British men show far more loyalty, commitment and self-sacrifice towards their favourite football team than towards their partners, a study published on Monday showed.
About 94% said they would never stop loving their team no matter how badly they fared while 52% would gladly ditch a relationship that was not going well, the survey of approximately 2Â 00 men across Britain found.
Psychologist Aric Sigman said: “If men showed the same fidelity, commitment, self-sacrifice and honesty toward their partners, the divorce rate would halve overnight.
“In an age where politicians’ loyalties are seen as chameleonic, where jobs and relationships come and go, loyalty is now reserved for something men feel they can actually believe in: football.
“Perhaps this undying loyalty for a football team shows how qualities such as integrity and devotion are at a premium nowadays.”
A quarter of men admitted they would miss a family funeral to watch a game. The research also discovered that a majority of Englishmen surveyed (59%) said football gave them a sense of national pride, while a majority of Scotsmen (55%) said it gave them a sense of national embarrassment.
The study also found that football provided a way for men to show emotion. Nearly two-fifths (39%) admitted they had cried tears of joy or despair over football, whilst almost a third (32%) said it had been crucial in teaching them to bond with other men.
Pollsters TNS Global conducted the research for football World Cup sponsor Duracell. – AFP