Football the beautiful game with much to make you fall out of love with it.

Professor Yaffle

Professor Yaffle

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As a kid football seemed the most important thing in the world. Playing in the street, watching the odd game on TV, going to games and the national team also seemed very important.

Obviously as I've got older I realise that family, health, happiness and friendship are very very important and that football should be just a game but it's always been more than that. An obsession to millions if not billions world wide.

As technology improved football became available on TV much more often. We even got regular Italian football for a while but when sky and its competitors came about football was on all the time and for many that was great. I enjoyed it too but my attitude in recent years has certainly changed.

I once would have watched Stoke v Bradford which would be the equivalent of Burnley v Sheffield United these days but now I rarely bother.

Two good CL games tonight but watched neither whereas a decade ago I'd have tried to watch both!

Obviously I won't miss a Rangers game and watch a fair bit of Chelsea but most other times and teams I can't be arsed with now.

I'm trying to think why and the cynic in me says money has ruined football in a number of ways. Cash corrupts. Look at Blatter and his cronies for example and also Qatar getting the world Cup.

European football sees most of the same cash rich teams from the rich leagues win most of the time. Its become a bit boring and predictable in some competitions.

Also FIFA UEFA and the governing bodies in Scotland are useless, arrogant, incompetent and corrupt. Hard to love indeed.

There's our national side lacking Rangers representation but not lacking haters in their support and this isn't new so I'm completely switched off to them despite going to some games particularly in the 80s. Changed days and not for the better.

Then there's the racist players, fans, clubs and nations. Not enough done to deter them. Some nations awarded tournaments and finals despite their racist, homophobic, sexist, violent ways.

There's also too much football on TV. It once was a treat, it's now just the norm.

Add the VAR debacle and we are getting somewhere. Why is that so bad but works well elsewhere?

I guess switching off most games makes me enjoy and appreciate watching Rangers a bit more and the occasional big European or international match still seems like a treat.

I'd be interested in hearing your feelings on the game in general but delighted in the pleasure our own club have brought in these times of lockdown this season.


I can't wait to get back in to the stadiums to watch football, proper football. We've been locked out too long and it will be special to be back.

The breakaway midweek superleague plans just announced by certain clubs are ridiculous and reinforces what I'm trying to say here.

Cheers
 
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Nowadays football is rubbish, really rubbish.

I watch Ranger's games and look in on the English Championship and League 1, other than that I know nothing about todays football.

The people who run it, the sponsors, the owners, the TV companies, the players, the managers, the supporters/fans, everything about football is rubbish.

And it's down to two things. Money and greed.
 
When you see teams in England consider success being a top 4 finish, so they can get the money, football is fecked. I can see there being a closed shop European league with the usual suspects from Spain, Italy, England, Germany and France in a few years. There will be no place for huge successful teams like Rangers, Ajax and Benfica, whereas teams that are where they are because of money, PSG, Man City, will be included.
 
Paisleyprod said:
As a kid football seemed the most important thing in the world. Playing in the street, watching the odd game on TV, going to games and the national team also seemed very important.

Obviously as I've got older I realise that family, health, happiness and friendship are very very important and that football should be just a game but it's always been more than that. An obsession to millions if not billions world wide.

As technology improved football became available on TV much more often. We even got regular Italian football for a while but when sky and its competitors came about football was on all the time and for many that was great. I enjoyed it too but my attitude in recent years has certainly changed.

I once would have watched Stoke v Bradford which would be the equivalent of Burnley v Sheffield United these days but now I rarely bother.

Two good CL games tonight but watched neither whereas a decade ago I'd have tried to watch both!

Obviously I won't miss a Rangers game and watch a fair bit of Chelsea but most other times and teams I can't be arsed with now.

I'm trying to think why and the cynic in me says money has ruined football in a number of ways. Cash corrupts. Look at Blatter and his cronies for example and also Qatar getting the world Cup.

European football sees most of the same cash rich teams from the rich leagues win most of the time. Its become a bit boring and predictable in some competitions.

