Do people still love football? Like actually, truly love it? Or do they secretly, deep down, hate it? I ask because the actions of those who profess to love the beautiful game grow increasingly erratic, aggressive and nonsensical by the day.
Graham Potter receiving emails from people wishing him and his children dead. This is Potter who has been Chelsea manager for six months. Sure, it’s not been smooth going — Potter admits that himself. But it’s six months. Barely any time at all.
Arsenal had years of anger and resentment, with a contingent of fans chasing into retirement one of the greatest managers to stand on the touchline. And, as Potter pointed out after defeat to Spurs on Sunday, Mikel Arteta almost went, too. And now look at them.
The tribalism that runs through football’s core — indeed the element of the game that has arguably made it so popular — has turned from arguing over who has signed the best players and who has more silverware in the trophy cabinet to supporters vehemently defending and condoning the actions of their owners, from alleged financial doping buying a decade of success, to the persecution of homosexuals. None of it matters, apparently, as long as they are pumping money into your football club so that your team wins more than theirs does.
Parents on touchlines threatening to stab a 15-year-old referee. Parents following a referee back to his car in the car park after a game and assaulting him. Parents snapping a young linesman’s flag paid for out of his own money. These sorts of incidents are happening every week around the country, but receive barely any coverage.
Related Stories
Graham Potter: 'Chelsea fans have said they want me and my kids to die but that's football'24 February, 2023
Newcastle fans’ vulgar responses to my Saudi Arabia reporting shows money really does buy love21 February, 2023
What is sportswashing? Meaning of the term explained amid criticism of Qatar’s Man Utd takeover22 February, 2023Why do the parents care so much — why does it make grown adults so angry? Children certainly don’t care as much as them about these things. They will make goals anywhere, at any time, out of anything and, without a referee in sight, will happily play for hours with anything from two to 22 of them. That’s properly loving football. What the adults do seems more like hating it.
Look at the reaction to England reaching the Euro 2020 final. At Wembley for a first major tournament final in more than half-a-century. A home final! It should’ve been a glorious occasion to unite the country, win or lose. Yet, even before the result was known, fans descended into rioting and stampeding and breaking things, and sticking lit flares in orifices where things on fire really should not be stuck.
Do you properly love football if it evokes that kind of reaction in you? Because it seems as though those are the actions of somebody who, deep down, maybe hates it. Maybe doesn’t like the way it influences their decisions, or makes them act.
For many, football’s become more like an addiction than a true love. The football fan reaches for his phone (let’s be honest here, the anger predominantly comes from men) to read all of the comments and quotes and reaction from last night’s defeat to inject some of that resentment and fury into their veins. They say that gambling addicts are as addicted to the losses as the wins.
This is not to conflate complaints and criticisms, about managers and players and performances, with the hatred that seems to have become as much a part of football as fandom. Supporters are, of course, well within their rights to be dissatisfied with a defeat, a draw, a defender’s poor form, one win in 11 games in 2023, as Potter has overseen at Chelsea. They are entitled to be dissatisfied with finishing runners-up in the European Championship final, even if it’s still hard to comprehend.
But criticism is very different to writing and sending death threats, to assaulting and threatening referees after your son or daughter loses, to defending the indefensible, to rioting and chaos that endangers lives.
From top to bottom, the hatred that consumes the game is making it harder to love every day.
Why is diving no longer being punished?
Have football’s authorities given up taking action against diving?
In the opening couple of minutes of Tottenham’s victory against Chelsea on Sunday, Raheem Sterling was dribbling inside the Spurs penalty area when Oliver Skipp stuck out a leg. Over went Sterling. The referee, Stuart Attwell, wasn’t sure what had happened so VAR took a look to see if it was a penalty.
Replays showed — in crystal clarity — that Sterling had tried to con the officials by falling over Skipp’s outstretched limb as though he had been fouled. VAR ruled no penalty — correctly — yet where was the caution for Sterling?
What’s the point of rules if they are not going to be enforced?
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/wclr2jt
Post a Comment