Euro 2008 - Whom Will You NOT Support?
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Isn't it nice to watch a major sporting tournament without having to worry too much about the outcome? England are not involved, so we don't have to endure the misery of boredom and underachievement.
Should Gerrard and Lampard play together?
Should it be Jonny or Danny?
Will Andy Murray's thumb stay the course?
And will Paula Radcliffe manage the distance without stopping or getting caught short?
The good news is that we can watch without getting nervous, irritated or inebriated, because most of us don't really care.
The interesting thing to notice about football fans in Euro 2008 is that we remain unconcerned about Gary Lineker's "who will you support" (apart from the grammatical pedants who understand the difference between the nominative and the accusative), and are concentrating more on whom we wish to lose. It's a bit like watching the Eurovision song contest. We all know that the songs are rubbish, so we only switch on when the voting starts. We then ignore the sheer mediocrity of the British entry and concentrate on why each nation is voting for its near neighbour who supplies all of its oil and gas, or who stood shoulder to shoulder with it in the last war. The politics are far more interesting than the music.
So too, for Euro 2008, the politics are far more interesting than the footie.
Nobody wants the Germans to win, because they always beat us when it matters. Nobody wants the French to win, as they would never want us to win and are delighted that we failed to qualify. Half of the population want Portugal to win, because they think Ronaldo is cute. The other half want Portugal to lose because they think Ronaldo is a pretty boy who got Wayne Rooney sent off last time.
However, some of the reasons are even more hilarious:
"I want Poland to get knocked out because I once used a Polish plumber and he didn't do a very good job".
"I want the Portuguese to lose because I once went on holiday to the Algarve and got my wallet stolen".
These have been genuinely overheard.
So, whatever your reason for watching, relax for a few days before the annual Wimbledon angst starts once more, enjoy the football, and may your worst team lose.
Should it be Jonny or Danny?
Will Andy Murray's thumb stay the course?
And will Paula Radcliffe manage the distance without stopping or getting caught short?
The good news is that we can watch without getting nervous, irritated or inebriated, because most of us don't really care.
The interesting thing to notice about football fans in Euro 2008 is that we remain unconcerned about Gary Lineker's "who will you support" (apart from the grammatical pedants who understand the difference between the nominative and the accusative), and are concentrating more on whom we wish to lose. It's a bit like watching the Eurovision song contest. We all know that the songs are rubbish, so we only switch on when the voting starts. We then ignore the sheer mediocrity of the British entry and concentrate on why each nation is voting for its near neighbour who supplies all of its oil and gas, or who stood shoulder to shoulder with it in the last war. The politics are far more interesting than the music.
So too, for Euro 2008, the politics are far more interesting than the footie.
Nobody wants the Germans to win, because they always beat us when it matters. Nobody wants the French to win, as they would never want us to win and are delighted that we failed to qualify. Half of the population want Portugal to win, because they think Ronaldo is cute. The other half want Portugal to lose because they think Ronaldo is a pretty boy who got Wayne Rooney sent off last time.
However, some of the reasons are even more hilarious:
"I want Poland to get knocked out because I once used a Polish plumber and he didn't do a very good job".
"I want the Portuguese to lose because I once went on holiday to the Algarve and got my wallet stolen".
These have been genuinely overheard.
So, whatever your reason for watching, relax for a few days before the annual Wimbledon angst starts once more, enjoy the football, and may your worst team lose.
Here Is The Writer : Peter Haines
Peter Haines has more than 20 years of experience in regulation and compliance, which he now offers through his consultancy firm. Peter has the misfortune to support Tottenham Hotspur, Kent CCC and England or Great Britain in most competitive sports. Fortunately, he enjoys a full and happy family life with his wife and two children in Suffolk, which compensates for the sporting trauma associated with supporting Spurs and England. Anybody who knows Peter well will confirm that he has the ideal physical profile of an armchair supporter.
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