How important is football in your life?

[WBA1955]

What would go before football?
For me not a lot.
My main loves are fun, ****, natural history, history, local history, walks, garden centres and other places of interest. I wouldn't give up any of those for football even though I am Baggies through and through.
But some people only have work and football in their lives and they get upset and depressed over it
How sad is that?

[DaveP67 is back!]

For me it’s very, it links my dad me and my son, love games when we are all able to go although not likely my dad will now.

[Joy_Division]

Football in general is not that important to me. I very rarely watch games that are on TV, maybe the FA Cup final etc but not league games, but Albion are up there in importance to me with my family. I love Albion to distraction and I hate it when we lose. The only other subject that is up there equally is music. I am obsessed with music and listen to it for hours every day whether I am doing jobs or sitting quietly. I have other interests, history, Egyptology and the Ballet but not to the extent of Albion and music.

[SCOOP115]

Aa I've got older (70+ now) less so. I've not been to a live match since pre-pandemic Still watch a lot on TV except the Albion - Something I've always hated, whether it be live TV or Radio, I just can't relax when they are on. Funniy watching at the ground live I was usually OK (but more often than not dissapointed !) Still sulk for a couple of days after every defeat though.

[mickd1961]

It’s pretty irrelevant to me now.

A large part due to my mental health issues of recent years, the anxiety and stress of games on top of work and general life became something that I just couldn’t stand anymore so I distanced myself from football.

I got so angry at a match whilst Pardew was manager that I left after 60 minutes and from that point I just couldn’t see the point.

If I go now it’s for the social aspect and not the football.

I’m like you Des, I feel a bit sorry for middle and older aged people for whom it’s still a big part of their lives.

I prefer the NFL for watching now along with Discovery and National Geographic Channel along with anything murder related.

[Omegstrat6]

I have several interests that occupy my time outside of work and family including history, film, art and music (both listening to it and playing) and I enjoy walking and making the most of the coastal area I now live in. I've been an avid reader since childhood across a range of subjects. Despite having shown no interest in it whatsoever when I was younger, I now also enjoy gardening and growing our own fruit and veg. Also have our several pets including dog, cats, chickens, ducks and snake. Lots of different things to occupy myself with then outside of the jobs my better half thinks I should spend more of my time doing 😁

My interest in the Albion began as a kid and I went to as many games as I could and devoured the match reports in the "pink un". My dad and one brother are Blues fans so there has always been this friendly banter over football. Due to the nature of my work and having long moved away from the area I can sadly now class myself as only an armchair fan though.

Is football important to me then? With everything else going on, I certainly cannot say that it dominates my life-but somehow it is an indelible part of the fabric of it. I no longer get so worked up about the wider game as I once did or religiously watch MOTD anymore but football is still an essential part of banter at work as discussion of how Albion or Blues are doing remains a constant in any conversation with my Dad or brother. Maybe, in the wider scope of things, football in general isnt that important but following Albion remains a kind of constant and the performance (or not!) of the baggies still has that unerring ability to affect my mood. I can certainly identify with scoop when he talks about not being able to relax when listening to match commentary on the radio or watching them on tv though !

[baggieal]

It’s pretty irrelevant to me now.

A large part due to my mental health issues of recent years, the anxiety and stress of games on top of work and general life became something that I just couldn’t stand anymore so I distanced myself from football.

I got so angry at a match whilst Pardew was manager that I left after 60 minutes and from that point I just couldn’t see the point.

If I go now it’s for the social aspect and not the football.

I’m like you Des, I feel a bit sorry for middle and older aged people for whom it’s still a big part of their lives.

I prefer the NFL for watching now along with Discovery and National Geographic Channel along with anything murder related.

Social aspect for me too! Sick of football fleecing supporters now so more greed and players don’t give much back but happy to take huge wages.

Love walking now and nice little 20 miles on Monday around Keswick which is beautiful.

[boingy]

It’s probably my only link to any sense of family. So in that way it’s important to me. Music was and is a lifesaver to me, also studying psychology anything related to childhood trauma I devour at will. I was born in mental illness, then married mental illness whilst realising my own damage and now I’m dealing with my own damage now thankfully with a millpond of a wife now instead of the volcano (who I loved dearly btw) of a wife I married before. We still keep an eye on her now because of her vulnerability.

[westcountryvillain]

Great thread, I love football, both playing and watching Villa which is often an ordeal in itself, no other sport like it for pure emotion but it brings out the worst in me at times too, ruining my weekend. I have learnt to be a bit less upset with a defeat these days, the game keeps me feeling connected to my roots growing up - I love films themed on the coming of age where music, dancing & having fun were the order of the day.

I love walking, cycling and my guitar - for a bloke I'm also fastidious at keeping in touch with my friends down the years, it's often me initiating the meet-ups. I love hearing what folk are up to and celebrate their successes in life.