The Relationship Guide to Football – Tackling the Big Divide

                                  Is a frequent argument in your house football versus other plans at the weekend? Then this article can help! Let’s try and break down that barrier and try and decode what the emotional attachment to football really is and why some people get it and some people don’t. I’ve looked into several basic points to try and help you understand how your partner probably feels about the ‘beautiful game’

 

 

1)      The history of the game – this goes for both the legacy of the game itself and the history it has within many families. Everybody has family history or heirlooms or important traditions – football is just another one of these for a lot of people.

 

2)      If your other half is always going off to watch the match try and relate the passion to something you’re passionate about – whether that’s a TV show or something else that you do for yourself on a weekly basis… try and imagine they were trying to stop you doing that! If you don’t have a football equivalent use the time they spend on football to find something you love just as much.

 

3)      Comradery – for a lot of people football could be the only quality time they spend with their mates or certain family members – if your idea of some solid catch up time is a good meal with your closest friends that just think of football as your partners version of that.

 

4)      Your significant other probably has a long attachment to a particular team and their attitude will be ‘football/ my team was here first’. Try and respect the place it has for them in their personal hierarchy in relation to perhaps your relationship with your oldest friend i.e. something that existed before you were a couple and will always be sacred. 

 

5)      Admiration is a big part of it too – some people attach admiration to actors or singers – some it’s footballers. It may not make total sense to you but they genuinely admire the skill of playing the game at the highest level. To them the passing, scoring or saving of the ball is an art form.