There seems to be an issue with some supporters about using the word "soccer" to describe the game we all love, and which causes us so much pleasure and angst and debate. But I do ask the question, why? In very much the same way that rugby football is described colloquially as rugger, the terminology of soccer (or originally socca, 1889, later socker 1891) was merely based on reducing the term Association. It is not an americanisation as some would claim, although Canada and the USA do use it as official terminology . It was borne from the english universities as a simple way of differentiating between the two "footballs" - rugby and Association. In many countries, the word football refers to their most popular game of football, and relates in different countries to association football, American football, Australian rules football, Canadian football, Gaelic football, rugby league football and rugby union football. A plea. No more snobbiness over the term soccer please.
Good post. I don't mind Soccer, what I never understood is when "Football" is used for games where the players mainly use their hands??? i.e. American football?
Nowt to do with with it being a popular american term imo - it's more to do with posh egg chasers of old. The common man used the term football, and has continued to do so. How many times do you hear a fan use the term soccer in this country? Very rarely, I'd hazard a guess. I understand what you say about the origins of the term, but it is not the popular term that football is, and always has been. And it's fitba' in Scotland, btw. Always has been, always will be.
It might not have been an americanism back in the day..but it is now in my opinion. Every time i hear the word i think of some irritating yank saying it.
Hate the world soccer so much. Also think that the word football should only be used for sports where they use mainly there feet to play. And also when the ball is actually a ball not egg and bounces more predictably rather than it just being random
This is the problem. People mistakenly believe football is to do with kicking a ball with the foot. Football is for games played on foot, and the football game we like is association. You only call it football cos you are a middle englander. Of youvwere from Ireland, you may confuse the term with gaelic football. So to differentiate you should be saying association football or soccer. I find it to be the snobs that choose to deride theterm soccer. That English descriptor of our game has been around since the game was put together as association football
I'm a million miles away from being a snob mate I just hate the term Soccer. Each to there own though & I take your points on board
Definitely hoofball but let's face it do we really have the quality of players to play football(soccer)??
Would you feel confident with our team if they were up against any League 1 team? Pick any one - I wouldn't. Lost 10 games at home. Nearly half our games. Plus got out of jail in a few of the others. No wonder supporters are disgruntled. We have paid top whack for woeful fare, and Bates is expecting us to pay top whack again next year. A third of season ticket holders have told him he can take a running jump. Until it is value for money, it looks like a lot of supporters are just turning away.
Soccer - interesting term, I associate it with Americans and people who know **** all about the game. It's Football and always will be.
But soccer is an English term, not an American one. I wonder, am I saying that people who refuse to call it, or deride the term, soccer are "people who know **** all about the game"? Because it is clearly not the case that people who use the term soccer know **** all about the game. That's just an invitation to people to question you about what you really do know about the game in order to trip you up and show everyone that you really do know "**** all about the game". Soccer is Association Football. Football is a collective noun that represents any ball game that is played on foot. It is contrary (and just plain wrong, incorrect, erroneous, false, self-deceit) to claim that football is the sole term that represents, or should represent, the game of Association Football. It is arrogant (and just plain absurd, nonsense, muddled, farcical) to claim that people who use the term soccer lack intelligence, when the facts (history, etymology) speak for themselves that it could correctly be claimed to be the other way round.
