Football – have you actually missed it?

[11101]

I've missed playing, but not watching.

I've little interest in watching this bastardised version we will soon be getting. BCD was bad enough before, god knows what it will be like now with this new format and half the teams not wanting to be there. As has been said, it's all being done just to line a few pockets.

 

[Bebestation]

The whole coronavirus period to me personally has felt like a detoxifying period of getting rid of my attachments and addictions to alot of things that would be there both in front of me or inside of me. I guess football is just another one of those things.

Detoxifying from football has felt good - but my attachment for football wasnt great that I'd go out and watch the Bundesliga repeatedly either (I tried to watch the first 15 mins of the Dortmund bayern match & it was meh). I have a few clubs I support in the world & a few teams in leagues I'm interested in including rivals to watch.

Watching United more than anyone else will make me more happy and satisfied (or disappointed and stressed depending on the performance) but ultimately football will just be an attachment to me.

 

[Sayros]

I've definitely missed it, but when you consider the context and the people that have been affected these past few months from financial ruin to sickness/death, I feel silly complaining about anything. I'm glad we're getting it back slowly, same with the NBA which is confirmed to start again as well soon under weird conditions and a different format but I don't care, I'll take it because it's good for the moral to feel as if things are slowly coming back to normal, even if that's not exactly the truth.

I've been surprised though at how little I care about fake crowd noises, it works for me.

 

[NotoriousISSY]

It's a good distraction from the realities of life, so I've definitely missed it!

You just have to hope Project Restart has been properly risk assessed and doesn't become regrettable. I don't know how Toryish the Premier League figureheads truly are..

 

[SweetRightFoot]

I used to play 2-3 times a week, often more, and I haven't kicked a ball around with anyone else since January. All I've been able to practice with is a shitty street ball (for concrete courts) that feels like a basketball without the bounce. God knows what my freekicks are like now. Can't wait to get back to normality.

 

[Maluco]

Yes. I have missed it a lot. I worked on a Saturday for 8 years and never got to watch games. I work late most nights so getting to watch a match or two over the weekend and relax was a small highlight of the week for me.

It’s undoubtedly been a time of reflection but football has been a great distraction and I genuinely love sitting down to watch any PL game. It’s my time to enjoy and I can’t wait to have it back, on a purely selfish basis of course.

I have not returned to work because my country has particularly bad stats at the moment and it doesn’t feel safe, so I can sympathize completely with players not feeling safe.

I am speaking from a purely selfish perspective in that I have missed it. I don’t want it back if people are made to feel unsafe.

 

[RyRoc]

First two months I was surprisingly doing more than well without it and didn't miss it all in, then about a month ago I was beginning to miss watching a couple of games and got a bit more bored, then last couple of weeks I've badly missed it - it's coming back at the perfect time for me!

 

[clarkydaz]

kind of in limbo. When Bundersliga was announced i was buzzing some footy was back, watch it and couldnt get through a whole match. Hope the attachment is more when my team has something riding on it

 

[RobinLFC]

I've missed watching Liverpool and CL evenings, but that's about it. It'll still be a nice pastime to have when I'm home in the evening during the week and there's not much else to do.

Genuinely felt bad about not having the spring cycling classics in March and April though, so extremely happy that we still have that to look forward to. Likewise with the NBA.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

kind of in limbo. When Bundersliga was announced i was buzzing some footy was back, watch it and couldnt get through a whole match. Hope the attachment is more when my team has something riding on it

A bit the same. Hard to watch much Bundesliga. I think Premier league is a different beast. Maybe watching Liverpool will pain me more than before now when they are getting the title.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Not much. Just felt like a summer break, a little extended.
Will wait and see if I ll be able to enjoy then fan less games. I think it maybe a borefest with teams just playing because they have to finish season somehow. But who knows.

