Football, Futbol, Soccer?

[flatpicker]

I was thinking awhile back about the term “football” and its usage in our “soccer” region. Obviously, “football” is the preferred choice for most nations around the world, but has not been common here. As the immigrant population continues to grow in North America, the number of people familiar with “football” grows as well. Watching Toronto broadcasts I notice the game being referred to as “football” (even by Canadians like Craig Forrest). And there are Major League Soccer teams adding the “FC” to their names; MLS players are heard saying “football”. Reading this board we can all see how normal it is now to say “football” instead of “soccer”. I wonder if the term is becoming more accepted these days. It wasn’t long ago that folks would look at you silly if you called the sport by any other name than “soccer” (unless you spoke with a foreign accent). If it is indeed becoming more common place in North America, I wonder where it will be 10 – 15 years from now. Perhaps a day will come when people need to say “American football” when talking about the NFL. Perhaps not. But it’s obvious that things have changed in the last few years…



(sorry, not a TFC thread exactly... but I thought a little diversion would be nice... maybe I should lay off the cider)

[rocker]

ya i've noticed football coming into usage more and more.

i find it weird saying soccer in certain company now. many people I know don't even follow the CFL or NFL, so for them, football doesn't have that north american association.

[Kaz]

I was reading something not that long ago, that was saying in the US it's still Soccer with a strong majority or the population, but in Canada the two terms are interchangeable most of the time.

As I understand it, Football has two forms, kicking games and carrying games. The Kicking Game has one primary form in Association Football. The Carrying game is primarily played as Rugby Football, which until 1958 at least was still what Canadian football was considered in name at least. Outside of Rugby there is Canadian Football and American/Gridiron football in North America, in Australia you have Aussie Rules Football.

Soccer is used in places where another form of Football is more popular. ie Canada, US, and Australia. Soccer is actually just like saying Rugby. Rugby is short for Rugby Union Football, or Rugby Football. Soccer is a short form of Association Football.

So there is no need to worry about what the league is called until such time as MLS is outselling NFL

at least that has been my understanding.

[Cashcleaner]

I rarely use the term football here and now. Soccer is the most recognizable name for the sport in North America and I'm not going to try to confuse people who aren't familiar with TFC and MLS.

I do wish we started using the term "Association Football" more in the league, though.

[Yohan]

it's all due to influx of eurosnobs

[dclaro]

maybe in 10 yrs it will be football and gridiron(rather than american football)

[Shakes McQueen]

I will guarantee you it will always be soccer on this side of the pond. For information on what my guarantee is based on, I would direct you to any proponent of the metric system. Even if Canada were to adopt "football" as the word for it, it will always be soccer to Americans.

- Scott

[CretanBull]

Having grown up in an English family where my grandfather, father, uncles all followed the Premiership (none of whom had any interest in American football) calling our sport "football" comes most naturally to me. Having said that, outside of a few footy fans (normally immigrants) I've been made to feel weird for calling our sport football so I've sort of been programmed to call it soccer. Basically, when around like minded people I call it football, in mixed company or when I think there might be confusion I call it soccer.

On a side note, I always thought it would have been cool to call the team Toronto SC...it would be a clear nod to the tradition of FC, but with a new North American flavour to it.

[[NBF]]

You can't be an association football club, if you dont have a football academy.

As far as soccer or football goes, it will always be soccer in North America and if you think about it this soccer thing will be the future of the sport in the Americas, where it will be known different than football in europe.

CretanBull: SC Toronto has a better ring to it than Toronto SC.

[Bars92]

football is the game at which most people are playing on grass at any given time. don't know to many people strapping on pads and kicking fieldgoals.

[ilikemusic]

I often have to catch myself when im talking to people who arent soccer fans because having immersed myself in football culture for several years now, its to the point where saying things like 'soccer' instead of 'football', 'soccer player' instead of 'footballer' or 'field' instead of 'pitch' just sounds really weird.

[OneLoveOneEric]

Crazy talk. Do you know how huge the NFL is in the USA? Bigger than anything.
Teams use "FC" etc. to appeal to a small group of fans, and if you hang out on forums like this, you'll think that people here say football.
And in the end, who cares? The Italians say calcio and nobody seems to freak out......

[Super Cereal]

maybe in 10 yrs it will be football and gridiron(rather than american football)

Keep dreaming.

[flatpicker]

One thing I will say, and not worry about confusing people, is "footie".
It's kinda the North American compromise.

[Cashcleaner]

You can't be an association football club, if you dont have a football academy.

As far as soccer or football goes, it will always be soccer in North America and if you think about it this soccer thing will be the future of the sport in the Americas, where it will be known different than football in europe.

CretanBull: SC Toronto has a better ring to it than Toronto SC.

Ugh. I hate putting SC, FC, AFC, or anything of that garbage in front of the club's name. Its not proper English to refer to a club as Soccer Club Toronto or Football Club Dallas. Makes us sound like we wanna be a team in another country where the language and syntax is different.

[CretanBull]

^ agreed

[Redcoe15]

Doesn't bother me in the least. Whatever works.

I was reading something not that long ago, that was saying in the US it's still Soccer with a strong majority or the population, but in Canada the two terms are interchangeable most of the time.

As I understand it, Football has two forms, kicking games and carrying games. The Kicking Game has one primary form in Association Football. The Carrying game is primarily played as Rugby Football, which until 1958 at least was still what Canadian football was considered in name at least. Outside of Rugby there is Canadian Football and American/Gridiron football in North America, in Australia you have Aussie Rules Football.

Soccer is used in places where another form of Football is more popular. ie Canada, US, and Australia. Soccer is actually just like saying Rugby. Rugby is short for Rugby Union Football, or Rugby Football. Soccer is a short form of Association Football.

So there is no need to worry about what the league is called until such time as MLS is outselling NFL

at least that has been my understanding.

Don't forget Gaelic football in Ireland.