Football Or Soccer?

[TigerBoss]

Soccer all the way...

[Dog_ger]

Read em and weep....!

[Ian]

Soccer all the way...

Soccer all the way, and Kernahan for an avatar.....GET A LIFE

[therisingblues]

The problem I, and many others, have had is that you have a hard core of Aussie Rules fans who are very hostile to other football codes, either because they're very insular and can't see beyond what they were brought up on/understand, or because they feel embracing other codes is an insult to their traditions and so forth.

Obviously you are speaking of some direct experience there David, otherwise you wouldn't have written that. Personally I have found the balance of hostility to be slightly stronger from Soccer fans toward Aussie rules. Maybe a few isolated incidents, but I have actually witnessed violence threatened against individuals by groups of soccer fans in the name of this very debate. The worse I have seen or heard from Aussie Rules fans has been name calling.
Taking a stab at the differing accounts; could it be that in Sydney, Aussie Rules has traditionally been less popular than the other codes, as opposed to the situation in Adelaide where Soccer has always trailed Aussie Rules? Thus producing a stronger reaction from those that feel persecution the strongest? Or have your experiences been gathered from outside Sydney also?

[David Votoupal]

Obviously you are speaking of some direct experience there David, otherwise you wouldn't have written that. Personally I have found the balance of hostility to be slightly stronger from Soccer fans toward Aussie rules. Maybe a few isolated incidents, but I have actually witnessed violence threatened against individuals by groups of soccer fans in the name of this very debate. The worse I have seen or heard from Aussie Rules fans has been name calling.
Taking a stab at the differing accounts; could it be that in Sydney, Aussie Rules has traditionally been less popular than the other codes, as opposed to the situation in Adelaide where Soccer has always trailed Aussie Rules? Thus producing a stronger reaction from those that feel persecution the strongest? Or have your experiences been gathered from outside Sydney also?

Well I'd really only be qualified to comment on Sydney, but also from my time spent on Internet forums with different kinds of sports fans- it was just my observation that the strongest prejudices towards other codes have tended to be conveyed from staunch Aussie Rules fans. I think Sydney is quite tolerant on this issue, but also more apathetic overall when it comes to sport.

For soccer fans, I think Aussie Rules is (rightly or wrongly) seen as the sport that makes them most aggrived because of the way they've been treated for years. It isn't quite as bad up here, but yeah Aussie Rules tends to be seen as "that Victorian (!) game". A tad ignorant, because the game does NOT belong to Victoria alone.

[therisingblues]

Yeh, the staunch Aussie Rules fans on this site sometimes have unkind words for soccer fans, but then they have a lot of bad things to say about the AFL also. I don't get around to other sites too often, I probably wouldn't use the internet half as much as I do if it weren't to find out about the SANFL and what SANFL supporters think of certain issues.
But while we are theorising about which sports fans are the least friendly, I have heard it mentioned several times that Ice Hockey fans are amongst the most fanatical in the world. Not so much violent, but sort of in the nut case category; loners wandering into semi-deserted bars in snow storms, perching themselves close to the television at the bar and using words to communicate with nobody unless they ask a question about the Ice Hockey, and even then they do not take their eyes from the television. They order beers with a knock of the hand and the barkeep serves them in silence with respect to their concentration on the game. Occasionally they will disrupt the chatter around them with a voracious cry of ecstacy or cry of anguish corresponding to what they see on the screen, but otherwise they will pass their time for the duration of the Hockey game without disturbing the other patrons at all, and will return to the blizzard outside as soon as the game is over.
Now most Ice Hockey fans are not like this, but I have never seen fans of other sports exhibit such insular devotion to their code. The above is just a small minority who are a part of what many claim to be the most fanantical sports followers on the world.
Maybe somebody should start a thread on sporting weirdos.

[duncs7]

We should share the name "football"
I like the term in referring to our game just "AFL" everyone knows what footy ur talkin about.
Soccer is the truest form of football so has priority.
To be its laughable that Rugby is known as football! 1 kick every 5 tackles?? stoopid eastcoasters.
And Gridiron is the worst, they punt 1-3 times a games!
I just dont get it

[Ian]

We should share the name "football"

That sounds a bit too "touchy feely"

I like the term in referring to our game just "AFL"

That is just one league, for some one posting on a SANFL site, I would have thought you would understand that. To refer to all Aussie Rules as AFL, is a bloody big kick in the guts for all the other leagues, the SANFL included, if that is what you really think, then you are on the wrong site, so F*** off!!!!!!!!!

Soccer is the truest form of football so has priority.

What a Fu**ing joke, that would be why they can use their heads, chests, legs etc.etc., when you've got a real argument, come back and post it, pure football, my ar*e.

[Sam_goUUUdogs]

I like the term in referring to our game just "AFL"

That is just one league, for some one posting on a SANFL site, I would have thought you would understand that. To refer to all Aussie Rules as AFL, is a bloody big kick in the guts for all the other leagues, the SANFL included, if that is what you really think, then you are on the wrong site, so F*** off!!!!!!!!!

exactly right, afl is not the sport, its a league within a sport, you dont see people calling soccer/football, english premier league do you.

