How do I stop my friends talking about football all the time

[Acehood]

I've made it quite clear on numerous occasions that I DO NOT CARE ABOUT FOOTBALL. However my mates seem to ignore this and still bang on about the premiership, champions league and whatever other nonsense. I have literally said to them "I don't care about football, stop talking to me about it". This seems to have no effect.

At one point in time I made an effort to try and enjoy football but to no avail as personally I can't think of anything more boring to watch/talk about. I believe I've given it a fair chance. It's quite unfortunate that pretty much all of my mates are football fans and I'm the odd one out. They go on about all the transfers/results/whatever and I'm sitting there a) not interested and b) not having a clue what they're talking about.

I know that I'm not the only person on PH with a dislike for the sport and probably not the only person in this situation. Is it just something I'll have to put up with? Should I make some new friends? I don't often ask for this kind of 'advice' online but it'll be interesting to see what people think.

Please don't see this as me having a go at football. I don't like it but I can sort of understand why others do. I still don't know why people think it actually affects them in some way if 'their' team doesn't win a game but whatever.

[Egg Chaser]

I've got the same problem, I don't like the sport and couldn't care less about it. Seems like everyone I know talks about football all the time.

Why do I never hear people talking about rugby? At least I'd be interested then...

[sherman]

Do what I have done when someone asks you what team you support. Pick some middle of the table leauge one or two side that is nowhere near where you live and all your mates will soon see you dont give a toss about football.

This also works quite well in the pub when some drunk asks who you support it completly throws them and gives you the chance to run away.

I 'support' is Ross County from Dingwall (near Inverness). I live near Edinburgh so the team is from almost 200 miles away. I have only ever met 2 other people who support them They were fun.

[V8TVR1978]

Who is your favourite quarterback??????????


This question may need a thread of its own.

Edited by V8TVR1978 on Friday 27th August 03:05

[Tow Vehicle Rqrd]

I just yawn and explain to footie-mad mates that unless it has an engine, and a bloody great big fast one, I. Am. Not. Interested.

[Poledriver]

Hate! Hate! Hate!

[Gatefold]

I feel the same as the OP.
Make it more interesting for yourself (regardless of your own personal views, for or against shouldn't matter) and debate the prices on the heads of footballers. Whether or not they think they're extortionate/reasonableforthelimitedcareerspan; argue the toss and you'll soon realise that football is more than a game; its a disease of the mind.

[Chuffer]

Ask them about the forthcoming 'Dancing on Ice', and who they'll be supporting.

I'm sure they'll get the gist!

[Tow Vehicle Rqrd]

Football culture today? Chav fodder, IMHO. The media even celebrate the bimbo, desperate wives & girlfriends and attempt to make something glamorous out of it, with high street names - even Tesco - selling "WAG" gear a couple of months back. Chavette mags are full of praise for Cheryl, Victoria, Abbey and the rest of the brainless, stupid, bints who are too spineless to give a cheating player the red card. And so the rot sets in. Young boys idolise these so-called heroes, young girls "wanna be" Posh, or something just as demeaning, and allow boys to behave badly because "Cheryl forgave Ashley".

FFS. Get a grip! Get some respect!

Sorry, but football has a hell of a lot to answer for.

Edited by Tow Vehicle Rqrd on Friday 27th August 04:20

[Egg Chaser]

Tow Vehicle Rqrd said:

Football culture today? Chav fodder, IMHO. The media even celebrate the bimbo, desperate wives & girlfriends and attempt to make something glamorous out of it, with high street names - even Tesco - selling "WAG" gear a couple of months back. Chavette mags are full of praise for Cheryl, Victoria, Abbey and the rest of the brainless, stupid bints who are too spineless to give a cheating player the red card. And so the rot sets in. Young boys idolise these so-called heroes, young girls "wanna be" Posh, or something just as demeaning, and allow boys to behave badly because "Cheryl forgave Ashley".

