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In all relationships there are usually good and bad things and the good has always to well exceed the bad, or there is simply no point.

Firmly on my good points list for M.Idun is that he doesn't like soccer, he is not interested in it. It isn't as if he doesn't like other sports, but most of those he likes he does rather than want to watch with the exception of some rugby, which I don't mind, because rugby players don't act like big girls blouses. (No idea why there is that expression, but I know what it used to mean in pre PC days!)

ALREADY, the news channels are getting right up my nose with their constant reports, bleating and general cacaphony about the bloody world cup!

There are other channels I had thought I could watch during the World Cup, but strangely I have found that there is suddenly little of quality left to watch, and we don't have playback or some such thing. Maybe they think that we are all going to watch the footie..... we aren't!

I know friends who will have their main tv usurped because it's the 'World Cup'.

OK I do know a few women who watch, but the rest of the women I know do not and they are in the vast majority in my entourage.

I cannot think of anything that could be relentlessly on the tv for a few weeks that basically appealed to women and some men, with the same balance as the footie has. Would that there was, although I suspect whatever it was probably wouldn't be to my taste either, me being a bit odd et al.

At least I know I am not alone with my feelings about the World Cup and am in good company at home, which I am grateful for.

good luck to all you footie widows, and maybe the odd footie widower, because nothing is 'fixed' and that must happen too on rare occasions!

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On the plus side, there have been some very good one-offs and documentaries about Brazil and its culture and so on in the run-up.And hopefully it won't get in the way of coverage of the TdF and Wimbledon, neither of which have me chained to the telly, but are infinitely preferable to football as far as I am concerned.

I am looking forward to the David Beckham documentary on Monday evening on BBC, mainly for the reason that I'm longing to find out the answer to the question posed by his wife in the trailer "What are you going to do about your hair?". Proving my long-held belief that there cannot be a more vacuous woman on the planet.

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I dislike it also.

In fact as years have gone on and the fanaticism and commercialism have increased exponentially I have grown to hate it with a vengeance.

I think that I have only watched one game in all my adult life, France versus Ecuador (or was it England? shows what a fan I am [:D]) in 2004, I was at language school in Quito and would be moving to France after my travels so I made an exception and joined in with the enthusiasm, we all had our faces painted with the teams we supported and mine was done in two halves as I was sitting on the fence.

My father was a real fan and a great player in his day, the days when people played for the love of the sport not for money, he had turned down a career as a Professional footballer to be an apprentice carpenter because the skilled chippy would earn more than the footballer and could continue working beyond 30 years of age, important if you had a family to support.

He used to take me to matches but became sickened with the growing fanaticism and violence and we stopped when the first transfer fee of £100000 was paid, I look wistfully at old photos of working class men in the stands wearing collars and ties and think how much I would enjoy the sport were I to live in those times.

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Noooo, that would not be worse.  I am sufficiently interested in politics and have been since my early teens,for that to have a least some interest for me.

Politics affects people's lives, footie is just about rich men who often don't seem to want to even kick a ball, a ball no less, around for 90 odd minutes. Why the worship, well, worshipping stuff is rather beyond me.[blink]

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Football is probably now the biggest sport  in the world, so for a couple of weeks what's the problem? I think you will find Idun/chancer there are plenty of Master chef programs for you to watch or multi repeats of Top Gear and the never ending reality shows like big brother. Let the boys have a little bit of sport, it's only once every four years for garwds sake. As for the Scotch( deliberate just to upset the pedantic jocks) referendum; that subject really is do dah and something we in England can do without.[:P]

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I feel sorry for those people who have a slavemeister, someone who forces them to watch TV that they don't want to watch. I'm lucky, not only do I not have a slavemeister, I bought a TV that has the ability to change channels, and even better, has an on/off button. I'm sure these are available in most major outlets, I can't be the only one to have bought one. I sometimes watch TV, mostly I listen to the radio, but the other day I bought something called "a book" . "a book" is amazing I can pick it up and put it down whenever I want, I find it very engaging. I don't even think about the TV when I have my "book"

After 4 years, finally, FINALLY, there is something worth turning the TV on for. All those sh1te programmes on strictly this and celebrity that and endless cooking and gardening and "selling tat for cash" programmes, there is something that will be fun to watch.

For those people who have no interest in the World Cup™ just turn on French TV.

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 This helas is not JUST two weeks, this is the usual goings on to the power of thousands.

I rarely put on my local radio station without them going on about the local club.

We none footie people have to put up with this all year round, the summer does not usually stop it all either. And those pundits, strangely it looks like they are talking out of an orifice in their heads, but feels like it is coming out of one in their backsides.

