The More I Watch This WC The More I Hate Football

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

50 minutes ago, Raj said:

Some of the games have been boring as feck, but im sure most WC's were the same at some stage (Except Italia 90!!!

 

Erm, isn't Italia 90 famously regarded as one of the poorest world cups ever in terms of the actual matches?

[Raj]

2 hours ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

Erm, isn't Italia 90 famously regarded as one of the poorest world cups ever in terms of the actual matches?

How old are you ffs?

 

Tardelli, Schillachi, and THE title music alone❤

 

 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

4 minutes ago, Raj said:

How old are you ffs?

 

Tardelli, Schillachi, and THE title music alone❤

 

 

 

It's quite a widely held view mate. They introduced the back pass rule not long after because it was so defensive.

 

Title music doesn't mean the games are good  

Edited 2 July by Miquel The Work Geordie
**phrasing

[Raj]

10 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

It's quite a widely held view mate. They introduced the back pass rule not long after because it was so defensive.

 

Title music doesn't mean the games are good  

Am I thinking Mexico 86 was awesome then!!?🤣🤣

 

I'm 55 so they were my first proper ones I remember  as we didnt have a tv until so I'm probably being nostalgic rather than factual ( which would be a first for me on here!!!😁)

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

4 minutes ago, Raj said:

Am I thinking Mexico 86 was awesome then!!?🤣🤣

 

I'm 55 so they were my first proper ones I remember  as we didnt have a tv until so I'm probably being nostalgic rather than factual ( which would be a first for me on here!!!😁)

 

I'm being a bit contrarian tbh mate - not disputing cultural legacy (especially in England) or iconic moments. I'm sure it was a great World Cup to live through, I just don't think you an say that that Italia 90 is an outlier for never having a dull match!

Edited 2 July by Miquel The Work Geordie

[SouthStandUpperTier]

18 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

It's quite a widely held view mate. They introduced the back pass rule not long after because it was so defensive.

 

Title music doesn't mean the games are good  

They also changed the offside rule just after Italia '90, so that being level with the last defender was onside, whereas before it was offside. 

[Raj]

4 minutes ago, Miquel The Work Geordie said:

 

I'm being a bit contrarian tbh mate - not disputing cultural legacy (especially in England) or iconic moments. I'm sure it was a great World Cup to live through, I just don't think you an say that that Italia 90 is an outlier for never having a dull match!

Ive nodded off through more games in this WC than the ones I can remember  40 years ago!!🤣🤣 that's probably cos of my age though!!

[shen]

On 30/06/2026 at 23:32, sylofox said:

The holding pushing shoving and shirt pulling. The refs are doing nothing about it. Might as well be watching wrestling. Had we had premier League var I'd have turned it off.

 

The game is becoming a joke.

Old games had horror tackle after horror tackle. Defenders would just barge opposition players over with not even a hint of taking the ball. Proper brutish stuff. Had nothing to do with football, but so many still defended it as a "contact sport". At worst, it's regressing a little towards those days.

[Raj]

21 minutes ago, shen said:

Old games had horror tackle after horror tackle. Defenders would just barge opposition players over with not even a hint of taking the ball. Proper brutish stuff. Had nothing to do with football, but so many still defended it as a "contact sport". At worst, it's regressing a little towards those days.

 

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, Raj said:

How old are you ffs?

 

Tardelli, Schillachi, and THE title music alone❤

 

 

The whole title sequence is breathtaking. I remember it so well.

 

I also remember Italia 90 because it was going on when my SiL's husband was on his stag do in Stratford and we got kicked out of a pub for trying to take some framed pics off the wall. 

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, Raj said:

Ive nodded off through more games in this WC than the ones I can remember  40 years ago!!🤣🤣 that's probably cos of my age though!!

It's not if you're watching at 1am.

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, shen said:

Old games had horror tackle after horror tackle. Defenders would just barge opposition players over with not even a hint of taking the ball. Proper brutish stuff. Had nothing to do with football, but so many still defended it as a "contact sport". At worst, it's regressing a little towards those days.

Anyone remember Norman "break your legs" Hunter, played for Leeds back in the day as did Billy Bremner, another thug of a player.

 

Leeds v Chelsea had more violent conduct on the pitch than in the stands.

[whoareyaaa]

I think that's the biggest gripe the kick off times but we can't do anything about that the next one will probably feel better just because you will be able to watch all games and get involved more

[Arriba Los Zorros]

It's far far preferable to any Leicester game pretty much for this whole decade.

 

Makes a big change to see fans who are actually excited to be at games and want to support rather than bitch and moan.

[Sly]

My only real gripe is the times. 
 

Can’t change that due to where it is. 

[Voll Blau]

11 hours ago, Arriba Los Zorros said:

It's far far preferable to any Leicester game pretty much for this whole decade.