FFS. Get a grip! Get some respect!

I think that sums it up nicely

[Tow Vehicle Rqrd]

Egg Chaser said:

Tow Vehicle Rqrd said:

Football culture today? Chav fodder, IMHO. The media even celebrate the bimbo, desperate wives & girlfriends and attempt to make something glamorous out of it, with high street names - even Tesco - selling "WAG" gear a couple of months back. Chavette mags are full of praise for Cheryl, Victoria, Abbey and the rest of the brainless, stupid bints who are too spineless to give a cheating player the red card. And so the rot sets in. Young boys idolise these so-called heroes, young girls "wanna be" Posh, or something just as demeaning, and allow boys to behave badly because "Cheryl forgave Ashley".

FFS. Get a grip! Get some respect!

I think that sums it up nicely

Thank you my friend. Until this topic sprung, I felt as though I was walking a lonely path. As a female, I have an automatic right to detest the sport anyway, but the game itself has never really bothered me. As I said earlier, generally, if it doesn't have an engine, it bores me rigid. I've always had a "take it or leave it" attitude to anything, but I resent the way "sport" automatically equals football... Sky sports, whatever, whoever wants to lure someone to pay to watch sport, shows football-orientated ads nine times out of ten.

There are far more exciting / dangerous sports out there, and many of these do not even need an engine to be highly watchable - I make an exception to my "engine" rule for horse trials, for example. How many highly skilled horsemen or women make £100 grand a week and bh about a sprained ankle?

Or any contestant in the Paraplgic Olyimpics moaning about ANYTHING?

I don't hate sport. I Hate "sport" channels because it's "Footie, Yeeaaah, footie",

FOOTBALL. THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. IT'S NOW OFFICIALLIY A RELIGION. SO GET YOUR OWN fkING CHANNELS! If Carling made prayers...

[parapaul]

I quite enjoy people's baffled looks when I tell them I can't stand football. I made a point of being out walking the dog for every single one of England's world cup matches this summer - it was lovely and quiet

Luckily the people I work with have learnt that I'd rather just be excluded from their football-related conversations. The wife is exceptionally grateful that she'd never going to be a football widow. Everyone's happier that way

[Alfachick]

What pisses me off about it the most is the fact that it seems to be seeping into the news. When the world cup was on half of the actual NEWS segment of the news was taken up by them wittering on about how people were watching the England games, in school, in the pub, in work, taking time off work etc. What a fking joke! That isn't NEWS FFS, its sport news, and should be in the SPORT section of the fking NEWS! Grrrr.

Also why do they call it the sport section of the news? Its ALL football! Just call it the football news or some such bks. Or even have its own program.... oh wait a minuite, it does, Match of the fking day.

God it REALLY REALLY pisses me off.

fking football. wkers. Hate it. obviously

[anonymous-user]

Tow Vehicle Rqrd said:

Egg Chaser said:

Tow Vehicle Rqrd said:

Football culture today? Chav fodder, IMHO. The media even celebrate the bimbo, desperate wives & girlfriends and attempt to make something glamorous out of it, with high street names - even Tesco - selling "WAG" gear a couple of months back. Chavette mags are full of praise for Cheryl, Victoria, Abbey and the rest of the brainless, stupid bints who are too spineless to give a cheating player the red card. And so the rot sets in. Young boys idolise these so-called heroes, young girls "wanna be" Posh, or something just as demeaning, and allow boys to behave badly because "Cheryl forgave Ashley".

FFS. Get a grip! Get some respect!

I think that sums it up nicely

Thank you my friend. Until this topic sprung, I felt as though I was walking a lonely path. As a female, I have an automatic right to detest the sport anyway, but the game itself has never really bothered me. As I said earlier, generally, if it doesn't have an engine, it bores me rigid. I've always had a "take it or leave it" attitude to anything, but I resent the way "sport" automatically equals football... Sky sports, whatever, whoever wants to lure someone to pay to watch sport, shows football-orientated ads nine times out of ten.

