I've never been a big football fan. The unwritten gender guidelines instil a generalised female sense of disassociation towards football. Though we all played football in PE, at school the boys kept playing at the end of the day and the girls didn't. My dad watched football at the pub, my mum didn't. No one forced us into these divided roles, it was just the norm and has persevered into my adult life. I've watched a few games with guy friends over the years, but on the whole I really have had no interest in football, the industry or the game. But surely I could make an exception for the World Cup? So last night I watched the England match in a local pub and witnessed a thinly veiled racism, aggression and outpouring of vitriol towards the other team that I did not expect.
I recognise the passion, the excitement, the bizarrely patriotic fever that takes over so many, but suddenly we're in a realm where shouting 'c**t' continuously and at the top of your voice is not only accepted, it is applauded. Where a strident sense of malice towards 11 men who happen to be competing against your team, means the only course of action is debasing your critique to racially charged comments. I suspect that friends who would normally chastise others for this kind of language, would let it slide in this situation because it's football and because it's a big deal. Football has become a great excuse to show an abhorrent side of yourself and this is intensified during the world cup. While the 'we' becomes more pronounced, the 'other' morphs into a monstrosity on a worldly scale.
This behaviour does seem to be far more associated with football than other competitive sports: I can't remember the last time I heard Federer called a Swiss w*nker or Rory McIlroy attacked for his hair style choice. Furthermore, the venom is not reserved only for foreigners, this week Rooney's family have received death threats because of his performance. Last night after hearing one fan shouting 'pull his hair, pull his hair' and another loudly wishing for Suarez's house to get burgled, I couldn't help but feel disappointed and confused as to how we've got here. I'm not suggesting that this is solely an English thing, the same bigoted, pathetic and offensive words may be being shouted at screens across the globe. And it seems such a shame because watching this game I did begin to understand that football frenzy, feel the tumult in my heart, this may have been because I bet money on Uruguay to win but that's a whole other story... Overwhelmingly I felt uneasy in the crowd (not just because of my controversial betting habits), intimidated to be in this furor tainted with so much negativity and blatant aggression. Swimming in a sea of bolshy testosterone as men vehemently shouted abuse at the TV screen I questioned: Is this why I am not a football fan? I can embrace the competition, cherish the sport, praise the skill but I don't have time for the anger.
This may sound unpatriotic but hurry up England and lose the next game, so we can be nice English people again! Ferocious patriotic allegiance may dissipate to a general sense of enjoyment of the tournament and the game, without needing to reference a players skin tone, hair or sexual preference. Yesterday I witnessed hope jump to outrage without any joy in the middle. So here's hoping for a little more fun for the rest of the football... and if not fun then I may just stick with gambling!
