It’s that time of year again – the World Cup has started. It seems that people are (more or less) divided
into two camps – you love it or hate it.
I fall into the latter category. Not only do I hate football as a sport but it also dominates the
television programme scheduling and my regular programmes are randomly scattered about throughout the week. I have to make a point of finding out where a particular soap opera is now being aired.
Yes, we live in an age where there is catch-up tv and so it’s not a terrible calamity if I miss a certain programme and, if the television programme scheduling was being disrupted because of a tennis tournament, then I would not be mentioning it! So, on reflection, I think my negative feelings towards the World Cup centre around it being the actual sport itself combined with the staggering commercialization of it.
Prices for tickets are astronomical, politics seems to play an increasing role in the tournament and, for the life of me, I cannot understand why people would pay such sums for a few hours’ entertainment. I
had a centre court seat at Wimbledon a couple of years ago and only paid 50 pounds – granted it was
at the beginning of the tournament but I don’t think you would have to pay thousands for a ticket as the tournament progressed (and it is a day ticket). Please feel free to send in your comments if I am wrong
of course.
On the positive side, I do understand that the World Cup brings a country together and I have, on
occasion, been present in a pub where the big screen has lured fans to watch matches together. The
atmosphere can be electric and infectious and I have even found myself jumping up and down if my country has scored a goal.
But give me Wimbledon any time!