Spitting.

GodCubed

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Why do players do this? Every time you see a player not running, he's gobbing onto the ground. I don't get it. I don't do it: I don't feel the need to, and there are no benefits to it at all. Its uncouth, unseemly and I don't know whether players consider that they'll be slide tackling over their and everybody else's spit for the remainder of the match.

Frankly, I see no benefits to it at all, and whilst I don't think anything as strenuous as bans should be imposed it repulses me slightly. Also, the old argument about footballers being role models is sadly applicable here: they're just teaching another generation of kids to be unhygienic and disgusting.

It's something that's bugged me for a while. What's your take on it?

(BTW, correct section? It applies to English football, so I guessed it to be here.)
 
I have the same view. When the camera goes to focus on a player, 9 times out of 10 they will spit. It's disgusting and I see no benefit in doing it.
 
I'm not sure why, but when I'm either at the gym, playing rugby or football after a lot of activity I tend to spit, not sure if it's a build up of sticky saliva or whatever, but I do it out of habit.
 
I think it's horrible to do it for no reason, but I do spit if my mouth has been filled with mud, or if another players boot has gone near my mouth, and also when my mouth is bleeding I spit.
 
Weight loss to run for the next through ball faster. Or perhaps footballer's IQ's haven't developed to the stage of knowing how to swallow yet.
 
Build up of saliva, spit it out? I do it, not to be disgusting or anything, just get rid of excess saliva in the mouth. :)
 
Honestly, yes I do spit when I play football. Just because of the build up of sticky saliva in my throat.

I don't however, flem it all out of my nose. That's just ******* rank.
 
Build up of saliva, spit it out? I do it, not to be disgusting or anything, just get rid of excess saliva in the mouth. :)

Does swallowing not work for you?
 
When i'm playing football i have a tendency to spit, but don't now why.
 
I'm the same as some of the above. I do it during football.

You mentioned the swallowing, but it doesn't help me as it kinda just stays there. Drinking halts it shortly, however if I drink too much I get a stitch so in a way I have to spit and it doesn't bother me until people start flemming everywhere or shooting mucus out of their noses!
 
Does swallowing not work for you?

It does however unless you keep getting a drink it becomes thicker and harder to swallow. (That sounds terrible).
 
one of the reasons theres an extremely lengthy ban for spitting on a player is because of health reasons and certain diseases/illnesses that can be transmitted via spitting - so i dont see how its any different to spitting on the pitch? surely it should be banned...
 
Its disgusting but it's cos the salvia builds up when your doing exercise... happens to most people no?
And they cant exactly keep going to the touch line and getting a drink from the physios every five mins like we can so they have to spit to get it out of theirs systems.... otherwise it clogs up in your throat and gives you that awful feeling.
 
It will always happen in a game like football. The game is so fast paced it's hard for people to even notice it in the match.

Take golf for example, Tiger Woods got fined the other week for spitting on the golf course. You'll get away with it in certain sports, but that doesn't make it right. It's not a pleasant habit.
 
Footballers are urged to clean up spitting image
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1507441/Footballers-are-urged-to-clean-up-spitting-image.html

The charity Keep Britain Tidy yesterday called on professional footballers to stop spitting during matches, claiming young people were copying their heroes and covering the streets in saliva.

Alan Woods, the organisation's chief executive, has written to the Professional Footballers' Association, outlining why he thinks players should set a better example.

He said: "Football has done much to bring people together and combat problems such as racism. Now it is time to tackle spitting. It remains the ultimate insult, a contemptuous gesture drowning in hate. But it is not just revolting - it has a cost.

"Saliva and chewing gum deposited on the pavement needs to be washed and cleaned up and when it is aimed at another person, spit can spread colds, flu, measles and mumps."

But the charity's attitude has surprised many in the football industry, who say spitting is a physical necessity.

Bryan English, the chief medical officer of Chelsea Football Club, said: "When you exercise, you get an increase in the production of saliva in your mouth. You either spit it out or swallow it.

"Some players and athletes find it much more comfortable, from a performance point of view, to spit it out.

"It is something they would never dream of doing outside a sporting environment.

"If I was to ask my players to stop spitting, someone would have to provide a good scientific reason for me to do so. If I asked them to do it simply because it didn't look pleasant on television, they would laugh in my face."

The charity has also urged players not to spit at each other - an offence that results in a red card if seen by the referee. It surveyed 300 fans from 19 clubs in England and found that many were upset by an incident in which El-Hadji Diouf, a Bolton footballer, spat at Arjan de Zeeuw, then of Portsmouth, in May last year.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, was mentioned for spitting out his chewing gum at the end of matches.

Bruce Hamilton, the chief medical officer of UK Athletics, the national governing body, said: "It is not something people intuitively think about when they are heavily involved in sport. I don't think it is such a bad thing.

"Young people copy their idols, but do they copy their spitting? I don't know. I would suggest not."
 
Honestly, yes I do spit when I play football. Just because of the build up of sticky saliva in my throat.

I don't however, flem it all out of my nose. That's just ******* rank.

^ I'm exactly the same as that.
 
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