Oh the times they are a-changing

LenGlover

When I were a lad back in the last century Scotland v England or even England v Scotland was an unmissable footballing occasion arguably second only to the World Cup and families gathered round the flickering black and white telly to watch.

I've just arrived home from work and she is engrossed in Masterchef. I've not asked her to turn it over nor even checked the score.

Am I alone in my disillusionment and disinterest with the England football team or do others feel likewise?

Talal

I am about as disinterested in the national team as they come, however this is far more entertaining than the drab qualifying matches. Atmosphere helps too.

charltonkeston

Always watch an England Scotland game.

ShootersHillGuru

LenGlover said:

When I were a lad back in the last century Scotland v England or even England v Scotland was an unmissable footballing occasion arguably second only to the World Cup and families gathered round the flickering black and white telly to watch.

I've just arrived home from work and she is engrossed in Masterchef. I've not asked her to turn it over nor even checked the score.

Am I alone in my disillusionment and disinterest with the England football team or do others feel likewise?

Feel exactly the same.

DOC64

Don't normally do England friendlies, but this is very different. Have a Scottish wife so this is quite amusing - so far!!

charlton_hero

You're missing out, good game.

nth_london_addick

Very good game

DaveMehmet

DOC64 said:

Don't normally do England friendlies, but this is very different. Have a Scottish wife so this is quite amusing - so far!!

Make sure you pull her side of the headboard down in celebration if we win.

The_President

good game - absolutely stonking England 3rd goal.

sunbury-addick

Know what you mean Len - that wasnt to bad though

PL54

LenGlover said:

When I were a lad back in the last century Scotland v England or even England v Scotland was an unmissable footballing occasion arguably second only to the World Cup and families gathered round the flickering black and white telly to watch.

I've just arrived home from work and she is engrossed in Masterchef. I've not asked her to turn it over nor even checked the score.

Am I alone in my disillusionment and disinterest with the England football team or do others feel likewise?

People who are disinterested in things usually don't talk about them. There are lots of things I have no interest in and not unsurprisingly, I don't start conversations about them.

It seems you are actually interested in the England football team after all.

Amos on the wing

That was the most enjoyable England game I have seen in a long time. Thought they were excellent.

Daggs

Thought England looked good. But that's easy when playing against Minnows.

shirty5

Bar the scotland goal. i thought England's performance was very good last night. Always enjoy an England/Scotland game.

Euro 96, Gazza's goal. One of the best games i have witnessed live for the whole atmosphere

Valley11

They're sanitising international football in the same way American sport has been completely sanitised. Basketball crowds in the states are told when to clap and what chants to sing. No one dare shout an obscenity or they'd be plucked from the 'audience' by a big metal claw and ejected, like something out of Rollerball.
Football ain't quite there yet but it's coming.
Scotland v England should have an edge. Jocks pulling down goalposts, that sort of thing. But Vauxhall and McDonalds wouldn't want that.

smudge7946

I blame Scotland. They a joke of team, a joke of a nation and a joke as a culture.

I don't see how anyone except maybe the Faroe Islands would remotely excited about playing that shower of sh!t.

LenGlover

PL54 said:

LenGlover said:

When I were a lad back in the last century Scotland v England or even England v Scotland was an unmissable footballing occasion arguably second only to the World Cup and families gathered round the flickering black and white telly to watch.

I've just arrived home from work and she is engrossed in Masterchef. I've not asked her to turn it over nor even checked the score.

Am I alone in my disillusionment and disinterest with the England football team or do others feel likewise?

People who are disinterested in things usually don't talk about them. There are lots of things I have no interest in and not unsurprisingly, I don't start conversations about them.

It seems you are actually interested in the England football team after all.

I am interested in football and England is part of that so to that extent you are right.

The point is that years ago it would be unthinkable for me to miss an England v Scotland match if televised yet yesterday I was not sufficiently motivated to get her to turn it over from Masterchef.

I just wondered if I was alone in that.

As it happened I did end up watching the second half from when Rooney scored to make it 2-0.

