[Football] Who’s not watching the World Cup?

[Easy 10]

England? Nah. Assuming Dunky and Welbz won't be going or playing if they do and Solly won't get a late call up, I wouldn't bother about England unless they get to the semi's. But I'll be watching matches with our players, just like I have since the days of Sully, Grealish, Lawro when they were regulars.

See this is what I don't really get. You're either interested in England's progress, or you're not.

How can you not give a shit about England UNLESS we reach the semi's - then suddenly you'll jump on board the bandwagon. Then no doubt thumb your nose at them once again, once they get knocked out.

 

[Triggaaar]

I’ll watch every second. I LOVE the World Cup, I do not agree for one second it should be held in Qatar but I just can’t help it!

I wouldn't feel bad about watching it. I will watch as much of it as I can, with no guilt. I despise what FIFA and Qatar have done, and I wish the big footballing nations had stood together all those years ago, and said no, we won't go. That could have stopped the whole farce and saved many lives. But they didn't, and me not watching it will help no one.

I don't really blame the fans getting free tickets to go. But I do blame the multi-millionaires who are endorsing it for yet more money.

 

[Rinkmaster]

Should not be held there and will not be watching it at all.

 

[Wexford Gull]

Will not put myself out to watch any of it, but if i am around i may watch some. Hopefully i will be busy when England play

 

[Perfidious Albion]

I said I wouldn’t but with a number of Albion players involved, I will take a look at games involving them . It would benefit them and the club if they do well.. Not bothered about England.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

See this is what I don't really get. You're either interested in England's progress, or you're not.

How can you not give a shit about England UNLESS we reach the semi's - then suddenly you'll jump on board the bandwagon. Then no doubt thumb your nose at them once again, once they get knocked out.

I don't give a shit about England at all and the World Cup will interrupt Brighton's best start to a season ever. I won't be on any bandwagon. They play so many meaningless matches with players that (especially now Albion play them in the Prem) I don't like from week to week. I can't just turn to supporting them. But there will be a national interest, the country will be buzzing and I'm a competitive person. England v France, Germany, Argentina etc., in a semi of a World Cup, it would be a bit weird if I didn't take an interest and prefer England to win. People with no interest in football at all, will be tuning in to see what happens. A bit like the Women's World Cup final or was it Euro's? I watched the second half and added time which was the first women's football I've ever watched. Doesn't make me a fan or supporter or even interested in women's football. I haven't watched any since, but I enjoyed the bit of drama in that one match.

 

[Icy Gull]

I will watch, will probably be booing Southgate from game one too. My expectations of England are very low. Will I be happy if we do well, of course I will. Don’t see it though.

Well up for Belgium, Ecuador and Japan but I won’t be that bothered about how well they do, just how ell our players play.

Did I say that I think Southgate is a clueless gimp?

The fallout from misbehaving fans and cultural clashes is probably going to make the biggest headlines in this disgusting ill conceived tournament.

I do wish I could turn my back on it and have no interest in it though.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

I wont be - but thats purely due to a complete lack of interest these days.
Think the last one I watched was the one in South Africa...

 

[rippleman]

If you all want to do something that could actually count, boycott all of the brands that are sponsoring the competition. If you all did that, the sponsors would lose money, and they'd make sure this didn't happen again.

adidas	Athletic	Germany
Algorand	Cryptocurrency	US
Budweiser	Beer	US
Byju's	Other education	India
Claro	Mobile phone operators	Mexico
Coca-Cola	Soft drinks	US
Crypto.com	Cryptocurrency	Singapore
Frito-Lay	Snacks	US, Mexico
Gulf Warehousing Company	Delivery and shipping	Qatar
Hisense	Consumer electronics	China
Hublot	Watches	Switzerland
Hyundai; Kia	Cars	South Korea
McDonald's	Quick service restaurant and fast food	US
Mengniu	Dairy and soy food	China
Nubank	Banking	Brazil
Ooredoo	Telecommunications operators	Qatar
Qatar Airways	Airlines	Qatar
Qatar National Bank	Banking	Qatar
QatarEnergy	Energy and utilities	Qatar
The Look Company	Advertising, PR and sponsorship agencies	Qatar

There's the list of corporate sponsors happy to support the "Bloody World Cup".

 

[sparkie]

I'll probably end up catching a small amount of it - Ecuador games are the most appealing to me - but it is certainly not the centre stage, must not miss grand event that it usually is in my view.

I'm still amazed they were chosen although I can guess why.

 

[Randy McNob]

I think we, as a country, need to get off our high horse before lecturing other countries about human rights, our elected government want to rip up the human rights act, vilifies people seeking sanctuary here for their own political gain, a former PM, still popular with the electorate is on record making islamaphobic and homophobic comments. People seem to be reactionary to the media where the deep rooted issue is probably people from a foreign land who are different to us treated with suspicion.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I'll not be watching. This tournament just turns my stomach. Shame as the World Cup is my favourite sporting competition and with our Ecuadorian contingent and Mitoma set to make an impact there actually is something of interest outside of supporting England in this competition to be excited about.

If people want to watch then fine, I have no problem with that, enjoy the tournament. I just will not be able to watch with seeing the suffering and exploitation required to build it, the corruption that acquired it and the obscene lack of human rights in the hosts.

Roll on the Euros and then WC2026 NA/Mex.

 

[Springal]

Ibehaving fans and cultural clashes is probably going to make the biggest headlines in this disgusting ill conceived tournament.