There are far more exciting / dangerous sports out there, and many of these do not even need an engine to be highly watchable - I make an exception to my "engine" rule for horse trials, for example. How many highly skilled horsemen or women make £100 grand a week and bh about a sprained ankle?

Or any contestant in the Paraplgic Olyimpics moaning about ANYTHING?

I don't hate sport. I Hate "sport" channels because it's "Footie, Yeeaaah, footie",

FOOTBALL. THE BEAUTIFUL GAME. IT'S NOW OFFICIALLIY A RELIGION. SO GET YOUR OWN fkING CHANNELS! If Carling made prayers...

I think if you anlsyse the viewing hours across all the sports channels (Sky 1,2,3,4, news, etc, ESPN, Eurosport, etc) you'll find that footy is the single most popular sport, but that it doesn't take up the majority of viewing hours. However it probably feels that way since footy viewing hours tend to be at peak times.

And there are of course a number of other specialist chanels - Motors TV, Racing Chanel, etc, etc that are focused around one particular sport in entirety.

I think the predominance of footy on TV is merely reflective of it's popularity - it's clearly the most popular mass-spectator sport in the UK and indeed in many (most) other countries (Sky at el make big sums selling rights abroad).

I love footy BTW - both playing and watching - but I can fully understand those of you who hate it in equal measure - each to thier own!

One thing I would say in closing though, is that over-paid, prima-donna, ethically and morally questionable attitudes are not just confined to the footy pitch. It pretty much goes with any sport (or source of 'celebrity') which rewards with large sums of cash and which comes with huge public exposure. Tiger, Faldo, numerous B'ball/hockey stars, many international rugby stars, etc, etc, etc - look and you'll find them everywhere - the football 'stars' tend to be at the forefront of reporting because of the popularity issue above.

[Speed addicted]

Them: 'what team do you support?'
Me: 'Yamaha'

It tends to stop that conversation pretty quickly...

[Sam99]

I work on an Oil Platform in the North Sea as a Systems Engineer.
85 blokes with the odd female visitor.
For two weeks.
I hate football with a passion.
It’s a vile sport with a mob mentality .
To me £100K / week is an obscene salary for a limp wristed tosser to kick a ball about for.

You have all made me very happy that I am not the only one.

Thank you all.

Sam

Deep breathes, calm down aaaannd relax!! )

[JCB123]

Mate(ish) "What [football] team do you support?"
Me "I don't. Football is for gheyers."
Mate(ish) "Eh? Not even, like, Man U?"
Me "No...I play rugby, I can play football, but choose not to because I don't have gel in my hair, a Range Rover Sport, white shoes that are twice as long as my feet, a plastic fantastic wife, fake 'footie' mates etc."

[silence]

Me (to barman) "Pint of Bombadier and half a lager shandy for the girl"


We don't talk much anymore?!

[JCB123]

Egg Chaser said:

Why do I never hear people talking about rugby? At least I'd be interested then...

You start......

[dreamz]

i know a bit about it - i dont mind watching the odd game
i know my benzema from my barrichello.

but with some thats one of the few things i can really level out on. so i just become the oh yeah he's meant to be real good too. oh yeah i saw that goal what a cracker. learn to blag. mmmm yeah it was a good game (no it was dead) oh sorry i got confused with some other game i watch so much football.

thankfully i can sometimes come up with the anyone tried that new takeaway? that gets the convo goin on my level

now cricket - god i hate that!! so boring. and since i'm asian i'm automatically expected to know what the surrey vs lancashire score was and what some asian player got. at work this guy is doin my nut in with the oh so Pakistan got a great score yesterday!! mm yeah brilliant! oh fk off.

[NoNeed]

Acehood said:

How do I stop my friends talking about football all the time

Starting a thread so that everybody talks about football may not have been your best idea.




Oh and just for the record, Football is a fantastic sport.