Not much more to say.
2. Support the African teams
Africa has never won a World Cup. Africa is a geopolitical underdog, to put it mildly. The entire continent would probably go crazy if an African team won. So support Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Algeria and the Ivory Coast.
3. Buy a wall chart.
Buy a wall chart and fill it out with your kids. It's like an advent calendar but with scores instead of chocolates. You can get free ones with newspapers, or fancy designer-y ones if you know where to look. Essentially you are turning the World Cup into an extra administrative chore, but somehow it becomes enjoyable.
4. Gamble
Not on individual matches, but on cumulative bets that will draw you into checking each match. A good one is "total number of goals in the group stages / round of 16 etc". DON'T GAMBLE ONLINE. Go to the bookies, make a day of it, keep your betting slips stuck to the fridge using magnets.
5. Have friends around
Football is supposed to be a sociable, semi-background activity. The World Cup especially so. Have people "around for the match", serve up some country-specific food or beverage (this is slightly twee but acceptable for the World Cup), sit around in front of the TV half-watching the match and talking about all the stuff you normally talk about.
6. Just keep it on in the background, like Test Match Special or Wimbledon
A bit trickier this year as it mostly runs in the UK evenings, but yes, you're not actually supposed to concentrate intently on each match. Just let it sort of wash through the house on a low volume. You could even try having the radio on, "football is better on the radio" is an under-explored football hipster notion.
7. Watch matches at immigrant restaurants/bars
Easier in London I suspect, but this is a nice bit of cultural tourism.
8. Flag bunting
Just enjoy flag bunting when you see it. See if you can identify all of the flags. Maybe put some up in your house, or outside it. Embrace the colour.
3 comments:
Yeah, this is all good stuff. I can definitely see the appeal the World Cup as a background to everyday life. I remember watching Italy-Australia in a Mayfair pub with an Aussie mate back in… 2006? That was fun. But for me it'll mean putting on my television and watching it on my own. Less of the colour and joy of life in that.
I *may* end up watching a few games, but I think I'm now resolved that watching with other people is the key here.
Excellent advice!
Re: wagering - Bad match-specific bets are things like correct score, first goal scorer, etc which can all be over seconds into a game. The best of choice is picking a centre back* at long odds to be the LAST goalscorer. Excitement at every corner, all the way to the final whistle.
The last two World Cups, the golden boot winner has been German. Thomas Müller attractive at 35-1.
* I fancy Cahill for some reason.
I reckon radio and wall chart, maybe some gambling. See if you can enjoy it without watching any of it!
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