 

Makes a big change to see fans who are actually excited to be at games and want to support rather than bitch and moan.

Not at all comparable situations, are they?

 

Seeing your country play at a World Cup is the pinnacle of supporting a national team. Of course they're going to be more excited than us.

[davieG]

12 hours ago, Arriba Los Zorros said:

It's far far preferable to any Leicester game pretty much for this whole decade.

 

Makes a big change to see fans who are actually excited to be at games and want to support rather than bitch and moan.

I'd also argue that they've been allowed to enjoy the games where as in England for the last 25+ years fans have been conditioned to sit down even when your team scores or anything remotely exciting happens on the pitch. I'm aware of more than one occasion fans I know have been ejected for standing too long after a goal was scored.

 

We shouldn't really complain about fans in their 60s + sitting down in moments of excitement they've been conditioned to do so. I say that as a fan starting in 60s when 80% plus fans watched the games standing and singing. We've become educated apes with our clappers and drums and the total absence of spontaneity.

 

As a young guy half or more of the pull of going to the football was to be part of the crowd standing, singing, jumping up and down and being part of the swarm when a goal was scored, now  it's 100% what is happening on the pitch where I've found I may as well watch the game on a big screen in the pub, the atmosphere is better or at home I'm allowed to stand and celebrate and the view is better. Oh and I'm not searched either.

 

Rant over, time for a coffee.

[Finnegan]

I'm one of the biggest defenders of VAR. I generally like technology full stop and I'm very much for using it to make the sport better. There's places it should 100% be used, such as offside, although I hate the current iteration of micro-analysing pixels on a toe.

 

But who the **** ever thought we needed snicko in football? By what possible metric can we argue that we're still debating "clear and obvious" when you needed some of the world's most powerful sound detection setups to tell whether or not a ball scraped three atoms of a player?

Jesus wept they don't help themselves.

 

[davieG]

1 hour ago, Finnegan said:

I'm one of the biggest defenders of VAR. I generally like technology full stop and I'm very much for using it to make the sport better. There's places it should 100% be used, such as offside, although I hate the current iteration of micro-analysing pixels on a toe.

 

But who the **** ever thought we needed snicko in football? By what possible metric can we argue that we're still debating "clear and obvious" when you needed some of the world's most powerful sound detection setups to tell whether or not a ball scraped three atoms of a player?

Jesus wept they don't help themselves.

 

Apparently been around for a while - Who knew?

[String fellow]

5 hours ago, Finnegan said:

I'm one of the biggest defenders of VAR. I generally like technology full stop and I'm very much for using it to make the sport better. There's places it should 100% be used, such as offside, although I hate the current iteration of micro-analysing pixels on a toe.

 

But who the **** ever thought we needed snicko in football? By what possible metric can we argue that we're still debating "clear and obvious" when you needed some of the world's most powerful sound detection setups to tell whether or not a ball scraped three atoms of a player?

Jesus wept they don't help themselves.

 

I see no point in celebrating at the instant that 'goals' are scored, especially if the penalty box is crowded. The chances are that there will be some absurdly minor technical infringement somewhere in the melee of players just as the ball is entering the net, causing VAR to intervene and destroy the moment of joy for the attacking team. Imo, it's ruining top-level football - it's as if the beautiful game is suffering from OCD.

[MPH]

The more I watch this World Cup, the more I love it.

[gerblod]

On 30/06/2026 at 22:32, sylofox said:

The holding pushing shoving and shirt pulling. The refs are doing nothing about it. Might as well be watching wrestling. Had we had premier League var I'd have turned it off.

 

The game is becoming a joke.

Looks like the powers that be decided to let some ice hockey tactics into the game for this WC. As for shirt pulling - unforgivable. Barging players off the ball before they even reach it, pushing players in the back. The amount of sly treading on feet that goes on. Maybe it's time for a 5/10 minute sin bin followed by a compulsory seat on the subs' bench for the next game. Managers indulge themselves in defending dirty play. It makes watching the game much less appealing. 

[Sunbury Fox]

9 hours ago, MPH said:

The more I watch this World Cup, the more I love it.

I'm also loving it. The Argentina v Cape Verde game last night was genuinely one of the most gripping and memorable WC games of all time. Unreal stuff.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Were you fuming when Cape Verde scored the best goal of the tournament and all their players ran on the pitch

[Izzy]

13 hours ago, MPH said:

The more I watch this World Cup, the more I love it.

I'd convinced myself it would be shit with the USA hosting and all the talk about over pricing, but I've been pleasantly surprised in a good way.

 

I didn't expecct most games would sell out and the number of fans each country has bought over has really impressed me.

 

It helps that all the worlds best players are scoring for fun but the majority of matches have been a good watch IMO.

 

Hope it continues to deliver and I'm still as engaged even after England inevitably get knocked out on Monday.