World Cup – is it heaven or hell? (From Blackburn Citizen)

World Cup – is it heaven or hell?

9:53am Wednesday 9th June 2010 in News By Anna Mansell, Features writer

On Friday, the world’s biggest sporting event kicks off in South Africa. For some, the World Cup promises a month of delights – but for others it’s four weeks of torture. We speak to two women with opposing views.

Love it

Katherine Butler, 28, from Baxenden, head of PR at Daisy Communications and a retired Accrington Stanley Ladies player.

Italia ’90 is probably my earliest football memory, and got me into it – so loving football does go back to the World Cup.

We had a family barbecue and played football in the fields opposite where we lived in Baxenden.

It was the Chris Waddle, Gary Lineker and Gazza generation and there was quite a bit of fuss about it. I don’t remember being interested before that.

I guess it skipped a generation too – my grandad was a professional footballer but my mum and dad have no interest.

I’m a Blackburn Rovers fan and my boyfriend supports Oldham. But that doesn’t matter when it’s a tournament.

The summer before last, when it was the Euros and England didn’t qualify, was the worst summer ever.

Once the season had finished there was just nothing to look forward to.

My boyfriend and I moved into a new house last week and making sure the Sky HD was installed really was a top priority.

We’ve found a pub in Blackburn with an outdoor screen for the USA match and the week after we’re planning on going to Manchester to watch England.

Then the last group match is on when we’re at work, so I’ll be setting Sky+ but I’ll probably not be able to resist checking the score.

If England progress, everything will be back to square one, planning the next game – fortunately the diary’s looking quite clear.

I just hope we’re not all being too optimistic about England’s chances.

The group stage doesn’t look too difficult, touch wood.

I don’t want to set myself up for a fall by predicting anything, but it’s as good a chance as England has had in recent years.

Hate it

Nicola Beetham, 21, from Oswaldtwistle, works at The Old Vicarage Nursery in Blackburn.

I just don’t like football at all. I never have and I never will.

I’m really not interested in the World Cup and the best part is we’ve booked a holiday to Madeira and we go on Friday, so we’ll miss the first week!

Or at least I hope I will. As soon as my boyfriend Chris realised the date, he said we would have to find a pub to watch England’s matches.

So on the first day of my holiday I’ll be traipsing round trying to find a pub showing the match.

I think he’s found an Irish bar where he’s convinced it’ll be on – but I keep telling him it won’t.

Will I watch? It depends what time the match is on.

If it’s during the day I can just stay by the pool with a drink and a book, but if it’s in the evening I guess I’ll have to go.

And if we do find somewhere showing the game, he’s not going to talk to me so I’m going to be there by myself.

At least Chris has said he won’t make me watch all the group games when we’re on holiday.

I don’t know what we’ll do after the holiday. It depends how well England do, but I expect there’ll be a week when we won’t see each other.

During the season I have to sit through all the games and I just really don’t like it at all.

I just don’t see the point in a load of people kicking a ball around.

That said, I don’t mind the crowds – I could watch them all day!

Maybe if England are in the final and it gets to penalties then I’ll watch.

Of course, it would be good if England could win – but we won’t, as we never do well enough, apparently.

I grew up with my dad watching football but now that I have a football-mad boyfriend too, it’s even worse.