Stephen Malkmus Posted March 14, 2016 Share Posted March 14, 2016 Every sport throughout history has had peaks and troughs in terms of popularity but it's fair to say none have become as globally entrenched as the beautiful game in its present form. Although it seems an essential part of life now, structured, codified league football has only been around for 150 years or so. By the time most of us reach the end of our lifetimes, we will have been watching the sport for almost half of the 200 years or so that it will have been in existence. Is football's popularity merely a blip in human history? Will football continue to grow throughout the upcoming decades and centuries or has it reached its peak in the present? If football does decline, what will be the cause? What will replace it? I think gradual changes to the rulebook over time will lead to the game's slow downfall, as such tinkering will eventually modify parts of the game to the point that it becomes boring. Also, the tribal element of football which binds fans to their clubs will decrease in footballing hotbeds such as the UK and Germany, as traditional working class connections to local clubs begin to fade. As passions diminish, the game will become more of a hobby for all concerned. This will lead to people who would traditionally be football fans using their time to focus on other hobbies and the iron grip of football on the rest of the sporting landscape will be loosened. What do you think is the future of football? --- Also, for a bit of fun, I think we should make some predictions relating to how we think the footballing landscape will look at some arbitrary dates in the future. Perhaps Pie and Bovril will still be around so we can measure their success, but perhaps not. 2025 - Video technology has been introduced and the role of referees as the primary arbiters of decision making during matches has begun to diminish. The Champions League has been revamped in a bid to eliminate the sterile group stages. The Qatar World Cup was a disaster in terms of attendance and quality - this contributes to setting back the growth of the game in emerging markets worldwide. However, football is still by far the world's number one sport. 2050 - Rich sheiks and oligarchs no longer view football clubs as toys and status symbols - the game has has begun to fall out of fashion. Football, having abandoned its working class base, has nobody to support it when the bubble bursts and money begins to flow out of the game. It slowly becomes a sport for hipsters and others who wish to relive their youth. 2100 - E-sports and hoverboard racing dominate the sporting landscape. Hibs lose the last ever Scottish Cup final to a team of robots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppino Impastato Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 We'll take on a team of martians for the fate of humanity and Ronaldo will still huff about with his hands on his hips thinking it's all about him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alba16 Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 We'll take on a team of martians for the fate of humanity and Ronaldo will still huff about with his hands on his hips thinking it's all about him Is that not the plot to Space Jam 2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deeboy Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 No, it's the plot to Space Bam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estragon Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 2100 - E-sports and hoverboard racing dominate the sporting landscape. Hibs lose the last ever Scottish Cup final to a team of robots. Literally splurted coffee on the keyboard at this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 The rules have been tinkered with and changed with little negative impact on the games popularity over the last 50 years. I can't see too many changes that will have a massive impact. Video back up for referees is maybe the biggest threat, if it ends up meaning the game becomes very stop start. I think the biggest likely change will be in the Champions League, if places like China and the US continue to grow and spend small fortunes on players. There will come a point where they have that much money they will demand access to the elite club tournaments, and it will probably evolve at some point to include them all, with perhaps the group stages being regionalised. Agree to an extent that individual teams may see their traditional support base dry up, but I think that will only happen at lower levels. Big teams will still draw on their local areas for most of their support. Football tourists will make up an increasingly large number of attendees though, and online streaming will without doubt take over as the main source of viewers. That apart, your Hibs prediction is completely spot on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizfit Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 No doubt we will see a full on club world cup rather than this miniature tournament we see in every winter. I expect an implosion of some of the bigger leagues, a lot of clubs so suddenly face financial hardship clearing the way for new Giants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DensParkNumber1 Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Celtic and Rangers both f**k off to play in an European division 2 league and the rest of scottish football enjoys it peace and tranquilty with closely fought leagues and multiple cup and league holders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venti Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 2902 Trans-human Hibs team with super human abilities & unfathomable intelligence lose the Alpha Centuri Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Sportscene will still be shite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 2016: Hibs lose Scottish Cup Final. As Aberdeen embark on their Champions League campaign, Scottish pundits express their fears that the new Scottish Champions will fail to live up to the standard set by Celtic and Rangers in previous years. They needn’t have worried though, as Aberdeen smash up a city centre, sing sectarian songs, and get knocked out by a team from Belarus. 