Alternative and Exciting Ways to Watch the World Cup

The World Cup is coming again in June 2018. This time, it is finally in Russia. This makes a change from all the repeat countries getting it twice – like France, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Sexico etc. I personally cannot wait for the World Cup in Russia and the 2022 one in Qatar. It’s a pity Northern Ireland didn’t qualify – we came so close – it was an assholic decision by a buck eejit bribe scandal referee to award Cheatzerland a pelanty in the play off and we lost 1-0 over two legs because of it. That aside, I’ll still watch the tournament. Being based in Poland is class as we border Russia so I can get a real feel for it again. Four years ago I attended the World Cup Final in Rio and the Brazil v. Sexico match in Fortaleza. This time, I’ll be supporting a team called Anyone But Cheatzerland and will attend the tournament in Kaliningrad.

Watching the 2014 World Cup Final in the Maracana Stadium in Brazil

Here are a few wacky and alternative ways to watch the World Cup this year.

Make Fake Panini Albums
As a collector of stickers back in the day, I found it so intriguing to read about the cheap Panini freaks who draw every single Panini sticker and call themselves the Panini cheapskates. The story has gone viral on football forums the last few months. Check them out!

The Panini Cheapskates

I completed my Mexico 86 Panini Sticker album including Northern Ireland, and Maradona but I lost it/it was stolen.

Drawing Maradona and the Norn Iron page of my Mexico 86 Panini album

I had every sticker including the star of the 86 World Cup, Diego Maradona.

Organise a Country Pub Crawl
Back in 2014 for the World Cup, I found myself in London for a few days meeting old friends and backpacking through the city again. I decided to organise a 12 country pub crawl based on teams that played in the World Cup that day. I gave out fake passport and sticker books to my friends who had to complete an album of 12 stickers. To qualify, you need to eat a food from that country, drink a drink from that country or eat in a venue related to that country. It was a cracking day out.

Watching highlights of the Chile v. Australia match with my mates on a pub crawl of London!

Have a Kickabout in the Park with FKWs
FKW means “full kit wanker”, basically a grown adult who is wick at football but dresses like their heroes! Hilarious or what? Head down to the park and split yourselves into World Cup teams for a fake World Cup. Jumpers for goalposts, three corners a pelanty and no offsides. Poaching permitted. No trophy and the tournament ends when the ball gets burst, goes in the water or the sun sinks.

Back in the 80s, dreaming with my first ever Northern Ireland kit and ball

Put Some Online Bets On
To make the results more exciting, the drama more thrilling, why not put a few bets on. The online casino and betting industry is huge now and bookmakers estimate millions of dollars to be placed on online bets daily throughout the tournament. Betting on foregone conclusion games might bring in a guaranteed win but the odds will be lower, so have a think about a good underdog bet. You’d have got a huge return on betting Costa Rica to be quarter finalists last time around.

Dad and I in Rio de Janeiro for the 2014 World Cup Final

Kissing the World Cup

Those are a few ideas, another cool option is to attend the fake World Cup in London for unrecognised countries such as Northern Cyprus. Details of that are here – http://www.conifa.org/en/2017/09/03/conifa-brings-2018-world-football-cup-to-london/