The Chymical Mix

Is it just my biased imagination or is the growing hysteria surrounding the imminent World Cup Football Tournament just a little bit exaggerated?

Although I consider myself to be reasonably interested in sport, both as a spectator and a participant, I have never really taken to football. I am not sure why, after all I was for five years the solid left back in my school house football team. That particular team was the most successful house team in the school’s history. We played 50 games, won 49, lost 1. A significant proportion of our victories were by margins in double figures, including a spectacular 28-0. I don’t recall ever conceding more than one goal in a match, except for our infamous 1-3 loss. Despite this superb record, I never really took to football. I preferred cricket, cross country running, tennis; anything rather than football. Cynics might lay the blame at the feet of my local team, Crystal Palace, but to be fair they were in the top two divisions, so I’ll kick that particular reason into touch.

Anyway, the growing hysteria that is slowly but surely engulfing the media leaves me completely cold. To add to my growing sense of alienation from popular culture, every day that I walk home from work, another set of bunting and flags has appeared, the cross of Saint George advertising the allegiance and interests of the house’s occupants. I have never noticed this focus when the Olympics are on, although that might happen in 2012 of course, and it certainly never happens for tennis. Sure, when the latest Great British Hope makes the second week at Wimbledon, there is a flurry of muted excitement and it will be the major sports headline, but bunting and flags? Never!

I might return to this subject over the next few weeks as excitement mounts to fever “pitch”, and woe betide any television schedulers who sacrifice tennis in favour of football!