Whos better- Gerrard or Lampard?

[The Real Laoislad]

Ah no.

I'm not saying anything should stop. I'm only saying I can't understand why people care so much about English soccer teams. I'd be annoyed if anybody said I should stop saying that.

It's a free country.

That answers that so..Its because its English you have a problem with it..
Is it ok in your world to support Scottish soccer teams or American Football teams?

[Hardy]

That answers that so..Its because its English you have a problem with it.

That's a strange conclusion to draw from my statement. By your logic you might as easily conclude it's because it's soccer or because it's teams.

Is it ok in your world to support Scottish soccer teams or American Football teams?

Why does my opinion matter so much to you? But since you ask, everything is OK in my world as long as it respects the rights and needs of others.

So, in the spirit of our discussion - is it OK (in your world) for me to say I can't understand why the doings of English professional soccer millionaires and teams seem to matter so much to so many people.

[magpie seanie]

I'm not saying anything should stop. I'm only saying I can't understand why people care so much about English soccer teams.

Its easy to look at the English soccer league nowadays and be disgusted by the greed, cheating, laziness and complete lack of loyalty that is all pervasive. I would venture to suggest that it wasn't always like that and by way of trying to explain I'll let you in on my explanation for myself. I grew up next door to a family with two lads and along with myself and my two bros we were as thick as thieves. The neighbours Dad was and still is a huge Manchester United fan. He grew up hearing of and occasionally seeing footage of the Busby Babes and then Best, Law and Charlton. My memories of my younger days are of playing soccer in the neighbours garden for hours and pretending to be Duncan Edwards or George Best. Of course we got dogs abuse at school from supporters of other teams, one in particular, cause United could hardly win an argument in those days but you had Stapleton, Moran, McGrath, Whiteside and Robson and the occasional FA Cup. Those lads, while well enough paid, were totally different animals than you get nowadays. They played HARD. Gave and took belts and got on with it. No rolling about like puppies looking for their bellies to be rubbed.

As time went by I got more and more into the GAA but I still love dropping in next door to chat himself about United and when the brother who is in the US now calls me its always discussed. Its a part, wrongly or rightly, of how I was brought up and I can't see how I'd be any other way. I don't think I'm as mental into it as many (saw a half dozen lads jumping up and down like maniacs the other week when their team equalised against Wigan!) but each to their own. I've other things that my passions really get let loose on.

Hope that gives you a bit of insight into "where it all went wrong" for me Hardy! The attachment came at a different time and even though its not as attractive nowadays it still exists.

[Minder]

I'm not saying anything should stop. I'm only saying I can't understand why people care so much about English soccer teams.

Its easy to look at the English soccer league nowadays and be disgusted by the greed, cheating, laziness and complete lack of loyalty that is all pervasive. I would venture to suggest that it wasn't always like that and by way of trying to explain I'll let you in on my explanation for myself. I grew up next door to a family with two lads and along with myself and my two bros we were as thick as thieves. The neighbours Dad was and still is a huge Manchester United fan. He grew up hearing of and occasionally seeing footage of the Busby Babes and then Best, Law and Charlton. My memories of my younger days are of playing soccer in the neighbours garden for hours and pretending to be Duncan Edwards or George Best. Of course we got dogs abuse at school from supporters of other teams, one in particular, cause United could hardly win an argument in those days but you had Stapleton, Moran, McGrath, Whiteside and Robson and the occasional FA Cup. Those lads, while well enough paid, were totally different animals than you get nowadays. They played HARD. Gave and took belts and got on with it. No rolling about like puppies looking for their bellies to be rubbed.

As time went by I got more and more into the GAA but I still love dropping in next door to chat himself about United and when the brother who is in the US now calls me its always discussed. Its a part, wrongly or rightly, of how I was brought up and I can't see how I'd be any other way. I don't think I'm as mental into it as many (saw a half dozen lads jumping up and down like maniacs the other week when their team equalised against Wigan!) but each to their own. I've other things that my passions really get let loose on.

Hope that gives you a bit of insight into "where it all went wrong" for me Hardy! The attachment came at a different time and even though its not as attractive nowadays it still exists.

Agree 100% with Seanie, now im away for a shower. I feel dirty.

[Hardy]

To come clean, Seanie and Minder, my own history is not much different. I chose Man. Utd. as my team as a young fella, after reading in the comics about the Busby Babes, Munich, etc. and they were my team for years. I was Denis Law, heading in goals in the back garden.

The only difference to your experience is that I was probably never as passionate about it as you and I gave up on it gradually over the years, due to the combination of the realisation that the exploits of the overpaid employees of a foreign corporation in a city far away could never have any meaningful effect in my life and a growing disgust at the worsening antics of these spoiled mercenary cheats.

So I'm being a bit disingenuous in saying I don't understand how English professional soccer matters so much to so many people here. I did understand it once. But I genuinely don't understand how anyone could give a toss about it as it is today.

[magpie seanie]

I was Denis Law, heading in goals in the back garden.

I wasn't allowed to be him as the neighbours Dad was him!

[The Real Laoislad]

Is it ok in your world to support Scottish soccer teams or American Football teams?

Why does my opinion matter so much to you? But since you ask, everything is OK in my world as long as it respects the rights and needs of others.

So, in the spirit of our discussion - is it OK (in your world) for me to say I can't understand why the doings of English professional soccer millionaires and teams seem to matter so much to so many people.

As this is a discussion board I understood we were discussing a topic and I was asking you a further question as to why you think as you do..
Also saying "I can't understand why the doings of English professional soccer millionaires and teams seem to matter so much to so many people." is completely different from saying WHAT SANE SENSIBLE ADULT COULD GIVE A F**K ABOUT THE RELATIVE MERITS OF TWO ENGLISH SOCCER MILLIONAIRES OR WHOS (sic) BETTER THAN THE OTHER?
If you at first had said you don't understand why rather than insult the millions of adults who do give a f**k then it would have been a different conversation from the outset and I could have given you reasons like magpie seanie did as to the reasons why soccer means so much or use to mean so much to the fans that follow it

That answers that so..Its because its English you have a problem with it.

That's a strange conclusion to draw from my statement. By your logic you might as easily conclude it's because it's soccer or because it's teams.

I wouldn't consider it a strange conclusion,you keep mentioning England and English teams..Plenty of people in Ireland support Scottish teams but you just keep mentioning English teams...If I'm wrong i apologise but I'm only making a conclusion on what you post..
I would still love to know why you get so annoyed about soccer threads etc but not American sports threads and why did you feel the need to post that you didn't understand why people follow soccer but not why someone would follow a American Football team 3000 miles away?,but only if its ok to ask your opinion on a discussion board....

[billy the kid]

Given it plenty of thought this last couple of seasons and finally today I have decided on a definite answer and that answer is -



Fabregas is better than the both of them
                                                                                                                                                    Yeeoow  Up da Gunners

[The Real Laoislad]

Given it plenty of thought this last couple of seasons and finally today I have decided on a definite answer and that answer is -



Fabregas is better than the both of them
                                                                                                                                                    Yeeoow  Up da Gunners

If they all play to their best I would have Fabregas over Gerrard or Lampard too

[Hardy]

Laoislad - no need for apologies. Don't be taking things so seriously. Leave me alone in my puzzlement about the popularity of English soccer. I'm sorry it seems to bother you so much, but don't take it as a personal insult.

Since you're interested I would add Scottish soccer. I'd dislike that because a lot of it seems to exist as a vehicle for sectarianism. As regards American football, I'm not interested in that either. But I don't see it dominating the conversation here the way soccer does.