After his last trip to London, I asked an Australian friend who'd spent some time over here if he'd followed the soccer.
"Of course, you have to over there; no one has anything else to talk about."
I wasn't quite sure if this was true but the fact is I've gotten into the 'football,' as you call it here, too.
I first visited in 2003-2004, the year Arsenal went unbeaten through the league. And following this sport at all would be particularly dull if you didn't have a team. I needed to make an important choice.
I lived in ULU Halls of Residence, in Tavistock Square, WC1 so there was no obvious local team to jump onto. I wrote an email home to Matt, my sports mad mate who knows every fact and figure about every game in the world. He told me he'd supported Birmingham City ever since he saw a shit comedian making jokes about them and that I should go for them. It didn't seem that clever though; moving all the way to London and then choosing a team from Birmingham.
So I'd narrowed it down: it needed to be a London team. It also needed to be a Premiership team. No point, I figured, if you're going to choose, in selecting a team that you'll never get a chance to see on TV. For that matter, what with the Sky Sports set up, you're really forced to choose a top team, or, as with a club from a lower division, you'll never get a chance to see a game.
I was left with a choice of two. Chelsea or Arsenal. Or Spurs, yeah right. My mate Dave (a Man Utd fan) told me only twats supported Arsenal. After working out what a twat was, this nearly tipped the balance in their favour. As did their style of play, with Viera, Henry et al gliding around, the game itself was almost interesting.
The major problem was, they were already way out in front with little prospect (indeed none as it turned out) of being caught. I thought surely I couldn't just turn up and jump on the premiers elect, or could I?
Then there was Chelsea, with nice guy Ranieri fumbling from the front. Universally laughed at for throwing money around and getting no-where (I recall the newspaper comment after a loss to Arsenal soon after I arrived, a scoff and: "before they're the best team in the world they'll have to be the best team in London"). There wasn't the animosity then (that came with the success). Way back then (a little over two years ago) every football fan who consoles themselves by saying "well you can't buy history" was suggesting that you "can't buy success." Or can you?
Truth to tell Chelsea, despite not quite having the magic on the field, were the more exciting. A new era, the Roman Empire, enough money to save the world getting thrown at a bunch of grown men kicking and head butting a little nylon ball. It seemed all the best and all the worst of this country and the sport it loves.
Plus it was a great chance to stir up the locals. Every criticism was music to my ears: "they're ruining English football" (great, why don't we start on cricket next); "there aren't enough English players" (rubbish there are too many) etc.
I've been asked why, accused of glory hunting, been to Champions League, Premiership and FA Cup games. Got up at five in the morning before work in Melbourne to watch games live on SBS, Australia's immigrant TV Station.
You'll often get criticised as a foreigner supporting this team. If you do, laugh. The person you're talking to probably cheers for United anyway. The important thing is to choose a team, stick with it and give the Poms heaps.
First published 7 January 2007
"Of course, you have to over there; no one has anything else to talk about."
I wasn't quite sure if this was true but the fact is I've gotten into the 'football,' as you call it here, too.
I first visited in 2003-2004, the year Arsenal went unbeaten through the league. And following this sport at all would be particularly dull if you didn't have a team. I needed to make an important choice.
I lived in ULU Halls of Residence, in Tavistock Square, WC1 so there was no obvious local team to jump onto. I wrote an email home to Matt, my sports mad mate who knows every fact and figure about every game in the world. He told me he'd supported Birmingham City ever since he saw a shit comedian making jokes about them and that I should go for them. It didn't seem that clever though; moving all the way to London and then choosing a team from Birmingham.
So I'd narrowed it down: it needed to be a London team. It also needed to be a Premiership team. No point, I figured, if you're going to choose, in selecting a team that you'll never get a chance to see on TV. For that matter, what with the Sky Sports set up, you're really forced to choose a top team, or, as with a club from a lower division, you'll never get a chance to see a game.
I was left with a choice of two. Chelsea or Arsenal. Or Spurs, yeah right. My mate Dave (a Man Utd fan) told me only twats supported Arsenal. After working out what a twat was, this nearly tipped the balance in their favour. As did their style of play, with Viera, Henry et al gliding around, the game itself was almost interesting.
The major problem was, they were already way out in front with little prospect (indeed none as it turned out) of being caught. I thought surely I couldn't just turn up and jump on the premiers elect, or could I?
Then there was Chelsea, with nice guy Ranieri fumbling from the front. Universally laughed at for throwing money around and getting no-where (I recall the newspaper comment after a loss to Arsenal soon after I arrived, a scoff and: "before they're the best team in the world they'll have to be the best team in London"). There wasn't the animosity then (that came with the success). Way back then (a little over two years ago) every football fan who consoles themselves by saying "well you can't buy history" was suggesting that you "can't buy success." Or can you?
Truth to tell Chelsea, despite not quite having the magic on the field, were the more exciting. A new era, the Roman Empire, enough money to save the world getting thrown at a bunch of grown men kicking and head butting a little nylon ball. It seemed all the best and all the worst of this country and the sport it loves.
Plus it was a great chance to stir up the locals. Every criticism was music to my ears: "they're ruining English football" (great, why don't we start on cricket next); "there aren't enough English players" (rubbish there are too many) etc.
I've been asked why, accused of glory hunting, been to Champions League, Premiership and FA Cup games. Got up at five in the morning before work in Melbourne to watch games live on SBS, Australia's immigrant TV Station.
You'll often get criticised as a foreigner supporting this team. If you do, laugh. The person you're talking to probably cheers for United anyway. The important thing is to choose a team, stick with it and give the Poms heaps.
First published 7 January 2007
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