ValleyGary

LenGlover said:

PL54 said:

LenGlover said:

When I were a lad back in the last century Scotland v England or even England v Scotland was an unmissable footballing occasion arguably second only to the World Cup and families gathered round the flickering black and white telly to watch.

I've just arrived home from work and she is engrossed in Masterchef. I've not asked her to turn it over nor even checked the score.

Am I alone in my disillusionment and disinterest with the England football team or do others feel likewise?

People who are disinterested in things usually don't talk about them. There are lots of things I have no interest in and not unsurprisingly, I don't start conversations about them.

It seems you are actually interested in the England football team after all.

I am interested in football and England is part of that so to that extent you are right.

The point is that years ago it would be unthinkable for me to miss an England v Scotland match if televised yet yesterday I was not sufficiently motivated to get her to turn it over from Masterchef.

I just wondered if I was alone in that.

As it happened I did end up watching the second half from when Rooney scored to make it 2-0.

I'd imagine that amount of televised games now means that the bigger ones have lost their edge.

How many games could you watch in a week on terrestrial TV back then? I bet you can watch more games in a day now on SKY.

cafctom

My housemate was saying before the match "at least it's only a friendly", to which I responded "well, it isn't though is it? It never is against Scotland." But because it was billed as a friendly he just couldn't get his head around the fact that it is an important game.

Then again he is a sit at home Manchester United 'fan' who probably doesn't see these sorts of things in the same way more loyal supporters do.

For me, last nights game was fantastic. Both teams and sets of supporters in the ground wanted it bad.

cafctom

.

Macronate

i think you are doing a disservice to Masterchef which, at times can be compelling viewing.

Algarveaddick

You are not alone in your feelings Len. Plenty of others feel likewise. Personally I don't understand it one jot or iota. I am not letting outside factors spoil my enjoyment of football, even if I do like to moan about those factors and like you, would dearly love to change them.

The day I would prefer to watch Ben from "Fizzers Bistro" in Chorlton-cum-Hardy knock up a soufflé than any England football match is the day you can shuffle me off to one of those clinics in Switzerland... ;-)

kings hill addick

ValleyGary said:

LenGlover said:

PL54 said:

LenGlover said:

When I were a lad back in the last century Scotland v England or even England v Scotland was an unmissable footballing occasion arguably second only to the World Cup and families gathered round the flickering black and white telly to watch.

I've just arrived home from work and she is engrossed in Masterchef. I've not asked her to turn it over nor even checked the score.

Am I alone in my disillusionment and disinterest with the England football team or do others feel likewise?

People who are disinterested in things usually don't talk about them. There are lots of things I have no interest in and not unsurprisingly, I don't start conversations about them.

It seems you are actually interested in the England football team after all.

I am interested in football and England is part of that so to that extent you are right.

The point is that years ago it would be unthinkable for me to miss an England v Scotland match if televised yet yesterday I was not sufficiently motivated to get her to turn it over from Masterchef.

I just wondered if I was alone in that.

As it happened I did end up watching the second half from when Rooney scored to make it 2-0.

I'd imagine that amount of televised games now means that the bigger ones have lost their edge.

How many games could you watch in a week on terrestrial TV back then? I bet you can watch more games in a day now on SKY.

This is right. The only games that were played live were Internationals and the FA Cup Final.

Now we, literally, have more live games across the various channels in the UK in a week than we used to get in a year. On the Champions League evenings we probably get more games in one evening that we used to get every in a year that didn't include a World Cup or Euro Finals.

I'd bet that you can find live (or replayed live) football almost 24 hours a day now.

The Home Nations games were probably the only time the majority of the population saw our best players play for ninety minutes.

I'd bet that Wayne Rooney has appeared live more times than every member of the 1990 England World Cup Final squad, added together - and we nearly won it!

Greenie

I wouldn't cross the road to watch England play.

AddicksAddict

charltonkeston said:

Always watch an England Scotland game.