 

[charlenefan]

Can't say I've missed it too much tbh, given we ended with a superb Derby win over City (and then the 5 goal haul in the EL) it was nice to end things on a high

Little cautious about the restart tbh as there was a feel good vibe to the club before lockdown and knowing the United fanbase they'll be calls for Ole to be sacked if we even draw with Spurs let alone lose

 

[golden_blunder]

Nope. I’ll watch it obviously but not excited about it. It’s a complete farce, all for money. What we will get is not the PL that we all love.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

If it was proper football coming back with full stadiums then maybe i'd be more excited, but empty stadium football is just shit.

 

[SuperiorXI]

If it was proper football coming back with full stadiums then maybe i'd be more excited, but empty stadium football is just shit.

Pretty much this.

 

[Yagami]

A bit. Definitely not as much as I thought I would.

I haven't watched any of the Bundesliga games, but I did try a South Korean game when they first came back and, with no crowd, just couldn't get into it. The quality of the football didn't help, mind.

I'm looking forward to seeing United back because it's United, but I'm not excited for the games themselves if that makes sense. Seeing Pogba, Bruno, Martial and Rashford together - regardless of the circumstances - will be nice.

 

[MancunianAngels]

I’ve discovered I don’t miss watching football at home on TV that much.

I miss going to the match with my mates.

I miss going to the pub and having a sing song.

I’ll watch United when we’re back but it’s not gonna be the same until the world is back to some form of normality and hundreds of people aren’t dying every day.

 

[Cutch]

Haven't really missed football at all but can't wait to see United and particularly Bruno and Rashford again

 

[Irrational.]

I really haven't missed it and I have absolutely no interest in it returning with this weird behind closed doors, semi match fit, five subs bullshit with players like Kante and Deeney missing because it's not safe for them to be involved. The whole thing just feels like a massive farce to satisfy a few clubs, the TV companies (who are still demanding compensation) and the Premier League execs.

I agree with this. Utterly irresponsible - anyone who thinks this whole 'Project Restart' is anything other than financially motivated is deluding themselves. This season will go out with all the impact of a wet fart.

The season is already a write-off, any achievements will feel insipid and sterile. 40K people have died and we're barely out of the woods but let's bring back what matters - the footy. Glad the government and the FA have their priorities right.

 

[Rood]

Football is the No1 thing I have missed during lockdown - although playing much more than watching but still I have missed United for sure, especially the whole matchday experience of a live match

Im in two minds about the return - I am excited to see it back but also worried it might be shit without fans plus I was hoping for null&void to screw the Scousers

 

[DoomSlayer]

Haven't missed football at all, there are much more important things to worry about currently.

And if that isn't bad enough, Liverpool are going to win the league for the first time in 3 decades, with the potential of dominating for the next few years. Can't get more grim than that.

 

[The Boy]

I’m happy to admit I have missed it massively, but while I don’t mind empty stadiums (obvious good reasons) I can’t help but feel that it is coming back to quickly. I would be happy to carry on pining for it knowing it would eventually return for the right reasons, rather than financial ones.

 

[Eli Zee]

I’ve missed it to the point I actually started playing fifa 20. I bought this game when it came out and didn’t play after the first week.

anyway, I’m excited it is back.

 

[Billy Bigalow]

I have missed the football and can't wait to see it's return. The NRL starting back up here, even BCD and with a fake atmosphere has only intensified my wanting football back. I'm looking forward to seeing my team become champions, Leeds probable return to the top flight and all of the other triumphs and failures.

I don't really understand how any football supporter cannot be starting to feel excited about a return: For most of us, surely, this is what we long for, to see our side on the pitch with all of the high and low emotions that come with it. I get the concerns over the lack of a crowd, but if that's what it takes, then so be it. Bring it on. I can't wait.

 

[Sky1981]

With so many news and things going on (covid and BLM protest) it fills my void for something to keep up to date so not really.

There's alot more things higher on my list that I missed compared to football

EDIT: Playing fm2020 gonna feels weird

 

[Judas]

I've missed proper football. I'll watch the rest of the season, but its not what I've missed, and it feels like weeks of bizarre training/friendly matches to me. Bizarre how much meaning they're going to have.

