There is something about association football that is very attractive. The game is played by more than 250 million players in more than 200 countries and has the highest television audience in sports. What is it that makes soccer so popular? Do you still have your sporting spirit?
unfair game
I am familiar with football in England both on TV and from the stands.
Some argue that unfair play spoils the game. Pundits talk about the so-called ‘tactical foul’ as if it were acceptable. Like taking unfair advantage is okay. However, doesn’t cheating undermine fair play?
We hear of the ‘pro foul’ as approvingly ‘Took one for the team’ for an unfair advantage, perhaps to stop a dangerous attack on goal. His infraction resulted in a yellow card from the referee.
Similarly, ‘diving in’ can be cheeky. More difficult to officiate is the player who goes down unnecessarily when there is some kind of physical contact with the tackler. This is more common. When a player apparently gets injured only to get up a little later and immediately sprint across the field, fans get very outraged. This is because feigning injury occurs to stop play and give teammates a breather or encourage the referee to show a red card by sending the opposing player off the field.
Some argue that a ‘win at all costs’ attitude sometimes develops and this is killing the spirit of the game, eg handing the ball into the net. It is better to enjoy football for its own sake than to believe that the only thing that matters is whether we win or lose.
Being a sore loser hurts sportsmanship
It’s nice to see opposing players and coaches shake hands after a game and both teams congratulate the other on their efforts. Similarly, the crowd cheers when a player kicks the ball out of play if a player on the opposite side is hurt so he can get help.
However, sore losers make little complaints about all sorts of things. When winning at all costs rules our hearts, then we will feel really fed up after a loss. Unhappy with the referee, substitutions, bad luck.
But maybe the opposing team deserved to win in all honesty. They did not cheat, but they did show good skill and effort. How many times have you accepted ‘Yes, we were outplayed in game, thought, race and fight: the best team won’. Everyone is attracted to those who seem honest and fair. Even children know what justice is and they get very angry when cheating is done.
Verbal abuse in soccer
Soccer is just a game. But when hiding in a crowd, some individuals want to be verbally abusive. They openly express hostility directed at players of the opposing team, match officials, or people of a different race than their own. Some fans have even been known to abuse their own players who have made mistakes.
Even in amateur play, abuse directed at the referee can continue by some players, coaches, and fans. Some parents have been heard yelling and cursing at the referees in front of their own children. Unfortunately, football culture now has its vicious side.
Loss of community sportsmanship
Being part of a stadium crowd can be a wonderful experience. Just being there and being a part of the drama and spirit of the game with its emotions and unpredictability is a big part of the fun. Living the 90 minutes with its ups and downs and its achievements and disappointments.
However, without live football on English terrestrial TV, people watch the highlights of the Match of the Day and seem happy just to see the goals, red cards and penalties and not much else. Even watching football live on pay TV lacks the community aspect of football as a sport. Instead of being part of the crowd, the viewer is looking at a secluded spot.
Loss of competition in soccer
High-level modern football in England has been traded for pay-TV. It has poured billions of pounds into creating astronomical salaries, transfers and agent fees. And to some degree, all this money has bought success in the field and a commercial windfall. Why else would businessmen want to invest primarily in top Premier League clubs? So much so that others can barely compete and the same big clubs are there or there on top at the end of the season.
Revenue disparities between the various leagues were once narrow, giving lower league teams a better chance of victory by virtue of having good veterans and talented young players with various cup competitions open to them. Now there is an absolute gulf between the top and other levels of the game.
When the playing field is so uneven, unpredictability, which is vital to the spirit of the game, is unfortunately reduced. Matches with one of the richest clubs can sometimes become an exhibition with a foregone conclusion rather than a competition.
Monetary guidance in soccer
The average salary in the Premier League is about £200,000 a month, £2.5m a year. Fans are constantly trying to weigh player engagement against revenue, fees paid against performance. Therefore, some commentators suggest that football is now about knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing. If it’s true that football has become mostly about money, it seems to be ruining the top-level game.
Conclusion on sportsmanship
The sport can be deeply satisfying to play and watch when the sportsmanship of the game is present. This means being honest with ourselves about our team’s performance, showing consideration for everyone involved, celebrating participation in shared enjoyment, and playing fair.
“Everything that is good and true, just and just, and also honorable, has a strong hidden power within itself to attract people’s minds.” (Emanuel Swedenborg, spiritual philosopher)