Ditto. It doesn't matter if it's only a friendly, this is the oldest international match on the calendar and it should be held every two or three years.

ken from bexley

LenGlover said:

PL54 said:

LenGlover said:

When I were a lad back in the last century Scotland v England or even England v Scotland was an unmissable footballing occasion arguably second only to the World Cup and families gathered round the flickering black and white telly to watch.

I've just arrived home from work and she is engrossed in Masterchef. I've not asked her to turn it over nor even checked the score.

Am I alone in my disillusionment and disinterest with the England football team or do others feel likewise?

People who are disinterested in things usually don't talk about them. There are lots of things I have no interest in and not unsurprisingly, I don't start conversations about them.

It seems you are actually interested in the England football team after all.

I am interested in football and England is part of that so to that extent you are right.

The point is that years ago it would be unthinkable for me to miss an England v Scotland match if televised yet yesterday I was not sufficiently motivated to get her to turn it over from Masterchef.

I just wondered if I was alone in that.

As it happened I did end up watching the second half from when Rooney scored to make it 2-0.

I am afraid I share your view Len......
I was actually working, but did see the highlights though.
But I would have at one time, changed shifts to see this.
So guilty as charged.

ForeverAddickted

AddicksAddict said:

charltonkeston said:

Always watch an England Scotland game.

Ditto. It doesn't matter if it's only a friendly, this is the oldest international match on the calendar and it should be held every two or three years.

How about once before a Major Tournament... Can be a good warm-up beforehand for England...

Imnot Athletic

The rise of the "best league in the world" and the fact that usually half the squad cry off with injuries only to bee seen playing the following weekend means International football, friendlies or otherwise, just doesn't seem to be the pinnacle of the sport any more.

The best world club sides are arguably better than the best international sides and play each other more often on billard table pitches and, as Kings Hill and Valley Gary said, its all so accessable these days. In comparison wathcing 11 v 11 slog it out on a mud bath on MOTD and the big match on a Sunday in the 70's and 80s seemed a world away from a game at Wembley or the Maracana back then

ForeverAddickted

Imnot Athletic said:

The rise of the "best league in the world" and the fact that usually half the squad cry off with injuries only to bee seen playing the following weekend means International football, friendlies or otherwise, just doesn't seem to be the pinnacle of the sport any more.

The best world club sides are arguably better than the best international sides and play each other more often on billard table pitches and, as Kings Hill and Valley Gary said, its all so accessable these days. In comparison wathcing 11 v 11 slog it out on a mud bath on MOTD and the big match on a Sunday in the 70's and 80s seemed a world away from a game at Wembley or the Maracana back then

I think that because Sky had the game televised it instantly became a match worth talking about... Had it just been the BBC or ITV it would have been brushed under the carpet.

One of my favourite ever tweets once was when Sky Sports 5 was released and Paddy Power came out with something along time lines of: The Eredivise the League no one cared about until Sky got it

kings hill addick

Imnot Athletic said:

The rise of the "best league in the world" and the fact that usually half the squad cry off with injuries only to bee seen playing the following weekend means International football, friendlies or otherwise, just doesn't seem to be the pinnacle of the sport any more.

The best world club sides are arguably better than the best international sides and play each other more often on billard table pitches and, as Kings Hill and Valley Gary said, its all so accessable these days. In comparison wathcing 11 v 11 slog it out on a mud bath on MOTD and the big match on a Sunday in the 70's and 80s seemed a world away from a game at Wembley or the Maracana back then

Which is, in actual fact, nothing like the pitch England played on last Saturday!

Algarveaddick

Imnot Athletic said:

The rise of the "best league in the world" and the fact that usually half the squad cry off with injuries only to bee seen playing the following weekend means International football, friendlies or otherwise, just doesn't seem to be the pinnacle of the sport any more.

The best world club sides are arguably better than the best international sides and play each other more often on billard table pitches and, as Kings Hill and Valley Gary said, its all so accessable these days. In comparison wathcing 11 v 11 slog it out on a mud bath on MOTD and the big match on a Sunday in the 70's and 80s seemed a world away from a game at Wembley or the Maracana back then

I remember my mates Dad claiming that in the late 70s.