[SeaGypsy]

Has anyone else noticed this?

Today Australia beat Saudi Arabia for the Football Asia Champions League,
Pakistan has been smashing world records in its Cricket Wold Series matches against Australia, both matches in front of crowds so massive they would fit in a couple of school busses.

For the last few years it has become obvious that stadium sports in Muslim countries no longer require a stadium, just room for the support crews, TV cameras & special forces security agents. The stadiums of India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, are redundant.

My speculation is that this circumstance is a reflection of the rise of the threat of Islamic extremism. My question is, are people not going because they are not allowed? Or because they fear reprisals from Taliban/ IS style potential future governments? Or the death of stadium sports in these countries shows a real move away from the traditional western post enlightenment British Empire Sports, towards what? Teaching kids how to behead Kafir?

[Islander]

Go and spout your Islamaphobic nonsense somewhere else. People don't watch as much sport because there are much better things to do than watch a bunch of overpaid corporate backed simpletons kick/hit a ball around.

[basil_hayden]

Yeah, like beheadings and such are much better.

[SeaGypsy]

I don't need an opinion from a moronic Dhimmi, thanks anyway Islander, I would prefer to hear from someone who lives in India, Saudi, Pakistan, Iran, all countries which have a long history of developing stadium sports, mostly sans public beheadings. People gathered across cultures and screamed at each other about the handling of a ball, all quite civilised except for a few crush incidents, assassination attempts, etc, all of which have occurred in western countries yet these countries have modified their crowd control & got on with the business of getting large crowds of people screaming at each other about a ball.

[SeaGypsy]

By the way, just to jam it up the shnozzer of the likes of Islamder, today's achievement by the Western Sydney Wanderers was a phenomenal community based extremely multicultural team from the poorest & hardest suburbs in our country. The team includes many Muslims, playing at world class level with non Muslim team members in absolute harmony. Today, on a shoestring budget, this mongrel team beat the team Al Halal, the Chosen of The House of Saud.

Now ordinarily I don't give a shit about ball sports. But this was significant, just as the Pakistan batsman breaking a pile of world records. Both events being observed directly by less than 200 people is phenomenal, and it is becoming a pattern, one which speaks about much more than the demise of the British empire or some imaginary corporate failure.

[KingM]

Go and spout your Islamaphobic nonsense somewhere else.

Why wouldn't any sensible person be Islamophobic?

[SeaGypsy]

[GHung]

Too much Circus; not enough Bread?

[SeaGypsy]

I wish I knew. It sure isn't natural attrition. Look at clips of Test Cricket matches, Asia cup matches, over the years, there has been an absolute falling off a cliff in crowd numbers & the media don't mention it & try to avoid too many high shots showing the tens of thousands of empty seats, a gang of about 100 extras cheering or whatever, it's quite absurd,

[GHung]

I expect that a lot of 'fans' have decided it's safer (and likely cheaper) to stay home and watch it on TV.

[SeaGypsy]

That doesn't chime with the fact the cinematic film industry is booming in these same countries & cinemas have often been attacked, but are still packed.

[vtsnowedin]

Tough choice; Go to an open air stadium and sit in 100 deg.F scorching sun Or stay home with your Ac and wide screen TV and enjoy a forbidden beverage or two served to you by your wife wearing her fashionable western clothes Or less. Hummmm?

[SeaGypsy]

Good point, not to mention lining up for hours to be groped by machine gun toting mustachios, not being allowed beer or chicks in miniskirts in the breaks would suck too lol.

[Keith_McClary]

Tough choice; Go to an open air stadium and sit in 100 deg.F scorching sun Or stay home with your Ac and wide screen TV and enjoy a forbidden beverage or two served to you by your wife wearing her fashionable western clothes Or less. Hummmm?

Yeah, I have never understood the attraction.

[dorlomin]

Pakistan are playing over 1000 kms from home. Only the English take large crowds abroad. The Windies have nearly imploded but no one is talking about militant christianity being responsible for that. The county championship in England is played in front of a few old duffers read the Telegragh no one is putting that down to militant Anglicanism.

India hardly pull in big crowds for test these days.

Indonesia certainly seems to have a heathly British attitude to supporting their teams

[BobInget]

Half of Iran's population are forbidden to watch men's soccer or Volleyball at stadiums.

One women was just sentenced to three years for attending a volleyball game.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29869909

OTOH, there was a charming Iranian film some years back telling the tale of women
dressing up as men to watch soccer in person. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0499537/

[Shaved Monkey]

Hard to get visas,not fear of be headings apparently.

.... a club spokesperson said a strict and complex process for obtaining Saudi Arabia visas, along with the travel cost, had reduced the touring party leaving from Sydney to 13 men and one woman.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/west ... 1d10h.html

[americandream]

Im scratching my head trying to work out where the Islam is in Hindu majority India.

Whilst I am no fan of imperial Islam, surely you must be aware of the Cold War roots of Islams new found imperial zeal, SG?