Also FIFA UEFA and the governing bodies in Scotland are useless, arrogant, incompetent and corrupt. Hard to love indeed.

There's our national side lacking Rangers representation but not lacking haters in their support and this isn't new so I'm completely switched off to them despite going to some games particularly in the 80s. Changed days and not for the better.

Then there's the racist players, fans, clubs and nations. Not enough done to deter them. Some nations awarded tournaments and finals despite their racist, homophobic, sexist, violent ways.

There's also too much football on TV. It once was a treat, it's now just the norm.

Add the VAR debacle and we are getting somewhere. Why is that so bad but works well elsewhere?

I guess switching off most games makes me enjoy and appreciate watching Rangers a bit more and the occasional big European or international match still seems like a treat.

I'd be interested in hearing your feelings on the game in general but delighted in the pleasure our own club have brought in these times of lockdown this season.


I can't wait to get back in to the stadiums to watch football, proper football. We've been locked out too long and it will be special to be back.

Cheers
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Sport shouldnt follow a business model.
 
In general football has regressed in value due to over saturation. PSG v Bayern was a sensational tie with a decent referee, no VAR controversy and little diving/ cheating. I think the refereeing is important in making the game attractive and the Italian was top drawer. That was an exception though.

Most football on TV is overpriced, overpaid and overexposed primadonnas in poorly officiated matches. Diving and cheating has got worse and VAR has been an absolute disaster for the game but the TV companies love it. They think that's what football fans want and they couldn't be more wrong.
 
It is Rangers only for me now - I simply can't be bothered watching anyone else.

My brother in law is a Charlton fan and I've been to a few games with him. It's nice getting away and seeing other stadiums and meeting other fans and talking about Rangers but I can't get motivated for the actual match.
 
Individualism is coached out of players in favour of systems. Players rarely express themselves.

I also have a real hatred of the constant cheating, diving, play acting that goes on. It’s something that really needs to be addressed.

Many of the top clubs now are fabricated big clubs - City, Chelsea at the top table of European football? Give me a break. They might have cash to burn but it’s all a bit false.

Lastly, there’s a lot of clubs who win bugger all year after year but seem to think finishing 4th is a success. What happened to winning medals?

I still enjoy watching games, but Rangers apart, I don’t go out of my way to watch it. As for the national team, I’ve not been bothered since the early 90s and the treatment of Gers players by Roxburgh and Brown, and I despise the tartan arseholes.
 
Cant get all this "my English team" stuff. I haven't indulged in that since being in early teens in the 70s when I picked a team to follow mainly because they figured more in Goal and Shoot magazines than Rangers ever did. Now, I would be hard pushed to watch any game from England.
As for European games, forget it,
Same with Scotland. It's not that I am indifferent to their results, I want to hear that they get pumped every game, but it would be a struggle to actually tune in and watch.
It's Rangers only for me and it has been so for some years now.
 
Pretty much sums up my feelings on the game OP.
If I wasn't watching Rangers i wouldn't watch football.

EPL, CL, European leagues. Not interested.

TV money has been the ruination of the game. That a club like Rangers can't compete in the transfer market against clubs the size of Leicester, Fulham and Leeds says it all
 
I agree in general that football isn't as fun or entertaining anymore. Seems to be a complete lack of character or flair in the game now. The game seems coached to death and any individualism cut out.

Obviously there are a few exceptions like Messi, Neymar etc but they're a rare breed.

In saying that, the Champions League has had some terrific games in the last couple of years.
 
Kubala said:
I'll translate:

I'm old and things aren't as good as they used to be.
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I think you'd have a hard time saying Scottish football is better now than the 90's, or International football or European football in the group stages. Objectively it's just not as good..nothing to do with age. The Old firms these days not a patch on back in the day on or off the pitch.
 
As a kid growing up watching football in the late 70’s - late 80’s there wasn’t much live coverage on tv.That’s what made it exciting to watch.The feelings I had for football then have changed dramatically over the years.
I would watch any game then as it was a real treat to see a live game.Now I will watch any Rangers game and look forward to that.Anything else unless it’s a champions league semi final or final I really don’t care if I see it or not.
Money has definitely ruined football.
 