2018: The United States are kicked out of the World Cup after FIFA reject President Trump’s proposal to have a wall placed around the Mexican team at all times. Russia triumph on home soil, and insist that the hair loss and death of a number of opposing Argentina players is nothing to do with them. “We don’t even know what polonium is, honest†smirks Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Ripuov. 2019: Clyde’s proposed move to Shettleston falls through. 2020: Hibs lose Scottish Cup Final. 2022: The Qatar World Cup gets off to a surprising start as BBC pundit Robbie Savage is stoned to death during the Opening Ceremony for “having infidel, girly hairâ€. Nobody complains. 2024: The The Rangers finally get their first taste of European football, facing Crimean Cup Winners Putin Sevastopol. After fears that a corruption-filled, violence-ridden hotspot where armed thugs roam the streets is not a safe venue for a football match, UEFA agree to switch the game from Ibrox. Hibs lose Scottish Cup Final. 2025: Wales’ hopes of qualifying for the next World Cup take a hit as star player Gareth Bale has to miss their play-off against Catalonia as it clashes with his filming commitments for upcoming blockbuster “Return of the Dawn of the Revenge of the Rise of the Banana of the Planet of the Apesâ€. 2026: Clyde’s proposed move to Inverurie falls through. 2027: Randy Lerner sells ailing League Two club Aston Villa to former chairman Doug Ellis for “a packet of your crazy-Limey pork scratchingsâ€. Ellis died in 2020 but, due to a breakthrough in modern science, his re-animated corpse has been programmed to say “we just missed out on the playerâ€, “the manager has my total support†and, for reasons which haven’t been adequately explained, “that would be an ecumenical matterâ€. Hibs lose Scottish Cup Final. 2029: Inbred yokels across Scotland celebrate as use of the term “Junior Thicko†is banned as a Hate Crime under EU Law. New European President Boris Johnson expresses his support for the ruling while falling into a pond. 2031: Hibs lose Scottish Cup Final. Manchester City manager Cristiano Ronaldo laughs off the idea that dwindling oil reserves in the Middle East could have an adverse effect on the club’s finances. 2032: AFC Manchester City 2032 begin life in the Lancashire Combination League. Clyde’s proposed move to Orkney falls through. 2033: Pie & Bovril poster RandomGuy almost says something interesting. 2034: Hibs lose Scottish Cup Final. Clyde’s proposed move to South South Sudan falls through. 2046: A New York Times article suggesting that Major League Soccer is “full of washed up players who should have retired years ago†is angrily dismissed by Albuquerque Mega Pandas striker, Kenny Miller. 2047: Clyde’s proposed move to Jupiter’s recently-populated moon Io falls through. 2049: As the former US President’s grandson, Murica Hell Yeah Nuke Em Trump, receives permission to turn Tynecastle into a golf course, old rivals Hibs and Hearts are forced to merge. 2050: Hibearts lose Scottish Cup Final. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
54_and_counting Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 the worst thought about football in the future is that Only an Excuse will still be fucking shown every new year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogmc Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 the worst thought about football in the future is that Only an Excuse will still be fucking shown every new year Ugh correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banana Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Football will inevitably die at some point, and future eons will look back in wonder at tens of thousands of people crowding into arenas to watch 2? teams of 5? 10? 15? players move a ballsack around using only their feet? Fnar. Kabadi 2.0 will be the next global phenomenon, mark my words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atfccfc Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Literally splurted coffee on the keyboard at this ^ This Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 Kabadi 2.0 will be the next global phenomenon, mark my words. In work so can't really watch videos, but from the pictures it appears to be "Speedball" without the metal pads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banana Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 In work so can't really watch videos, but from the pictures it appears to be "Speedball" without the metal pads. Standard kabadi: Kabadi 2.0 can be whatever we want it to be, leave your suggestions here. I'm thinking three teams of 10 in a 40m diameter MMA ring, electric fences, mini-trampolines, mankinis, a mosh pit, and lots of oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 In standard Kabadi, are you allowed to knock the absolute c**t out of the raider? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
banana Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 In standard Kabadi, are you allowed to knock the absolute c**t out of the raider? No, and can't even touch them as long as they're saying kabadi kabadi kabadi... Are you suggesting we add mace and table tennis bats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bully Wee Villa Posted March 18, 2016 Share Posted March 18, 2016 The Future of Kabadi Thread for this pish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.