Politicians and football.

[the other bob wilson]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...lking-football

I think, unlike Cameron, Sunak and Starmer are genuine fans of their team. Harold Wlison clearly was a Huddersfield fan, Gordon Brown follows Raith Rovers I think it is, while John Major’s love of Surrey cricket team is clear. Theresa May spoke more convincingly about her liking for cricket on Test Match Special than I ever thought she would.

However, I tend to agree with this article, has any politician gained votes through their sporting affiliations? I don’t think people want to hear things like that.

One other thing I agree with from the article is how rolling your sleeves up has become a metaphor for showing you mean action among male politicians

[JamesWales]

Interesting article. I do find it cringeworthy when they try to big up their support but as you say I don't sense that with Starmer or Sunak, and in fairness to them all none of them have tried to wrap themselves in the flag on the eve of Euro 2024 and that includes Stephen Flynn who easily could have made a fairly naff "c'mon Scotland" call at the end of the debate last night. That said, football is also a big part of my life and most of my mates lives and when you meet someone who has no understanding or respect for the passions of the sport if not the sport itself, I do find that slightly odd I guess.

One who does stand out is Mhairi Black who (I gather) is quite a passionate Partick fan and I imagine that does her no harm at all in Glasgow, where people are football mad, probably admire the underdog and also don't want people to alienate half the city.

[the other bob wilson]

Interesting article. I do find it cringeworthy when they try to big up their support but as you say I don't sense that with Starmer or Sunak, and in fairness to them all none of them have tried to wrap themselves in the flag on the eve of Euro 2024 and that includes Stephen Flynn who easily could have made a fairly naff "c'mon Scotland" call at the end of the debate last night. That said, football is also a big part of my life and most of my mates lives and when you meet someone who has no understanding or respect for the passions of the sport if not the sport itself, I do find that slightly odd I guess.

One who does stand out is Mhairi Black who (I gather) is quite a passionate Partick fan and I imagine that does her no harm at all in Glasgow, where people are football mad, probably admire the underdog and also don't want people to alienate half the city.

Unlike many of those MPs stepping down at the election, Mhairi Black strikes me as being a real loss to British politics.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...aisley-5118483

[pipster]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...lking-football

I think, unlike Cameron, Sunak and Starmer are genuine fans of their team. Harold Wlison clearly was a Huddersfield fan, Gordon Brown follows Raith Rovers I think it is, while John Major’s love of Surrey cricket team is clear. Theresa May spoke more convincingly about her liking for cricket on Test Match Special than I ever thought she would.

However, I tend to agree with this article, has any politician gained votes through their sporting affiliations? I don’t think people want to hear things like that.

One other thing I agree with from the article is how rolling your sleeves up has become a metaphor for showing you mean action among male politicians

"Rolling your sleeves up" does not equate to a successful outcome - other than the fool who rolls theirs sleeves up thinking it will make a difference - it never does.

The article should perhaps have been re written as Football and Politics and focused on ex footballers that because they played at pro level thought somehow they knew all about politics and could run a country. Lineker and Cantona come to mind in terms being vocal about politics and thinking they had the answer . Didnt Maradona try his hand and I think Sol Campbell tried as well, any others ?

[the other bob wilson]

"Rolling your sleeves up" does not equate to a successful outcome - other than the fool who rolls theirs sleeves up thinking it will make a difference - it never does.

The article should perhaps have been re written as Football and Politics and focused on ex footballers that because they played at pro level thought somehow they knew all about politics and could run a country. Lineker and Cantona come to mind in terms being vocal about politics and thinking they had the answer . Didnt Maradona try his hand and I think Sol Campbell tried as well, any others ?

The one that sticks in my mind is Vic Halom who played centre forward for Sunderland when they beat Leeds in the 1973 Cup Final once was the Liberal party candidate in an election - think it was a constituency in Oldham, I was wrong it was in Sunderland.

. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vic_Halom

[The Bloop]

Rishi Sunak's support of Southampton even made some fans do the unthinkable and support Leeds in the play-off final 😊

Regarding John Major and cricket, he wrote an excellent book on the origins and history of cricket. He clearly loves the game.

