You wake up this mornin and there is no such thing as football,soccer no teams. no grounds , no supporters, no bb`s,and no sign of the game being invented. What sport would then become your no 1, not to play more to follow, debate etc, mine would be cricket. over to youse lot, nominate Gav`s now!!

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

Answers

I suppose Buff, living where I do, it would have to be Hockey (the Ice variety) Much like soccer in the fact that it is overpriced, with overpaid players, and the whole business revolving around the corporate boxes, sponsorship, TV rights etc, with very little consideration for the grass roots fan. Other than that it can be a very exciting game, very physical, hard work, some skill required, with the odd brilliant player here and there. As they say in this town..."Go Flames Go!!" (thats the only song they know, and the crowd need a guy dressed like a dog holding up a sign so they can remember both words.)

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

>>"Go Flames Go!!" (thats the only song they know, and the crowd need a guy dressed like a dog holding up a sign so they can remember both words.)

Christ Pete ! I think you've just flashed before us a future picture of the ground formerly known as Fortress St. James ;o7. I've been meaning to say something about the atmosphere encountered at my first home game in 4 years - but in deference to Buff that will have to wait for another thread.

So to answer the original question - probably Aussie Rules. Same sort of passion and roots as our own footy.

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2000

Aussie Rules, now that IS a game. Only see it once in a blue moon over here. As near as i can figure the only rule is "Thou Shalt Not Kill. I just love the guys in white hats and coats that are so serious when points are scored.

Regarding the Hockey crowds at the Dome here in Calgary, Thirty odd thousand, indoors, and you can hear a pin drop. Hence "Harvey the Hound" paid to encourage crowd noise. It wasn't bad in the "old days" late eighties, early nineties when seats were still affordable by those that had a passion for the sport. But then that is for another thread isn't it.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Confession time eh? OK. Totally different - not a ball in sight (well, apart from bearings and a few "up" in the air). Yes - I'm a bit of a gear-head. Motorsport. Not the prima donna stuff of the roundy-round bits, but man and machine against the elements - rallying. I just love watching a master at work. How the hell McRae, Burns, Erikson and their like can keep those beasts pointing (almost) the right direction at the speed they do defies me. To watch those boys tackle the roads you and I might drive (Isle of Man, Donnegal etc) is truly amazing. Stop it - I'll never sleep tonight.......

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

McRae is the master as far as I'm concerned. I can't remember where the rally was but there was this section where there were a couple of humps in the road, like two hump backed bridges close together.

Anyway, McRae thought to himself he could take it flat out and therefore fly straight over the middle section. Every other driver bottled it or never thought of doing it, I think he made around five seconds on the others there. That takes guts.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

love making :-)

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

None.

Your question asks what would happen if football didn't exist from now. Obviously, if it hadn't existed when I was a boy I might well have taken up something with equal passion.

All my love of football now revolves around United. I don't follow the game much as regards other teams, other divisons, internationals etc. And most of that passion comes from the history that the Toon and I have shared over these past 39 years. So if football no longer exists I might take a passing interest in whatever is happening at the moment, say a Cricket Test Match, The Olympics or whatever, but I certainly would not be developing an interest or passion to anything like the same degree.

Mind, if the BBS didn't exist, it would surely be necessary to invent it. :-)

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

GOLF, although I allways rush games on sat because of the match , I find golf gives the same highs and lows of NUFC, You've just belted a 330 yd drive straight down the middle opf the fairway , only to shank a wedge into the rough and turn a eagle into a double bogey. It has its share of violence also Why only 2 weeks ago pulled a drive 300 yds straight into the middle of someones back ooo thats gotta hurt.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Cricket. With the exception of watching the toon play, it's the one thing I really miss about home. Playing it and watching it. However life without football? Aint worth living is it?

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

I guess it would have to be rugby. Follow a local team. Canny social life!

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

I'd probably have to go with the golf thing. Not many games can give me so much pleasure yet so much anguish in the space of ten minutes or 450 yards!

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

subbuteo

table football

football on the playstation/computer

failing that - tiddlywinks. in all seriousness, a cut throat game.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Formula 1. Not nearly as boring as everyone thinks it is. Those 2 minutes when the cars wait until everyone's on the grid, the lights come on, the lights go out, 200mph into a huge pile-up on the first corner....orgasmic viewing :-)

Rugby can whither on the vine as far as I'm concerned; haven't been able to raise any enthusiasm for them since they went professional and England signed a seperate TV deal for the 5(6) Nations. Heinous.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

None! I'd still watch the odd bit of motor racing and Wimbledon and the Great North Run on telly but I wouldn't go to watch anything live.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Steph - you can't watch Wimbledon - footy doesn't exist. And as for "the odd bit of Formula one" - would that be Murray Walker??

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Tee hee! I wondered who would spot that!

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Back to my other obsession...concerts. Still dreading next spring when U2 starts touring and I face a couple of months juggling their shows with watching/listening to footy. Not to mention watching my credit cards jump off the highest building whenever I talk about it. ;-)))

Otherwise no other sport interests me much other than the Olympics and a bit of ice skating and gymnastics.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

I suppose I would have to start showing up for school on saturday mornings. Of course I wouldn't know what to blame my anxiety on

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Rugby League. Used to watch a fair bit in the late 80s and liked the game and the folk that follow it. Since then the sport seems to have sold its soul to Rupert Murdoch and abandoned its traditions in ill-fated stabs at commercialism, Bradford 'Bulls' etc. Shame as at its heart its a family friendly sport that values passion, commitment, heroism and no little skill. Always suprised its never been bigger in the north-east, though Gateshead Thunder seem to try to change that.

-- Anonymous, December 04, 2000

Isn't that exactly as football used to be????

-- Anonymous, December 05, 2000