I've just been reading back over my last few posts. Decided it is time for a bit of a reality check. Here am I, the girl who doesn't do football, in fact doesn't even like it, writing posts about whether a football manager will keep his job. Like I know what I am talking about.Mind you I reckon there is an element of blag to 'doing' football. And as I said in an earlier post, part of it is having an opinion about everything. I have seen nothing that indicates this has to be based upon any sort of evidence. And no-one ever seems to ask you to back it up.
For example, when I read stuff on the message boards I observe one fan come in and say they hate a particular player. Lots of other fans then join in, agreeing or disagreeing. At no point does anyone say why they like or dislike this poor person, other than to suggest they indulge in occasional caber throwing (work it out!).
So it would seem that I have learnt my first lesson about 'doing' football. You just blag your way through and no-one notices because they are all doing it too.
Or maybe you disagree???
There are blaggers in every walk of life arn't there ? None more so than in footbal though ....so the blagger quotient is quite high.
ReplyDeleteNone more so than in the ranks of Arsenal fans that now bring picnic hampers to the match if Paul Whitehouse is to be believed. When you look into it, you'll find that RK talked strongly about "the prawn sandwich brigade" at Old Trafford and, to some extent, they are the blaggers mostly. The middle classes, that since Thatcher, have infiltrated the beautiful game with their lower middle class manners.
However, there are also the street blaggers too. if you listen to TS all the time (like wot i do) Thatcher's children marshall these callers into a huge state of false consciousness, getting them into a lather about all sorts so they don't ask the fundamental questions about IRAQ etc. Football has also taken on the role of Opiate for the masses now of couurse.
The people that come on the radio.....to "join in" are blaggers of the highest calibre.
In amongst this, you also come across people like Brian Moore, Jonathan Pearce, Andy gray and Gabrial Marchotti who know a thing or too. The have a "sociological imagination"
Sir Alex is good value, as was Cloughie. Shanks and Paisley too.
These days, a non blagging manager, or indeed player, is quite hard to find.
My own personal favortie of course is..........Steve Coppell. A man for our time if there ever was one
SS
SS: Clearly you are well schooled in this particlar aspect of football
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