There is a lot to dislike about it, 100%. But the quality of games and football is incredible.

Every era of football has aspects which people dislike. Look at the Italians catenaccio era where some teams were extremely defensive. Outside Atletico there is pretty much no team at the top level that play that way and football is better for it.

Some people from the 70's will say that their era was the best, despite it being two points for a win meaning that draws were more acceptable. They also had matches decided on a coin toss - how can that be preferable to what it is now?

Until the late 80's you still had the passback rule which allowed teams to see out games by passing it back to the keeper which you can't do now and the game is surely better for it?
 
The Barrel said:
Honestly, trying to compare games v filth in 80s or 90s to now...you can't. Those days were dangerous, thrilling, absolutely raw....
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You have old guys raging that Rangers fans put stickers up on lampposts so they can hardly say it's the young fans fault.
 
When i was younger i used to absolutely love watching Italian games at the weekend and el classico etc. Now i couldn't give a frenchmans f*ck about them.
Only team I'm bothered about is Rangers. The game is so much worse these days. Ruined by media, VAR, OIL Billionaires etc.
 
The game itself has never been better, PSG vs Bayern was an absolutely brilliant game to watch. Neymar was outstanding.

Scottish football is extremely depressing though, the media has an oddly profound influence on the actual game and everyone seems to feed into it while complaining about it.
 
Liviger1984 said:
When i was younger i used to absolutely love watching Italian games at the weekend and el classico etc. Now i couldn't give a frenchmans f*ck about them.
Only team I'm bothered about is Rangers. The game is so much worse these days. Ruined by media, VAR, OIL Billionaires etc.
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Money in the game wasn’t an issue for most when we were outspending everyone.
 
It's too tactical, you can't tackle and the ball is as light as a balloon.

It's also a horribly homogenised game across most of the globe.

The stadium experience has been sanitised but we as fans are not treated any better.

It's great that players aren't kicked off the park, the skill level is consistently higher but it's just not as exciting.

Importing critical race theory and other elements of intersectionality politics doesn't help either.

Supporting a special club like Rangers helps, but our own identity is being willingly eroded which is a concern.
 
Funnily enough, was talking about the same subject with Mrs Muz earlier tonight.

We were out walking in our local park and she remarked how quiet it was with regards to kids playing in it. I suggested the older ones would be indoors watching Champions League, at which point she asked who was playing and would I be watching?

She was a wee bit bemused when I said 'No really sure who's on and naw, canny be arsed with any of it except Rangers and xxxxxx ( a relation plays pro) and even then it's just to watch him'

Having grown up in the 60s/70s I would never have believed I could be so indifferent. I would have watched any game at any time, now hardly put a game on other than ourselves and the lot our relation plays for.

The over-saturation during the '90s and 2020s have really turned me off as has the gentrification and PC attitudes prevalent nowadays. Throw in the obscene money that is on offer for fairly average players down south and the mismanagement of the game by FIFA, UEFA and locally, the not fit for purpose SFA and it's pretty much a perfect storm for me.
 
rossgers said:
In general football has regressed in value due to over saturation. PSG v Bayern was a sensational tie with a decent referee, no VAR controversy and little diving/ cheating. I think the refereeing is important in making the game attractive and the Italian was top drawer. That was an exception though.

Most football on TV is overpriced, overpaid and overexposed primadonnas in poorly officiated matches. Diving and cheating has got worse and VAR has been an absolute disaster for the game but the TV companies love it. They think that's what football fans want and they couldn't be more wrong.
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Plenty diving from PSG mate.. as per usual. That's one club that turns my stomach watching them play, everything that is bad about modern football is summed up in 3 letters , PSG
 
Steve Snedden said:
It's too tactical, you can't tackle and the ball is as light as a balloon.

It's also a horribly homogenised game across most of the globe.

The stadium experience has been sanitised but we as fans are not treated any better.

It's great that players aren't kicked off the park, the skill level is consistently higher but it's just not as exciting.

Importing critical race theory and other elements of intersectionality politics doesn't help either.

