Both Simon Critchley’s “Woking Class-Ballet” and the article on a Ranking of the 25 worst World Cup villains support the idea that football is more than just a game; it is an outlet for fostering identity and culture. However, ‘Working-Class Ballet’ focuses more on the impact football has on the fan and viewer rather than the players on the pitch. Tom Sunderland’s ranking highlights notorious players who have ruined a World Cup for a team or for the viewers. While Simon Critchley shares personal experiences he has had with football and with Sunderland, the focus is primarily on the game. With that being said, they both represent the effect and impact football can have on individuals, whether they are a player or a supporter.
The “Working Class-Ballet” had a heavy emphasis on how football had a huge impact on his relationship with his father and family. I find this resonates with my childhood, as baseball really brought my family together. Critchley also discussed how his father passed down his love for Liverpool football club, which supports the idea that football clubs can offer a shared identity and unity among others. From my personal experience with sports clubs and teams, they can serve as an inherited identity among family, and the reading “Working Class-Ballet” further supports this.
While Simon Critchely writes about how his football created a bridge between him and his father and how Liverpool football club gives him a sense of belonging, he also has a heavy focus on the player, Real Madrid player Zidane. Critchely idolized and viewed Zidane as a remarkable and an overall infamous player. Another similarity between these readings is that the concept of football and the World Cup has “heroes and villains.” Simon Critchley very much viewed Zidane as a hero on the pitch. The Ranking of the 25 worst World Cup villains showed that players most likely will be viewed as a villain if they act out of anger or cheat on the field. Ultimately, readings do contrast each other, but they do support the ideas. Both readings support the idea that football and the World Cup have heroes and villains in the sport. Furthermore, they both provide strong examples of how football is far more than just a sport.
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