Is "hate" too strong a word?

We started a discussion at work this morning about Messi and Ronaldo, and who we thought was more deserving of yesterday's Ballon D'or award to Messi. I said I prefer Ronaldo but, maybe it's because subconsciously I prefer Real Madrid and hate Barcelona. Now this comment started a whole new discussion. The two guys I'm with in the office this morning are one in his 40s who prefers cricket and a 70 year old. They say it's stupid I can hate a team of players I don't know personally to which I replied that perhaps hate was a bit strong in my feelings towards Barca but then I suggested surely you can dislike certain teams but hate more than one of your league/local rivals.

The 70 year old is an Arsenal fan who, just for arguments sake or not I don't know, said he doesn't hate Tottenham. I said he's not a real football fan if he doesn't hate Tottenham yet claims to support Arsenal.

This then led to both ganging up on me saying "No wonder the youth of today are so violent", whilst conveniently forgetting football's dark days which were coming to an end whilst I was in nappies! They mentioned the the two incidents in the Manchester derby and whilst I agree there seems to be more objects thrown this season than I can remember but people getting on the field during the play is quite rare.

I finished off saying "You can't blame the youth of today because your opinion diffes to mine when so many older men feel the same way!"

They continued amongst themselves for a while after I decided to walk away and do some actual work.


What do you guys on here think? I've made a poll so vote and comment.

I've rescinded my "hate" for foreign teams but voted for the third option.

I dislike some teams, namely Stoke. I actually don't dislike Everton, just a number of their fans that aren't family.

I think a lot of people get confused with why they don't like a certain team. As a club I can admire Everton for the way they go about their business on and off the pitch, my dislike comes from some of their fans, as I'm sure their dislike towards Liverpool is more to do with our fans (and a little bitterness).

Were as my dislike of Stoke is to do with the tactics they employ and the behaviour of their players.

I also think it's harsh to say you aren't a proper fan if you don't hate your local rivals. Without local derbies football would be know where near as entertaining.

I hate all teams, except for my team Albion and everyone's favourite team, Walsall. Besides them, I want everyone to lose, and it's all about who I hate more really. I honestly can't stand any football teams besides my own.

I hate Palace, but that is because of the big rivalry. But none the less i still think of them as a decent football club as a whole.

I hate Leeds because of how dirty they are and there fans are not pleasnt. Plus We all hate Leeds scum

Everyone should hate MK Dons. How people can acctually support them is beyond me. I even remember when they played the true football club AFC Wimbledon in the cup a few months ago trending on twitter was "I Hate MK Dons" and "he real dons"

I don't think anybody with any semblance of intelligence actually hates another team, it would be totally illogical and a little bit pathetic to actually hate them.

All clubs have awful fans, and rivalry is fine, but rivalry is best enjoyed without actually hating.

It all depends on what you mean by 'hate' I guess. I dislike going to bed before 11pm, I don't hate it. I dislike bruised bits on bananas, I don't hate them. But do I want any football team to win besides my own? No, because I hate them all. Just to varying degrees is all. And I love/hate some foreign teams, like Lazio - I love them, but hate them for the racism stuff.

I agree with Azzy. Hating other sports teams isn't the same hate as hating bullies or racists or someone hurting you family. It's nowhere near as intense but I'd still class it as hate rather than dislike.

Exactly. I hate racism. I hate Abu Hamza. I hate Robert Mugabe. I dislike David Cameron, I like Boris Johnson, I'm okay with Michelle Obama. But I hate Sheffield Wednesday, I hate Lincoln City, and I definitely hate Carlisle United. It's a 'sporting' hate, not a 'I'll take up my pitchfork and rabble-rouse' hate.

I hate everyone equally.

Right back at you Heel

#HEEL wrote:I hate everyone equally.

Hey mockingjay, didn't you end up on the 606hl?

I don't just hate, but mega-loathe

Liverpool (club rivalry)
City (noisy neighbour)
Chelsea (more to do with a hatred of John terry)
Stoke (classless fans who had the brass to boo Ramsey everytime he touched the ball when they played arsenal)
Barcelona (part jealousy, part fed up of hearing about them all the time)


I used to hate arsenal but just feel sorry for them. Fans paying top dollar for absolutely nothing

you are aware they have won 18 out of 19 league games this season?

arsenal (rivalry)
liverpool (same reason that most hate the)
leeds (just scum)

hey azzy, why the hate for lincoln?

I hate all teams James, nothing personal

Yes Azzy. I'm the resident Habs fan on 606hl, there's far too many Leafs on there. #LonelyFrancophile

They'll only get worse, the Leafs are 34 games closer to the playoffs than they normally are...