Are you up to the test!?

Well, the world cup is coming ever closer, im not going to talk about it in itself because a) im sure over a million other blogs have done so and b) I know fuck all about football. What I want to touch upon is that despite the fact I have a little to no knowledge or understanding of football I will probably end up watching a fair bit of it and cheering on England.

Rest assured though that I won't be one of those twats who calls it 'my' team (like im a reserve player) or try to pass myself off as someone who understands half of whats going on. Further more, when England loses over some issue of scandal and debate (as we always do) I won't be crying about it and reading all the details over and over again in the papers. A lot of people do though and it usually irks me, at least I have the decency to admit im jumping on the world cup bandwagon and not trying to pass myself off as a hardcore sports fan.

A week or so ago a friend told me how they'd recently taken an interest in Wonder Woman and that they thought she was cool. I of course got far too excited by this and started asking them what their thoughts were on the return of Donna Troy. I got a blank look in return and a hasty explanation that they were infact just attracted to the image of it and the idea.

I think that is what a lot of world cup fever is really all about. These people like the idea and image of it, few of them will actually sit through games that are important to Englands performance if England aren't actually playing (even I understand that concept) but will still ardently tell you they're England fans.

I imagine that hard core football fans who pay outlandish prices for season tickets and go in all weathers, following a team through good times and bad have the same feelings toward the world cup as comic book fans do toward a big blockbuster comic book movie. For a month or so comic book shops are full of people with no real knowledge or love of comics but wander about asking questions. The general feeling toward them is 'there not real fans!', regardless of how much money they spend.

In reflection though the world cup is an easy way to feel a part of something and it seems like one of the few opportunities in England to express your patriotism without fear of being considered a loon, a racist or both. Which is fair enough really, to show there is no real ill will let me be the first to shout - England!