And I did say quality programs. I don't need suggesting or telling what I should be watching, I know what I like, I always know what I like in all aspects of my life. And because I do try and live in harmony I accommodate our varying tastes, because I know that life is not just about 'me'. However, I have my limits and as I said, M. Idun doesn't watch footie and that is a really good thing. I can put up with him watching Bear Grylls and Alien Encounters, because we all have things we like that the other one doesn't, but there is no imperative about watching BG or AE.

ps no point in asking if your other half minds, what can they say? That is why it is often the unspoken bone of contention in many households.

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Idun, the answer in our house is two televisions, but as HSD said no one holds you down and makes you watch anything at all. Also you say you don't need telling what to watch, but your complaining about what others enjoy, lighten up it's only for a couple of weeks. As for being all year round where you live; well I believe you live up north and footy does seem to be a bit of relief  for the locals to get away from that grim industrial landscape. [:D] [:D]

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Realistically, you'd have to go and live in a cave or live in some sort of news vacuum to get away from it. It's on the news. It's being advertised in between just about every other programme on TV. In the run-up, other programmes have been suspended to allow full coverage of England playing Harlington and Hayes W.I in a warm-up match. If anyone in the England camp who has flown out to training has a bit of a problem with an ingrowing toenail, programmes are suspended to bring us a news flash. And alongside all that, everything from ice-cream to shaving foam adverts, cookery programmes (whether you enjoy or watch them or not) and fashion supplements in the Sunday papers has a "Brazilian" theme.

And for those who dislike all forms of sport, living in the aforesaid news vacuum will shortly be the only viable alternative, when, as I said earlier, the choice of viewing is between football, cycling, the Commonwealth Games, another Grand Prix, Wimbledon and probably some cricket. Unless we're really, really lucky and they manage to dredge up another entire evening of Dad's Army repeats interspersed with series 2 of Only Fools and Horses, just in case there's a human being alive who missed either of them on the previous 500 occasions they were repeated.

And, when there's TV that I do enjoy watching available, I still manage to read a fairly respectable 3-4 books a week. And luckily I-player, Netflix and blinkbox should all be working.

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A go at Northern England, not on, I'm surprised at you NP.  If you like sport watch La Tour de France start, lots of northern England is very beautiful.  And sadly much industry has gone, because I rather liked a lot of it. I was glad to see that Timothy Spall on his barge trip round the country did too and he's a Londoner, so at least there are two of us, well there are lots of us actually.

The bitterest

comments I have ever hear about footie is from french women in SE

France. And yes, HSD, they always watch french tv, a deprecating remark,

just hits the spot during this period of sacrifice doesn't it.

Incidentally

where is this  'other' tv. In some comfortable room with all the

channels and HD, or just another tv in the kitchen with free view? That is where the 2nd tv is

in most homes I know, because the best tv really is in the

comfortable room with all the channels and HD, apparently HD makes better viewing of a few over paid blokes

kicking a ball around!

Why shouldn't those of us who cannot

stand it have our say?  We know we will never get it stopped, too much

money involved, but that does not mean that we have to resign our selves

to it without some sort of objection being registered.

This

is obviously yet another religion I do not participate in or believe in

and apparently to say anything heretical is a hanging offence; but I

knew that, hence I called this thread 'give me strengh'.[:(]

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As per normal, Mrs G will do as she's told.

That means do the housework, prep the meals, do the washing-up & clean the car. If there's time after that for her to enjoy a bit of footie, then all power to her elbow..
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We are a football-free household here, Mr. Nectarine is baffled and bored by the whole of it. He doesn't watch rugby, or athletics or anything. Just motorcycle racing and boxing. So thank goodness we have plenty of videos to watch and also record 'Two And A half Men' which is surely the funniest thing on television at the moment (although ITV 2 have moved it from 9pm to midnight!!).
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[quote user="NickP"]Football is probably now the biggest sport  in the world, so for a couple of weeks what's the problem? I think you will find Idun/chancer there are plenty of Master chef programs for you to watch or multi repeats of Top Gear and the never ending reality shows like big brother.
[/quote]

Hey dont include me in this, all I wanted to say is that there is at least one male who doesnt like what commercialisation has made of a sport that I once did enjoy playing or watching.

I would not be able to Watch any of the above as I have already taken this advice:

For those people who have no interest in the World Cup™ just turn on French TV. I have not had access to English TV for 7 years.

Now French TV being so rubbish I only Watch a few hours a week, perhaps its just because I ignore any reporting or referenec to football but I can honestly say that it was only a couple of days ago that I learnt that a world cup was imminent and I still didnt know what country it was being played in until this thread.

I dont begrudge anyone of either sex enjoying their viewing of football or any sport.

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[quote user="idun"]A go at Northern England, not on, I'm surprised at you NP.  If you like sport watch La Tour de France start, lots of northern England is very beautiful.  And sadly much industry has gone, because I rather liked a lot of it. I was glad to see that Timothy Spall on his barge trip round the country did too and he's a Londoner, so at least there are two of us, well there are lots of us actually. 

