Room 101 - what single aspect of modern life should be consigned to oblivion?

[Serial_Apologist]

Get it on (as they say)

or even Heavens Door !!! (that's the Karlheinz version )

From what I remember internecine musical fights used to be called Mixing It

[teamsaint]

back to footy, I wish someone would point me in the direction of all this free to air, wall to wall coverage, because its not on my telly.

This is the nations favourite(by a country mile) sport, watched live by millions.

Terrestrial coverage is:

Match of the day . One hour or so 10.30 saturday night , and usually sunday night .
The football league show, an hour or so at midnight, and which gets cancelled when money is tight.
10 live games per season on BBC, sunday luchtime or teatime saturday.


ITV (so not from the license fee) show 1 champions league game on ITV 1 (leaving 3 other ITV channels) about 15 times a year, plus odd highlights after bedtime.

the odd England friendly, plus world cup and Euro championships every other year, which pull HUGE audiences.

Compare this to the BBC coverage of, say, the Proms, a much more "minority" pastime.

Football is poorly served by the BBC and ITV.
Remember this. 14000 people turn up to watch Huddersfield play in the third tier, every fortnight, rain or shine.
Football may attract idiots to watch , and pamper those who earn money at it, but it brings out fine qualities in people too.

[Mr Pee]

Why the hilarity, Floozie? You may not enjoy Formula 1, but I do, and an entire channel devoted to it is something I am looking forward to watching very much indeed.

[MrGongGong]

Football may attract idiots to watch , and pamper those who earn money at it, but it brings out fine qualities in people too.

You obviously didn't grow up on merseyside in the 1970's

[teamsaint]

You obviously didn't grow up on merseyside in the 1970's

i have been to plenty of Southampton/portsmouth matches. I have cowered my way from many an away ground in the 70's.
I was at the riot in turin in 1980. I have seen the ugly side, far, far too often.

And I have seen the good side. We need more of the good, and less of the bad.

[MrGongGong]

And I have seen the good side. We need more of the good, and less of the bad.

how about less of the whole sodding thing all together ?
I really fail to understand the whole football thing (unlike the rest of my family !!)
the whole "teams that have names of places yet the players have nothing to do with the place" thing ???? what on earth is that about ????

The whole "we'll support you (take your pick Everton or Liverpool , in my lots case !!!) till we die" ???
FFS just make it STOP

it's even worse than poetry please on R4

[teamsaint]

how about less of the whole sodding thing all together ?
I really fail to understand the whole football thing (unlike the rest of my family !!)
the whole "teams that have names of places yet the players have nothing to do with the place" thing ???? what on earth is that about ????

The whole "we'll support you (take your pick Everton or Liverpool , in my lots case !!!) till we die" ???
FFS just make it STOP

it's even worse than poetry please on R4

well I agree about Poetry please !!
Football, it is true, has rather taken over the world. Its best confined to Saturday afternoon ,and one weekday night, whereas there are now games almost round the clock. But if you don't have Sky Sports, and don't buy the very worst newspapers, I wouldn't have thought it impinges too much.
Just stopped my Sky subs......and feeling the loss of games !!
As for loyalty......well interestingly, when you analyse it, loyalty is ALL the football fan has. The clubs frequently treat us like dirt, the whole experience often disappoints, (results or quality). When Southampton faced extinction, I realised that all I REALLY had, apart from some memories, was my loyalty, in my case to my home town team. The loyalty is the critical thing......and you have to work out the positive aspect of this in your own head. Of course, loyalty can be a bad thing,misused, or abused.....

[Flosshilde]

Why the hilarity, Floozie? You may not enjoy Formula 1, but I do, and an entire channel devoted to it is something I am looking forward to watching very much indeed.

I'm entertained by all your posts, Mr P - they are so varied, one never knows what you will come up with next

Much love,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/content/images/2008/04/15/floozie_203_203x152.jpg

[Lateralthinking1]

I find both sides of this discussion bemusing. In the days when there were three television channels, I could understand the gripes about there being too much football coverage. Now there are so many options, not that many appeal to the grumpier me.

And, you know, I thought I had some loyalty. Obviously in comparative terms I didn't. Kindly, I can't quite understand the sort of loyalty that can accommodate Sky when it comes to football but not in other respects; that has a big problem with the inequalities of big business except when it comes to football; that notes the differences in pay with that of Wayne Rooney and yet still can refer to "we".

As for the character of football crowds, anyone who knows the experience appreciates that they have a special quality. In the ups and downs, in what appears to the casual onlooker to be just ongoing conflict, there is colour, cameraderie and community; sibling support and self-deprecation. I used to find most games far safer in that way than an average day in the office.

A train driver neighbour said to me that most football supporters were alright. He knew when there would be problems, it depended on the fixture, and the dodgy fixtures were rare. By contrast, another sporting event is always a nightmare and rail staff fight each other to be on leave when it takes place. "Oh, what is that?" I asked naively. His reply was "Bloody Ascot".

[teamsaint]

I find both sides of this discussion bemusing. In the days when there were three television channels, I could understand the gripes about there being too much football coverage. Now there are so many options, not that many appeal to the grumpier me.

And, you know, I thought I had some loyalty. Obviously in comparative terms I didn't. Kindly, I can't quite understand the sort of loyalty that can accommodate Sky when it comes to football but not in other respects; that has a big problem with the inequalities of big business except when it comes to football; that notes the differences in pay with that of Wayne Rooney and yet still can refer to "we".

As for the character of football crowds, anyone who knows the experience appreciates that they have a special quality. In the ups and downs, in what appears to the casual onlooker to be just ongoing conflict, there is colour, cameraderie and community; sibling support and self-deprecation. I used to find most games far safer in that way than a day in the office.

A train driver neighbour said to me that most football supporters were alright. He knew when there would be problems, it depended on the fixture, and the dodgy fixtures were rare. By contrast, another sporting event was always a nightmare and people fought each other to be on leave when it took place. "Oh, what is that?" I asked naively. His reply was "Bloody Ascot".

big horse racing meetings are horrible. I like it when there are about 300 people there. The big meetings are just a big booze up.

[Mr Pee]

big horse racing meetings are horrible. I like it when there are about 300 people there. The big meetings are just a big booze up.

Paddy Power has the right idea:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvq-uO-XgjM

[Mary Chambers]

In the ups and downs, in what appears to the casual onlooker to be just ongoing conflict, there is colour, cameraderie and community; sibling support and self-deprecation.

Very much what people say about wars.

[Lateralthinking1]

Very much what people say about wars.

[teamsaint]

Very much what people say about wars.

but generally there are no guns, landmines , or government sponsored violence at the footy.

usually just a lot of people who perhaps should know better, spending their hard earned and their Saturday afternoon in a one way, inexplicable, love affair with a bunch of footballers and a concrete stadium.
Bonkers.But mostly harmless. In fact TOO harmless if anything, as our time might be better spent righting wrongs.
But the government like it this way.

oh, and footy contibutes a fortune to the treasury.........check the VAT element of a premier league ticket !!

[Lateralthinking1]

but generally there are no guns, landmines , or government sponsored violence at the footy.

And sometimes football is a peacekeeper. Please buy this to beat the X Factor next Christmas -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov8FeODxyXU