 'the enemy'? If you can get to that point, you might understand how some soccer fans were coc.k a hoop at the thought of a FIFA World Cup being held in Australia and that it just might have been viewed as a silver bullet for the ills of the sport. In much the same way AFL fans think that just showing the heathens North of the Murray regular AFL games, they will be converted, many soccer fans would have thought, "just let the average Aussie experience the excitement of a FIFA world Cup on their shores and they might realize how big, important and exciting the sport is" and actually give it a touch more respect than they currently do.




FWIW, I think the FFA are currently on the right track, slow and steady organic growth of the A-League, solidifying the teams and support base that exists and aiming for growth by reaching out not to fans of other codes(if this thread has proven anything - it is that soccer will never get a fair go from some sports fans) but to try to get those already partial to the game (they either play it, watch the EPLother Euro Leagues and/or have kids that play etc) and get them to connect with the local version. IMO there are more than enough of these almost full soccer fans in Australia to give FFA the critical mass it needs to achieve a stable strong and viable domestic league when added to those already 'in' to the A-League.

 

[.Shotties.]

typical straw-man argument response. You claimed that seven buying the rights to screw soccer was a victimhood falsity held true by soccer fans to perpetuate their victim mentality. I proved you wrong. Instead of admitting you were wrong, you latch onto the tiniest part of an argument that can be debated and head off in that direction.

Actually no, in the post of mine that you responded to, I very clearly stated what I meant. In my post I said that fans still claim the AFL was complicit, which is a falsity. You ignored that part to make your point. Feel free to educate me further on straw-men, however.