It's a shame Idun that you seem to have lost your normal sense of humour, (please note I did use two smileys)

The bitterest

comments I have ever hear about footie is from french women in SE

France. And yes, HSD, they always watch french tv, a deprecating remark,

just hits the spot during this period of sacrifice doesn't it.

I think this idea about French TV has been covered many times and the conclusion always seems to be that it is an absolute dogs dinner.

Incidentally

where is this  'other' tv. In some comfortable room with all the

channels and HD, or just another tv in the kitchen with free view? That is where the 2nd tv is

in most homes I know, because the best tv really is in the

comfortable room with all the channels and HD, apparently HD makes better viewing of a few over paid blokes

kicking a ball around!

Well I can only speak for myself, mine is in my very small cramped office. So when something is on that my wife doesn't wish to watch I retire to the office. A very small price to pay to save me from watching something I don't want to see. By the way I also use the office to read books or use the computer.

Why shouldn't those of us who cannot

stand it have our say?  We know we will never get it stopped, too much

money involved, but that does not mean that we have to resign our selves

to it without some sort of objection being registered.

I would respectfully suggest that if you post something then it's up for debate, isn't that what forums are for. After all this forum in particular I think is one where you can discuss things without being verbally bullied and long may it be so.

This

is obviously yet another religion I do not participate in or believe in

and apparently to say anything heretical is a hanging offence; but I

knew that, hence I called this thread 'give me strengh'.[:(]

It's not a religion any more than spending time on a forum or gardening is, it's just something that is now probably the biggest followed sport in the world, and if you don't like it of course you are allowed to say so. Although presenting yourself as a martyr rather lessens the impact of your stance.

[/quote]
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[quote user="Chancer"]

I dont begrudge anyone of either sex enjoying their viewing of football or any sport.

[/quote]

Does anyone? It's not a pop at the people who DO enjoy watching this, or any other sporting coverage. More about the seeming inability of programme schedulers to provide a viable alternative or manage to schedule interesting (whatever "interesting" means to you) programmes for those who don't want to watch.

What is annoying (to me, others may disagree) is the blanket assumption that anyone who doesn't want to watch the footie will be in raptures about the prospect of watching 30-year-old repeats of tired comedy programmes. Or, even worse, that anyone who isn't interested by the Group A match on the BBC will naturally want to watch the Group B match on ITV, or the Group C match on Channel 5.......( I may be exaggerating, as I haven't the remotest idea whether all the terrestrial channels have got coverage, but it's certainly what's happened in years past).

As I've managed quite well thus far without handing over any of my hard-earned cash to Virgin, Sky, or anyone else who wants to add to my viewing pleasure with another hundred channels of banal rubbish, I expect I'll just end up Doing Something Else.

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Once upon a time ( back in the day ! ) I used to enjoy playing and watching football, now I wouldn't cross the street to watch any football game, at any level.

22 men (?) chasing a ball around a field is totally boring (to me), it's the wrong number of men and the ball is the wrong shape !!!!!!!!!!!
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[quote user="dwmcn"]

Betty,

Hey, millions of people watch Strictly Come Anything and Britain's Got Anything. Brainless people, that is.

David

[/quote]

Oh dear, well I do know people who have enjoyed Strictly and taken up dancing, which is excellent excersize which probably takes some beating. I don't watch it, I like dance but I prefer tap or classical ballet (only to watch).

And Britain's Got Talent, well I don't mind talent competitions. They have existed in one form or another on tv since I was little and why not. I do watch a little of the initial auditions, say if I have something banal on,  ie the news, which has started discussing sport, I will zap and see who is on.

I am not brainless, although I am fully aware that I am not ' dead clever' either.

AND I haven't said that those that are soccer obsessed are brainless, have I!

Maybe 'some' of us obviously are too stupid to understand, especially as to 'how important it is' especially that bit about, 'it is only once every four years' et al. But how could we really 'know' the difference, it isn't as if the European Championship, the FA Cup, League Cup, ( both having french equivilents for the french who watch, [:-))] on french tv!)UEFA Champions League, all national games and some european national ones too, don't exist, but they do and they when they happen are just SO important, like breathing or whatever.

give me strength

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ROFL! No, really, it's not taking over our lives or getting out of hand. Why, it's even completely normal that I've just received through the letterbox a fold-out pamphlet from one of our local estate agents with a complete World Cup group table and a comprehensive guide showing which group games are on which TV channels at which times.....

I'm sure that, if my house sale wasn't already being handled by a different agent, that would instantly make me engage the services of this one.

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Now when there are no analogue television channels in the UK why cant  these matches be shown on the red button so that people can watch their regular programs if they want to. They managed to do this for the Olympics.

Personally I will be watching the English matches and the final even if England don't get so far and I shall toast each English goal with a little scotch whisky. Of course if England concede any goals I will be drowning my sorrows with the same tipple

From what I have seen so far it might improve England's goal scoring chances if they practice their diving to win some soft penalties.

 

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