[user104658]

Originally Posted by Redway

That doesn’t mean that taking a day off to watch a game is inherently childish. Most other reasons people would have for requesting days off wouldn’t be on the magnitude of Euros (a global event).

Taking a day off is fine, like I said I’m all for extra time off from employers for people to engage in big events to improve work/life balance, and if they enjoy football and one of those things is a football match then that’s fine. Which is why I said it could be a number of days of extra annual leave specifically designed for “one off” days of the employee’s choice. I like games… I like silly MCU movies and reality TV… I’m aware that none of these are highbrow interests… they’re all things I’ve legitimately taken annual leave for . I’m not saying there’s anything childish about liking football or having football as a hobby/interest, or any other sport.

What I find childish is the assumption or belief (and many grown men do believe this) that football - specifically football - has “special status” above and beyond any other personal interest or hobby, that in any way applies universally to people who have no interest in it, or that would warrant a “public holiday” day off for everyone because there’s a big day for their hobby . I honestly see it as no less bizarre than the idea that we should have had a public holiday for the release of “Avengers: Endgame”. It was a global event, after all.

Don’t get me wrong I find the psychology of football in the UK (most of Europe, actually) really fascinating in terms of what’s going on with nostalgia/dopamine/comfort in a large proportion of (mostly) the male population but I’m not a member of that club personally, and I just don’t think that without that, the sport itself is particularly entertaining to watch .