Supporting a special club like Rangers helps, but our own identity is being willingly eroded which is a concern.
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What do you mean by this? I'm not looking to be argumentative, I'm genuinely curious.
 
Mezzala said:
What do you mean by this? I'm not looking to be argumentative, I'm genuinely curious.
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We are a club with a very specific history and established set of traditions who , for several generations represented a sizeable section of the Protestant community of Scotland and had strong ties to the OO, Loyalism, Unionism and the CofS.

I'm not blind to a changing world and I welcome our inclusivity campaign. I am against bigotry and sectarianism. I don't believe that we were or ever have been a sectarian club though, despite our previous signing policy.

But I think our new campaign can co-exist along side some of the deep roots that made us such a unique club with such a passionate support. I don't think we have to try to airbrush our history, nor do I think we have anything to be ashamed of.

Celtic are not ashamed or embarrassed by their Irish Catholic roots, they trade on them on a daily basis.

I hope this helps answer your question.
 
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Unless we're involved in European football, I rarely watch it, even the latter stages of the European Cup / Champions League. Many of the games are decided, not by who are the better side, but by which team is better at conning the ref with endless dives or players ludicrously falling to the floor holding their faces when barely touched for fouls and penalties. The colossal sums of money at stake, for both players and clubs, who are more or less corporate brands and have nothing intrinsically to do with the communities from which they once sprang, have turned football into a global circus act. We're never going back to more innocent times, I accept that, and football must always organically evolve, goal line technology a superb addition as an example, but the game has definitely lost something which money can never replace.
 
I love football, started playing in the Life Boys at 7 and still playing in an oldtimers league 60 yrs later
Goal line technology is a great thing and the state of pitches has improved over the years and various other rule changes and VAR defines offside.
However, there is a boy playing for Spurs who typifies something that has spoiled the game over the last few decades, falling down holding his face as if in agony when all he got was a wee slap on the cheek. Swarming the ref is also bullshit. You would think they had a clause in their contracts that forced them to act like fannys.
 
Steve Snedden said:
We are a club with a very specific history and established set of traditions who , for several generations represented a sizeable section of the Protestant community of Scotland and had strong ties to the OO, Loyalism, Unionism and the CofS.

I'm not blind to a changing world and I welcome our inclusivity campaign. I am against bigotry and sectarianism. I don't believe that we were or ever have been a sectarian club though, despite our previous signing policy.

But I think our new campaign can co-exist along side some of the deep roots that made us such a unique club with such a passionate support. I don't think we have to try to airbrush our history, nor do I think we have anything to be ashamed of.

Celtic are not ashamed or embarrassed by their Irish Catholic roots, they trade on them on a daily basis.

I hope this helps answer your question.
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I think it's a bit unfair to expect a Scottish football club to have a stance on things like that mate.

Celtic were founded as a cash grab targeting the Irish catholic demographic in Glasgow, Rangers was founded as a football club. It's a fan culture thing rather than it being part of Rangers' identity, our identity has always been excellence on the pitch and is best summed up by Bill Struth saying we welcome the chase.

I do understand that the fan culture is important to a lot of people, I'm quite staunchly unionist but I don't really feel a sense of comradery because of that, I really do get that feeling when I hear Rangers songs being belted out though. Almost everyone I know around my age feels the same so maybe it's a generational thing?
 
DarthVader said:
Individualism is coached out of players in favour of systems. Players rarely express themselves.

I also have a real hatred of the constant cheating, diving, play acting that goes on. It’s something that really needs to be addressed.

Many of the top clubs now are fabricated big clubs - City, Chelsea at the top table of European football? Give me a break. They might have cash to burn but it’s all a bit false.

Lastly, there’s a lot of clubs who win bugger all year after year but seem to think finishing 4th is a success. What happened to winning medals?

I still enjoy watching games, but Rangers apart, I don’t go out of my way to watch it. As for the national team, I’ve not been bothered since the early 90s and the treatment of Gers players by Roxburgh and Brown, and I despise the tartan arseholes.
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Some good points there.
 