 

[Shaun88]

I really haven't missed it and I have absolutely no interest in it returning with this weird behind closed doors, semi match fit, five subs bullshit with players like Kante and Deeney missing because it's not safe for them to be involved. The whole thing just feels like a massive farce to satisfy a few clubs, the TV companies (who are still demanding compensation) and the Premier League execs.

This!
Brilliant post

 

[broccoli]

Empty stadiums or not i'm fed up with football. Will only turn the tv on if my club or my man Jose are playing. Otherwise it's boring as feck. They should make matches shorter like 25mins each half.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I’ve missed it but have zero interest in the half-arsed farce that will be the second half of this season. Should never have gone ahead.

 

[We need an rvn]

I've simply missed being able to watch live sport on tv to be honest. Tried watching some old replays that BT and BBC put on but seeing as I knew the result I couldn't be bothered after the first few attempts. So live sports, absolutely as it's a mental release for me.

Have I missed football in particular - a little more than say rugby 6 nations, but I was truly looking forward to the Olympics / Euro's too

But I'm also not a huge tv watcher so don't feel like I had all these "free" time all of a sudden

 

[Untd55]

I would say I have pretty much no interest in this season. It feels pretty pointless. Although I will likely watch it, I am just not bothered about will happen in the remainder of the season.

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

No.

not particularly interested in it’s return given the PL have ignored the plight of the lower leagues, where so many clubs are going to go to the wall.

it’s lost all momentum, and it’s really not exciting.

of all the things I miss, football is one of the lowest on my list. Flour and eggs are higher up the list.

 

[Gio]

Before lockdown I had already stopped watching the majority of domestic football because there was very little at stake in most European leagues. Looking at the remaining fixtures in the Premier League for example and it doesn’t get the juices flowing. It’s been enjoyable revisiting meaty games from the past where there was a lot on the line and the likes of BBC and ITV have made an effort to open up their back catalogues to a wider audience rather than a handful of Footballia hipsters.

That said, have missed the conclusion to the Europa and Champions Leagues and the build up to the Euros that would be kicking off now.

 

[Dante]

Yes. A lot.

 

[POF]

I really don't get the outrage that the EPL is returning "for financial reasons". Of course it is. You have clubs forking out millions of pounds a week on player wages without providing any product to TV companies or consumers to attend games.

What's wrong with businesses wanting to remain solvent? The Premier League is a huge industry and the money it generates provides numerous jobs, directly or indirectly.

Safety should come first of course but in a world headed for global recession, if it's safe to return they should absolutely do it. Waiting until it's safe to have full stadia may mean clubs going to the wall and more lost jobs. Why is that the noble thing to do?

 

[ghaliboy]

Nope. It was already a slog watching is before the lockdowns and shutdowns. Was glad for the break of not really having to pay attention.

 

[Antisocial]

Surprising not - at this point in a normal year then I’d be struggling to adjust to not having club football every weekend because it’s the summer, and I’m always one who hates the international breaks for interrupting seasons throughout the Autumn, but for this I really haven’t been bothered in the slightest about it not being on, and have zero excitement about the season finishing. When it became clear the season coudn’t restart without major changes then I wanted it cancelled and starting a new season fresh in the changed circumstances as it’s all very much artificial as it is - @Pexbo sums it up well.

Honestly I can barely amount any enthusiasm for the season at all. Even the fact that we’ve missed the chance to play Spurs whilst Son was injured isn’t annoying me as much as it otherwise would in normal circumstances

 

[VBI]

Yes, extremely. It's a huge part of my daily life. There's only so much Youtube clips can do to fill the void.

 

[Handré1990]

I’ve missed it dearly! Can’t wait to watch my team again! Rashford back, Bruno to play with Pogba, AWB’s tackles, Martial’s sullen face until he brings his magic, Greenwood’s journey to become our new star, hell, I even have some time for Shaw, the immovable object!

How could you not? Give me some panem et circenses in these troubled times.

 

[Tiber]

Nah. I prefer sitting around the house bored and reading never ending depressing news