Has the beautiful game lost its sheen

Neither DH or I follow football but sadly here in the West of Scotland we have to suffer the shame of two football teams Rangers (Protestant) and Celtic (Catholic). These teams were founded by Irish immigrants to Scotland and along with them brought their sectarianism which the majority of decent people would like to be rid of. At present Rangers have been delegated to a lower league and I would like Celtic delegated too. But ideally, wish they didn't exist.

Football has become a world so corrupt. I truly wish that people will just switch off their TVs and not watch- and send a massive message to FIFA and their lying scum (in vain, I suppose).

I second that granjura. Also football in some leagues appear to be just a business now and so many people can no longer afford to attend matches.

The quicker that everything to do with football is shown a 'red card' the better.

Too much money involved now, but there's nothing wrong with a group of lads and lasses kicking a ball about on the grass, and setting up a match, tiggy.

Nothing wrong with that at all durhamjen just as long as daft parents don't start trying to organise things and getting a little worked up when things don't go their way. I was thinking more about the semi and professional game with as you said far too much money involved.

Greed is what has spoilt football. I really enjoy watching a good team play but no footballer is worth the vast sums that exchange hands.

I do agree with Kiora though - not much of a fuss going on yet, hopefully, when the warm-up matches are finished with and the World Cup gets underway, things will improve.

Agus,I also live in the West Of Scotland and despair of the effect Celtic and Rangers have on our football and our communities.I support my home town team and watch bus loads of locals going to Glasgow whilst we struggle to improve our crowds.However when we won the Scottish Cup over 20 years ago they all joined in our party !!!!

Just thinking,both of these teams can't have an open top bus parade,because of their hatred of each other,there would be riots on the streets of Glasgow.

Oh I was hoping that the nation would suddenly become a little optimistic and put the flags out but there's still nothing. My now 31 year old sun holds such wonderful childhood memories of sharing the anticipation during the World Cup when he was little He talks of it often. I love it when the nation celebrates.

I have never been a fan of football. As in my youth I was keen on cycling, but not competitive. Even at my age now I still occasionally get one of my bikes out for a ride, be it just up to the shops of on a nice day a ride around my area.
I wonder why these football clubs still use the names of the towns that they have their grounds. Tottenham Hotspurs is the nearest club to where I live.
How many of the players of that club reside in Tottenham? There used to be in time gone by. But now none.
I believe and tell me if I am wrong, that there are not many English players in the team.
Now rugby.. That is a game I can watch.

Even my partner, who has been a football fan all of his life, is rapidly losing interest, and the World Cup was a total letdown. I was horrified when he first told me about the Rangers/Celtic problem as I had no idea that anything like that still existed. I think the turning point for me was when some of the Newcastle United players were involved in some kind of scandal. We had a season ticket for St James Park at the time but the price just went up year by year till we bowed out. I'd rather spend £15 and go racing for the day than spend £50 [or whatever it is now] to watch a game of football that could be a rubbish game anyway. I'm afraid I don't understand rugby or cricket [not that I understand football much].

Here in Melton Mowbray its all about the cricket at Trent Bridge and the Rugby at Leicester Tigers - never hear anyone talk about football.

You mean there isn't a Melton Mowbray Wanderers [affectionately known as the porkie pies?].en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Foulke_(footballer) - Similar

...didn't think that link would work....

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UkVZZnrC4E
..he's at the end of this [I think I'm being politically incorrect though ..but I love the clip]

It was while we lived in Melton Mowbray Sue that my lot became infatuated with Nottingham Forest and, now their greatest player ever has come back as manager, expectations are sky high - heaven help me!!

I am not a football fan.
In the beginning you had a team, let's take Tottenham Hotspurs. All the players lived in Tottenham. Same for Fulham, Leyton Orient, or the rest.
Now, how many reside in the named clubs area. Many of the teams players are not even English.
Yes it's been said, it's all about money.
Now Rugby. That is a different ball game. A game for men.

Malcolm102

The womens teams in football and cricket are doing exceedingly well - they play every inch as well as the men (some, me included, would say better) and are now even getting paid for doing it!

But if rugby is your thing, I believe the women's team did rather well:

Last night, (17 August 2014) the unbreakable spirit of the England women's rugby team finally paid off – when they swooped to their first World Cup final glory in 20 years.

I am not a football fan either Malcolm and agree with you that we no longer seem to have English players playing for English teams, which means that we really no longer have an England team which is prepared to play against other countries for the World cup (or what-ever). I think that all sport is good for the community, I am not mad on women playing football/rugby, but if that is their choice, then good for them. The women at the moment seem to be just getting on with the games they choose and happen to be doing very well, let's hope they continue the good work without becoming demi-gods.

The beautiful game was very beautiful last night according to my kit . 'We' won 5 - 3 so 'We are top of the league, we are top of the league!!' Apparently!

When I was a teenager we lived near Derby and I used to babysit fir lots if the Derby County players who live in our area - in normal houses just like ours, Malcolm, lots of them were from that area and hadn't moved far at all!

Honours were even on Saturday kitty to my DH's relief.Football is the only interest he has now sadly so please don't knock the national game or lots of people like him would be lost.

I don't really knock it Ann - my lot love it (apart from DD1 who claims to have been deprived as a child because she didn't enjoy it!!). . It isn't the same though as when I was a lass!

That's right, kitty I am surrounded by football fans (although my grandson is not in the least interested, much to his dad's disgust!). It used to be so much BETTER than it is today, we did not have players running around with their shirts over their heads because they had scored a goal - after all, isn't that what they get paid the thousands of pounds for? I must admit, though that even now, if it is on the television, and I happen to be watching I get just as involved as I used to.