[David Votoupal]

I know, but the AFL's ambiguity on this has made people forget it's Aussie Rules or Australian Football. Never mind their pathetic attempts to consign SANFL, WAFL and so forth history to irrelevence. Thankfully when I was a kid I new much wiser than that even as a Sydneysider.

[duncs7]

That is totally not how i meant it Ian. And i wont bother explaining what i meant to an idiot like u. Cock a doodle doo
So would u say "aussie rules" is more a pure form of football than soccer?
Soccer 97+%footskills Vs Aussie Rules 50-60%
Aussie rules is a more all round game than "soccer", marks, tackles, punchs, taps, handballs etc.
end comment.

[Ian]

That is totally not how i meant it Ian. And i wont bother explaining what i meant to an idiot like u. Cock a doodle doo

Just responded to it like it read too me, and a few others that I've spoken to also read it the same way, we must all be idiots then.

"I like the term in referring to our game just "AFL" "
"Soccer is the truest form of football so has priority"

Nah, I still think I read it right

AFL = Australian Football League
SANFL= South Australian Football League
SAAFL = South Australian Amatuer Football League
Australian (Aussie) Rules Football = Football

Soccer 97+%footskills

Debatable

Aussie rules is a more all round game than "soccer"

At least there is one thing that we agree on

[David Votoupal]

I guess you haven't watched enough of the game at the highest level to appreciate it. I mean, ignorance comes from either lack of exposure, or unreasonable fear. But whatever floats your boat, aye.

[duncs7]

They key point in what i said was > "I" < like the term in referring to our game just "AFL""
As in its solely my opinion not "WE" should call aussie rules AFL!
I use a public forum to give my opinion and if someone is going to tell me to **** off for doing that its gonna piss me off. Especially a North supporter!
As for David's comment, ive been alive for 25 years and ive been watching and playing footy for 19 of them so i can appreciate the game at any level and love the game beyond words. as i know some here can relate too.
I have respect for soccer/football too. (just not nearly as much)

[Wedgie]

I use a public forum to give my opinion and if someone is going to tell me to f*** off for doing that its gonna piss me off. Especially a North supporter!

Shhh!
Don't anyone tell duncs7 that a North supporter created this site!

[Ian]

They key point in what i said was > "I" < like the term in referring to our game just "AFL""
As in its solely my opinion not "WE" should call aussie rules AFL!
I use a public forum to give my opinion and if someone is going to tell me to f*** off for doing that its gonna piss me off. Especially a North supporter!
As for David's comment, ive been alive for 25 years and ive been watching and playing footy for 19 of them so i can appreciate the game at any level and love the game beyond words. as i know some here can relate too.
I have respect for soccer/football too. (just not nearly as much)

I never said you wern't allowed to express your opinion, but equally. I am entitled to mine, and in reference to your original comment,

"I like the term in referring to our game just AFL"

I stand by my reply

That is just one league, for some one posting on a SANFL site, I would have thought you would understand that. To refer to all Aussie Rules as AFL, is a bloody big kick in the guts for all the other leagues, the SANFL included, if that is what you really think, then you are on the wrong site, so F*** off!!!!!!!!!

A = Australian
F = Football
L = League

That does not give the AFL the right to the whole code, the game is Australian Rules Football, the AFL is just one of hundreds of leagues that play Australian Rules Football around Australia, and the world.
You may prefer to call the game AFL, that doesn't make it right, and I am just as entitled to express my view as you.
You were pissed off at being told to f*** off, I was pissed off at your insult to all aussie rules competitions outside of the GayFL.

[Wedgie]

Anyone who refers to Australian Football as AFL needs a gun shot to the head IMHO.

Let's all call soccer English Premier League. Hooray!

Let's all call Baseball MBL. Hooray!

Let's all call Basketball NBA. Hooray!

Let's all call Netball NNL. Hooray!

Sad, sad, sad.


Spot on Ian, and well said.

[duncs7]

When i say AFL as a reference i dont mean the corperation or the business AFL. I really cant stand Demetriou and his cronies.
I never meant my comment to mean all football should be called AFL, i just use the term AFL as a reference to the type of football we love. I can see how others could see it as me insulting the SANFL or other leagues. That definatly wasnt my intention. anyway im bored with this argument. im exiting stage right>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

[Wedgie]

When i say AFL as a reference i dont mean the corperation or the business AFL. I really cant stand Demetriou and his cronies.
I never meant my comment to mean all football should be called AFL, i just use the term AFL as a reference to the type of football we love. I can see how others could see it as me insulting the SANFL or other leagues. That definatly wasnt my intention. anyway im bored with this argument. im exiting stage right>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

That's fair enough duncs7, as long as you understand where a few of us purists come from, its a free country, people can call anything what they like.
Play on...

[brent]

i have a solution, none of the codes should be called football!!!

soccer = "fuudball" (using les murray's accent) or "world fuudball"

australian rules = "footy" (we're all arguing about calling it football but lets face it, we all call it footy... i mean, how often do you say "i'm going down to the football" it sounds so much more natural saying "i'm going down to the footy!")

rugby league = "league"

rugby union = "rugby" or "union"

american grid iron = "grid iron" or "stupid yank sport"


there. everybody's happy. except maybe the seps.