I do wish I could turn my back on it and have no interest in it though.

Unlikely I reckon. Will be some activists / protesters but I don’t expect any fan trouble.

Same as Russia / South Africa

 

[Baldseagull]

See this is what I don't really get. You're either interested in England's progress, or you're not.

How can you not give a shit about England UNLESS we reach the semi's - then suddenly you'll jump on board the bandwagon. Then no doubt thumb your nose at them once again, once they get knocked out.

Have you noticed Brighton have more demand for tickets for the Semi Finals of the FA cup than the 3rd round? It seems pretty normal to be less fussed about the early stages of cup competition.

 

[Baldseagull]

I think we, as a country, need to get off our high horse before lecturing other countries about human rights, our elected government want to rip up the human rights act, vilifies people seeking sanctuary here for their own political gain, a former PM, still popular with the electorate is on record making islamaphobic and homophobic comments. People seem to be reactionary to the media where the deep rooted issue is probably people from a foreign land who are different to us treated with suspicion.

It is people from a foreign land that are being treated badly in Qatar that is a large part of the problem people have with the World Cup being held in Qatar. Migrant workers cannot leave the country without an exit visa, they cannot get an exit visa without approval from their employer, they die in large numbers on construction sites, and in their sleep from exhaustion, and once there, it is almost impossible to leave.
I also have issue with our Government, and their breaking of the law and changes in law to remove rights of protest etc.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I think we, as a country, need to get off our high horse before lecturing other countries about human rights, our elected government want to rip up the human rights act, vilifies people seeking sanctuary here for their own political gain, a former PM, still popular with the electorate is on record making islamaphobic and homophobic comments. People seem to be reactionary to the media where the deep rooted issue is probably people from a foreign land who are different to us treated with suspicion.

It is possible to oppose our government as well as Qatar's, these positions are not mutually exclusive

 

[Stato]

Given the Budweiser sponsor in an Islamic country and what Fifa did to Brazil's alcohol ban in stadiums, I wondered how far their power went this time. Apparently there will be alcohol sold in the fan park, there will be only non alcoholic beer (I'm guessing Bud Zero) in the stadium bowl, but alcohol available inside the stadium if you're in hosptiality (Of course there is one rule for them). I also read that Qatar charges a 'sin tax' which makes beer very expensive. I'd be interested to know whether the Qatari government will see any of this tax, or whether Fifa will take its usual 'No taxes for us' approach. This World Cup, like every World Cup that Fifa has control over will be purely about money. It trumps everything else.

Given that Fifa has a monopoly on the World's game, I'm considering whether the best route might be to charge my conscience an offsetting tax, donate to charities supporting the rights of migrant workers or LGBTQ+ people living under socially oppressive regimes and to sit back and watch the football whilst pretending to myself that I'm now allowed.

 

[Springal]

Given the Budweiser sponsor in an Islamic country and what Fifa did to Brazil's alcohol ban in stadiums, I wondered how far their power went this time. Apparently there will be alcohol sold in the fan park, there will be only non alcoholic beer (I'm guessing Bud Zero) in the stadium bowl, but alcohol available inside the stadium if you're in hosptiality (OF course there is one rule for them). I also read that Qatar charges a 'sin tax' which makes beer very expensive. I'd be interested to know whether the Qatari government will see any of this tax, or whether Fifa will take its usual 'No taxes for us' approach. This World Cup, like every World Cup that Fifa has control over will be purely about money. It trumps everything else.

Correct - alcohol available in the fans parks as well as all the hotels / bars etc around Doha as expected, with many running their usual happy hours and brunches. They have also given alcohol license to 2 festivals running through the event. Fatboy Slim is also headlining one of them which should be good fun.

Also correct that only alcohol free in the stands out of respect for the locals who will also be watching games.

I don’t think it’s an actual tax, but the government handle all imports of alcohol and prices are set high to those with personal alcohol licenses and presumably also to hospitality venues who have to buy from the QDC.

 

[Napper]

Will watch as many games as possible. 3 games a day - whats not to like.

Support England as that's my country , watch a few games in the pub , await the moaners to also jump on board once we start progressing.

Not looking forward to the atmospheres though , that may kill it as a spectacle a bit.

 

[Easy 10]

I don't give a shit about England at all and the World Cup will interrupt Brighton's best start to a season ever. I won't be on any bandwagon. They play so many meaningless matches with players that (especially now Albion play them in the Prem) I don't like from week to week. I can't just turn to supporting them. But there will be a national interest, the country will be buzzing and I'm a competitive person. England v France, Germany, Argentina etc., in a semi of a World Cup, it would be a bit weird if I didn't take an interest and prefer England to win. People with no interest in football at all, will be tuning in to see what happens. A bit like the Women's World Cup final or was it Euro's? I watched the second half and added time which was the first women's football I've ever watched. Doesn't make me a fan or supporter or even interested in women's football. I haven't watched any since, but I enjoyed the bit of drama in that one match.

But you can't get to that semi-final stage without getting through those 5 games first, which is always a story and a narrative in itself. Knockout games in particular = drama for me, even if the game is a bore. Its like when people spray the YAWN emoji around when England are playing in their WC qualifiers. OK, the nations we are playing aren't overly interesting and the games themselves can be dogs, but they ARE important games with an end-goal of qualification.

Meaningless friendlies I can take or leave. But if its a competitive England game, then I'm all-in. Especially when these tournaments come round. They can literally bring about lifetime memories.