As well as subjecting themselves to long coach journeys, British weather and pie fillings of uncertain origin, football fans think of the beautiful game approximately once every 12 minutes, a survey has suggested.
The study, involving 2,000 fans of Premiership clubs, found that the average football fan contemplates football 80 times a day. Being a supporter, in other words, is a full-time preoccupation.
The time commitment does not match the incessant minutes men are said to spend thinking about sex, nor the time women are thought to spend pondering shoes. It will nevertheless provide ammunition for the partners of rabid fans, who are used to their loved ones’ appearance of being somewhere else even when they are not watching football.
The survey identified a hard core of fans, about 7 per cent, who thought about football once every minute.
Previous scientific studies show football to be the most stimulating of spectator sports. Richard Wiseman, Professor of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, told The Times: “In a paper about unpredict-ability in sport, football came out on top in terms of being constantly unpredictable. It’s constantly jolting the brain with unpredictable events. A football game is a memorable event because it’s constantly surprising.”
Fans who watched Aston Villa or Newcastle United this season might take issue with that theory but Professor Wiseman said: “If you compare it with something like tennis, which has a much slower pace to it, where every point does not win the match, then football is much more uncertain.” Some football fans were more preoccupied than others, according to the survey. Top of the league were Sheffield United fans. On average they thought about their team 110 times a day, a mental commitment that is likely to become ever more arduous as the weekend approaches and the team fights to avoid relegation. At the other end of the table, Manchester United fans, now serenely contemplating victory in the Premiership, thought about football 71 times a day.
There were certain teams that inspired constant thought. Liverpool fans, who have watched their team reach the Champions League Final for the second time in the past three years, were very preoccupied, as were fans of Charlton, relegated from the top flight.
Of all the supporters surveyed, Everton’s were most preoccupied by other matters, turning to contemplate their team a mere 43 times a day.
The survey was sponsored by Virgin Money, as part of its Football Fans’ Inflation Index, a study into the rising costs of attending matches.
John Franklin, of Virgin Money, said: “We all know that football can be expensive financially but this shows it also requires a lot of thinking as well.”
Idol thoughts
Fans’ daily football musings:
Sheffield United 110
Chelsea 90
Liverpool 81
West Ham 79
Manchester United 71
Newcastle 70
Arsenal 69
Portsmouth 63
Aston Villa 62
Tottenham 61
Blackburn 58
Comment:
Not surprising that football has become the most practiced religion in the west, as they say " eat, sleep and live football", and the former Liverpool manager Bill Shankley said " Some people say that football is a matter of life and death, they are wrong, its more important than that".
I wonder how many of us as Muslims take Islam as seriously as they take their religion? One main difference being that our way of life is from the creator , whilst theirs is made up, ours offers success in this life, if we follow it, whilst theirs offers nothing productive in the next life.
Last edited by Muezzin; 05-10-2007 at 02:40 PM.
Reason: Removed title because it's not exactly family friendly.
Football is a waste of time and complete stupidity to follow some team that just kick a bag of air around. I can understand the kuffar loving it so much since they drink and watch it. Plus they try to find meaning to their life through football.
this may not be the most 'appropriate' thread for a chick to be commenting but...
i love my football...
im proud of that and im not a kuffar...or wateva that is...everyone is a kuffar relative to someone else...
and i dont have to drink up to enjoy it...
and i even wake up at 3am to watch some matches...
...so if u want to wave around ur bias about 'football' being satan...u can take it elsewhere.
note to those who disaprove football: maybe try watching it symbolically...unless that'll bore u into having a few more long necks...
LIVE ON MANCHESTER!!!
peace...
Well said!
Manchester United or Manchester City?
Besides I can watch a match without drinking. In fact alot of the times I do watch it without drinking. In many football stadiums in this country, including Old Trafford you are not allowed alcohol on the premises...
this may not be the most 'appropriate' thread for a chick to be commenting but...
i love my football...
im proud of that and im not a kuffar...or wateva that is...everyone is a kuffar relative to someone else...
and i dont have to drink up to enjoy it...
and i even wake up at 3am to watch some matches...
...so if u want to wave around ur bias about 'football' being satan...u can take it elsewhere.
note to those who disaprove football: maybe try watching it symbolically...unless that'll bore u into having a few more long necks...
LIVE ON MANCHESTER!!!
peace...
I dont wanna be passing judgement, but the only reason I can think of for females watching football, is the team is full of males, who in todays world try to become idols for people to follow everything from fashion to the way they live. Just look at David Beckham he is idolised by millions, at one point he set a trend for hairstyles, where school boys were imitating his jamaican style dreadlocks etc... Plus football leads to hooliganism, and footballers are only in it to make money, they get paid a silly amount of money for kicking around that bag of air. The footballers wives are sl*gs who sleep around, most footballers themselves are racist bigots, not to mention their racist followers. Not a single aspect of their life is of any benefit to anyone, they just laughing how crazy people are about it and spend so much time and money on this useless thing.
I dont wanna be passing judgement, but the only reason I can think of for females watching football, is the team is full of males, who in todays world try to become idols for people to follow everything from fashion to the way they live. Just look at David Beckham he is idolised by millions, at one point he set a trend for hairstyles, where school boys were imitating his jamaican style dreadlocks etc... Plus football leads to hooliganism, and footballers are only in it to make money, they get paid a silly amount of money for kicking around that bag of air. The footballers wives are sl*gs who sleep around, most footballers themselves are racist bigots, not to mention their racist followers. Not a single aspect of their life is of any benefit to anyone, they just laughing how crazy people are about it and spend so much time and money on this useless thing.
yes...yes...yes...
my name is sis sumeyye and i...i am....this is harder than u think...i am...
A BOY CRAZY SLUG WHO LOVES WATCHING THE LITTLE AMOUNT OF FLESH SHOWING BETWEEN THE SOCK RIM AND THE SHORTS OF THE FOOTBAL PLAYERS IN MANCHERSTER.BECKHAM IS MY IDOL. I AM A 3RD DEGREE HOOLIGAN.AND I HAVE DREADLOCKS...
There..i said it..its all out!
oh footbal!!!u have taken away my purity...u have soiled me!!! oh the rage, the torment, the horror. oh if only i could turn bak time...
"'Cause I hear the whispered words
In your masterpiece beautiful
You speak the unspeakable through
I love you too"
Besides I can watch a match without drinking. In fact alot of the times I do watch it without drinking. In many football stadiums in this country, including Old Trafford you are not allowed alcohol on the premises...
who needs the alcohol when u got adrenalin???....maybe the kuffar do...
"'Cause I hear the whispered words
In your masterpiece beautiful
You speak the unspeakable through
I love you too"
Football is drving me insane As most already know I had that thread to help me decide football or deen study. Football has me in grips like never before
Both Manchester teams suck. The Bank (chelski) isnt any better
Arsenal only ArsenalFC the greatest team the world has ever seen!!!
Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
When you create an account, we remember exactly what you've read, so you always come right back where you left off. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and share your thoughts. Sign Up
Hide
Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.
Posting Permissions
Bookmarks