On the eve of the start of the 2022 World Cup I have decided that I will not be watching the opening ceremony or the first match between Qatar and Ecuador. In the past I have looked forward to all the matches I can get to see and since I was a very young boy have enjoyed all the build up and circus surrounding this great tournament. However this year there are many reasons that I find myself uncomfortable with watching and supporting the spectacle from human rights abuses, corruption and the general bad taste of a football tournament that has so obviously been 'bought'.
As a very proud Welshman, I will find it very difficult to not watch Wales playing in their first World Cup for over 60 years, in fact the first time that they have qualified in my lifetime and will no doubt find time and the inclination to watch my Wales play, but other games will be less of a pull.
In the past I admit to going a little overboard and watching as much World Cup football as I could (and if not watching - then at least listening on the radio while driving home) but 2022 Qatar just feels different and a little 'dirty', so in addition to making a very direct effort to not buy or support any World Cup sponsors, I will be cutting back on my football 'fix' for this year and who knows, maybe for the future.
FIFA have in 2022 ruined football for me. So thank you for that.
Tony
4 comments:
Agree with you there: I shall confine myself to the England games and, maybe, Wales.
Concur with your position.
Given the state of the climate it would make sense to eliminate these huge global consumption fests and revert to much smaller local competitions.
The original Olympics had a pretty local/regional feel and we still remember it.
I am not a football fan, so would not be watching anyway. However I totally agree with the above. I find the corruption of the whole thing stomach churning. It’s all about the money, I see the rather despicable Mr Beckham’s is there for a ridiculous fee. Maybe he should open his eyes to what he signed up for and who with.
6500 people were worked to death for this "spectacle"......I'd like to think we'd moved on from the days of the Roman arena....obviously not ! How anyone can watch any of this is in all truth beyond my comprehension.
Post a Comment