Interesting point re the homogeneous nature of modern football. Article I read about the shit-ness of Argentine and Brazilian leagues was clear that they'd ditched their own unique style, that combination of ruthlessness and flair, unique individual skills.

This was due to rule changes but mainly to produce players who would fit European teams and therefore bring in £££££. They deliberately focus on box to box running, and all play similar style to Europe's top leagues. Absolutely killing the domestic scene.
 
The only football I watch on tv outwith Rangers is motd at the weekend.i have premier sports and I cancelled it shortly after we got knocked out of the Europa league as I have rtv to watch the Scottish cup games and I hadn’t watched any other games on it.
 
I know I'm getting old and I know we all tend to remember the good old days with rose tinted glasses. But I do agree with much of the OP, even though there are many things about modern football that are obviously better than when I fell in love with football.

Better pitches for definite. A more global game with access to watch good players and good teams from all over the world. Attitudes to healthy lifestyles and fitness. The pace of the game. Less out and out brutality. And in some ways the ability of fans to connect with each other on a day to day basis.

But there are also a great many things that I can't help but think are worse, some of which just keep getting worse. Teams who play Cup ties but have no interest in winning it. Teams who put finishing 4th bottom ahead of trophies. Diving and feigning injury to get other players sent off. The whole culture of offendedness by people not even at the game (this doesn't excuse or defend racism which must always be called out). The world of social media abuse. The carve up of the game by the richest clubs based on ridiculous TV money. The salaries paid to ordinary players and the horrible imbalance of "importance" now given to small clubs with little history who just happen to occupy the bottom end of a big league. The handball rule farce. And the gradual decline of the individual player who can excite with a flash of genius.

I wish we could strike a balance between the best of both.
 
The Barrel said:
Interesting point re the homogeneous nature of modern football. Article I read about the shit-ness of Argentine and Brazilian leagues was clear that they'd ditched their own unique style, that combination of ruthlessness and flair, unique individual skills.

This was due to rule changes but mainly to produce players who would fit European teams and therefore bring in £££££. They deliberately focus on box to box running, and all play similar style to Europe's top leagues. Absolutely killing the domestic scene
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Might not go down too well on here, but Che Guevera was a complete football nut and in one of his books (I cant remember which one just now) he lamented the exact thing you're stating, but this was him writing in the 50s.

To him the Spanish teams like Real were soulless and reeked of corruption, while at the time the Latin regions were the true epitome of the beautiful game; by being so separated from Europe by distance they still were in the honeymoon period of when the Scots, English (1880s-20s period) came over and illustrated the attacking game.

To me players like the original Ronaldo (90s) were a sign that South and Central America were losing their identity and tailoring their youth to that of the Western Europe tactical aspect. Now Brazil have completely lost who they were. Could say the same about Argentina apart from individuals such as Messi. Its sad , especially if your an old fart like me (40 this year so I'm supposing I'm an old fart compared to some of yous lol)
 
Outside of Rangers the only football I actively make a point to watch is my local village team - and they couldn't play last season. I like World Cups and Euros at the actual tournament but not fussed by qualifiers at all.
 
Installer said:
Nowadays football is rubbish, really rubbish.

I watch Ranger's games and look in on the English Championship and League 1, other than that I know nothing about todays football.

The people who run it, the sponsors, the owners, the TV companies, the players, the managers, the supporters/fans, everything about football is rubbish.

And it's down to two things. Money and greed.
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Spot on , nailed it.
 
Cavin said:
That was also in an era when the EC/Champs league was for champions and the ref's whistle didn't blow every time someone fell over. ;)
Pish nowadays
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Hateley got sent off when a Brugge player made the most of it so of course that happened back then.


I do think that players go down and roll around far too easy btw, but it's not just started recently.

We've had two fantastic games this week with absolutely top quality football. How anyone can watch the likes of Mbappe, Foden, Neymar, Bellingham etc and say that football isn't enjoyable now is beyond me.
 
Agree with this entirely. To be so in love with the game when Rangers play, to absolute 'meh' with anything else. Like others are saying, money has killed it in the end.

