F.A.O. Skyline and stonegold84
Just for the historical note.
It should be remembered that while both the games of cricket and football (that's proper football and not "rugby for poofs" i.e. American football
) origins are largely (totally in reference to cricket) the UK.
The reasons for the spread of the sports are connected to social class and the former British Empire.
The football was considered "lower class" and therefore followed/supported by the "workers". It's true to say that the worlds working classes outnumber the middle/ruling classes by many many millions to 1. Hence the virtually global input to the sport of football.
Whereas, cricket was considered to be a gentlemans sport i.e. middle and upper/ruling classes. Hence the reason that the countries that have strong cricket traditions are almost entirely the ones that have previously suffered at the hands of the victorian middle classes (India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Carribean, etc etc).
Yes, yes, I know that it is now all multi-national and the class barriers are dissolving in front of our very eyes (though this is mainly due to the non-UK nations attitudes showing up the British establishment for what it really is).
I applaud stonegold84's enjoyment of cricket, though he should remember that it is far from being a classless sport (though more so in some countries than others). India's magnificent educational abilities are proof of that. I suspect that he would only have to look a little further north in the indian sub-continent to see that it would be hard to imagine the likes of eminent Imran Khan ever having to have lived and worked in the back streets of Karachi.
From my point of view I would like to see a little political correctness brought into the British cricketing hierarchy. It doesn't matter how hard they try, the "board" and the selectors still come across as a "bunch of stuffed shirts". All this "you can't come into the clubhouse unless you are ""correctly attired"" crap, poorly disguised at tradition, is just middle class rubbish rules, designed to keep the "scum" out.
The epitome of the british establishment being the MCC. It's just a club, but I bet that most of "us" wouldn't be given house room, let alone membership.
regards
Mr Angry (aka John)