[Rjk]

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...lking-football

I think, unlike Cameron, Sunak and Starmer are genuine fans of their team. Harold Wlison clearly was a Huddersfield fan, Gordon Brown follows Raith Rovers I think it is, while John Major’s love of Surrey cricket team is clear. Theresa May spoke more convincingly about her liking for cricket on Test Match Special than I ever thought she would.

However, I tend to agree with this article, has any politician gained votes through their sporting affiliations? I don’t think people want to hear things like that.

One other thing I agree with from the article is how rolling your sleeves up has become a metaphor for showing you mean action among male politicians

Cameron clearly wasn't a football fan, didn't he get mixed up whether he was supposed to be supporting West Ham or Aston Villa at one point.

No idea whether Sunak is really a southampton fan, it seems a bit less obviously made up than Cameron, but still not entirely convincing.

Starmer is a season ticket holder at arsenal though and has been for about 20 years I think, so I think that's fairly genuine.


Allistair Campbell is famously a Burnley fan, cant think of too many others that pass the bullshit test though

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Neil Kinnock Cardiff City

[JamesWales]

Unlike many of those MPs stepping down at the election, Mhairi Black strikes me as being a real loss to British politics.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/s...aisley-5118483

I find her aggressive and a bit partisan with an unrealistic vision; exactly as many of us were at 20!

I do agree though, a loss, and she has come across well on interviews I've seen on TV recently and it's good to have some something's in parliament.

[jon1959]

Sunak may be a genuine Southampton fan, but assuming a group of Welsh people in a welsh brewery will be 'looking forward' to a Euros where we didn't qualify shows the limits of his awareness and empathy when it comes to the game.

[JamesWales]

Sunak may be a genuine Southampton fan, but assuming a group of Welsh people in a welsh brewery will be 'looking forward' to a Euros where we didn't qualify shows the limits of his awareness and empathy when it comes to the game.

He asked people if they were looking forward to the Euros. A perfectly reasonable question and I'm pretty sure that in the workplaces of Wales people did watch and discuss the 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 ,2014 and 2018 world cups too, even though we weren't in it!

There is even a thread on the Euros on the main page of CCMB. I can't believe all those guys don't realise Wales haven't qualified!

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

Sunak may be a genuine Southampton fan, but assuming a group of Welsh people in a welsh brewery will be 'looking forward' to a Euros where we didn't qualify shows the limits of his awareness and empathy when it comes to the game.

He probably spotted the man united and Liverpool shirts half of them were wearing

[jon1959]

He asked people if they were looking forward to the Euros. A perfectly reasonable question and I'm pretty sure that in the workplaces of Wales people did watch and discuss the 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 ,2014 and 2018 world cups too, even though we weren't in it!

There is even a thread on the Euros on the main page of CCMB. I can't believe all those guys don't realise Wales haven't qualified!

A very generous defence of Sunak there James.

Much more generous that almost the entire Tory press who were clear that he made an embarrassing gaffe.

He didn't know Wales hadn't qualified. He assumed the audience would be rooting for England. He shot himself in the foot (again).

Sludge's explanation is more credible than yours!

[JamesWales]

A very generous defence of Sunak there James.

Much more generous that almost the entire Tory press who were clear that he made an embarrassing gaffe.

He didn't know Wales hadn't qualified. He assumed the audience would be rooting for England. He shot himself in the foot (again).

Sludge's explanation is more credible than yours!

I actually know one of the people there, who said the way the media reported it was nothing as it occured in practice (they had talked earlier on general football interest but also impact on hospitality).

I couldnt be more critical of Sunak on the whole D Day thing but this was a total media stitch up. Probably because they were bored at the start of the campaign.

[Dave Blue]

If politicians are like most of us they can’t help bringing up football in a getting to know you chat if it’s what they like, and both these guys seem genuine fans. My take on the brewery thing was Sunak ran into a group who couldn’t be bothered. The English guy piped up about Wales not being in it. It was typical of Sunak though to think Wales fans were looking forward to this just after a heartbreaking shoot out. He obviously knew this had happened.