When English teams started the 'Top 4' finish as some sort of victory was the beginning of the end for me. Second string teams in cups to secure CL football. Once in the CL, second string teams once qualified to focus on the league to secure CL football. An endless cycle which diluted the meaningful games.

A Barcelona vs Manchester United game would have your mouth watering as it was such a rare thing. Now all the big teams play each other so regularly it's lost the magic.
 
Paisleyprod said:
As a kid football seemed the most important thing in the world. Playing in the street, watching the odd game on TV, going to games and the national team also seemed very important.

Obviously as I've got older I realise that family, health, happiness and friendship are very very important and that football should be just a game but it's always been more than that. An obsession to millions if not billions world wide.

As technology improved football became available on TV much more often. We even got regular Italian football for a while but when sky and its competitors came about football was on all the time and for many that was great. I enjoyed it too but my attitude in recent years has certainly changed.

I once would have watched Stoke v Bradford which would be the equivalent of Burnley v Sheffield United these days but now I rarely bother.

Two good CL games tonight but watched neither whereas a decade ago I'd have tried to watch both!

Obviously I won't miss a Rangers game and watch a fair bit of Chelsea but most other times and teams I can't be arsed with now.

I'm trying to think why and the cynic in me says money has ruined football in a number of ways. Cash corrupts. Look at Blatter and his cronies for example and also Qatar getting the world Cup.

European football sees most of the same cash rich teams from the rich leagues win most of the time. Its become a bit boring and predictable in some competitions.

Also FIFA UEFA and the governing bodies in Scotland are useless, arrogant, incompetent and corrupt. Hard to love indeed.

There's our national side lacking Rangers representation but not lacking haters in their support and this isn't new so I'm completely switched off to them despite going to some games particularly in the 80s. Changed days and not for the better.

Then there's the racist players, fans, clubs and nations. Not enough done to deter them. Some nations awarded tournaments and finals despite their racist, homophobic, sexist, violent ways.

There's also too much football on TV. It once was a treat, it's now just the norm.

Add the VAR debacle and we are getting somewhere. Why is that so bad but works well elsewhere?

I guess switching off most games makes me enjoy and appreciate watching Rangers a bit more and the occasional big European or international match still seems like a treat.

I'd be interested in hearing your feelings on the game in general but delighted in the pleasure our own club have brought in these times of lockdown this season.


I can't wait to get back in to the stadiums to watch football, proper football. We've been locked out too long and it will be special to be back.

Cheers
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My thoughts... exactly.
 
Only watch Rangers live and I've always loved MOTD, the 15-20 mins highlights is ideal. However this season I have really struggled to even watch the highlights of the EPL due to no fans.
 
I'm watching the least amount of football on TV that I've ever watched my life - I just find it hard to care unless Rangers are playing. VAR is horrible and I'll never be convinced otherwise.

I couldn't even be bothered watching the Champions League last night - and look at the absolute state of the semi finals, a bunch of clubs with dodgy owners who use football as some ego stroking fantasy football with their blank cheque books & dodgy dealings, and in Man City's case outright cheating. Can't be bothered with it at all.
 
Last night at full time Foden and Haaland were having a chat and both had their mouths covered, when Bayern played Man U in 2014 Giggs and Schweinsteiger walked off together openly chatting - I found that last night pretty sad to be honest last night, have we really got to the point where they need to do that? They are Footballers, not Secretaries of State etc...
 
Football has lost much if it's raw emotion and spontaneity. Money, image and business seem to be the priorities. Players scream and roll about the place at the merest touch, yet aren't called out for it. It's just an accepted part of the game. As for VAR. Something which, when a 'goal' is scored, allows you time to go for a piss, then pick up a pie & bovril on the way back and still be in your seat in time to see if the goal stands and you can actually celebrate. How does that enhance the spectator experience? It was supposed to be there for 'clear and obvious' errors, not rock back and forward for 5 minutes while they establish if a toenail is offside. Computer games used to mimic the real thing. Nowadays, the real thing is more and more mimicking computer games.
 
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