English Football

I am not generally a person who makes lists. Perhaps it is because writing it down somehow feels like a contract to be completed, or maybe because I more frequently misplace the list than I do forget things that are on it. One of the things on my list, either mental or scribed, has been to attend an English Premier League match.

My mate Paddy got me watching and paying attention to the EPL back in '97 with his passion for Manchester United, the Yankees of the English League. Fortunately we can get the league matches on satellite in the States and I have spent many Saturday and Sunday mornings with games on my tele. There have also been an influx of American players to the league so the ties across the pond can be a bit easier to foster.

I landed on London early Friday morning and went directly to the hotel to drop off my luggage and spend a good chunk of what turned out to be a nice sunny day securing my football needs. First stop, White Heart Lane, home of Tottenham Hotspurs. I had booked my tickets online a few weeks ago by joining their fan club and picking up a ticket off their exchange service. Since Spurs have two Americans playing for them, I found it easy to root for the home team. I then ran across town to see if the Sunday matchup between QPR and Reading had tickets--and they did! So games for me on both days.

The experiences could not have been more different. White Heart was large and cavernous. The folks I sat with we regulars who talked more with each other than at or about the game. Loftus Road on the other hand was small, quaint, middle of the neighborhood with everyone chanting and paying close attention to the action. It felt like the difference between Miller Park and County Stadium in Milwaukee. Large, comfortable, impersonal vs. cozy, family, active. There were perhaps only 2% women at the Spurs game, today I would say it was more like 1 in 6 at the Rangers. Tons of sons and daughters cheering on Queens Park Rangers at Loftus.

The games were also very different. Hotspurs played like they were entitled to win and got beat by a much less talented side. QPR and Reading played like two teams at the bottom of the table who expect to fight it out to be spared relegation. Even though both of the Americans played well for Tottenahm (especially GK Friedel), neither team showed the passion of the QPR Reading draw. I enjoyed both of the experiences, but the second match was more what I was expecting to see when I came.

A few other thoughts about the play.
1) It is astonishing how much these guys can work a soccer ball in the air. Not just on free kicks, but nearly every single time the ball comes off their foot, it does not go straight. Not even close. It is hard to see the extent of the curve on TV, a bit easier where I was seated at White Heart Lane, but amazing to watch from my seat on the end line at QPR.
2) it was interesting to hear American songs being used by the fans. Battle Hymn of the Republic, Stars and Stripes, and My Darling Clementine were used at both stadiums with different lyrics. Sorry mom, no Welsh hymns.
3) I was surprised that the field seemed to play shorter and wider than its actual dimensions. Balls and players seemed to move up and down the field very quickly, but much more slowly side to side. I have not watched enough soccer live to know if it is usually that way, but in person I got that feeling and never got that sense form the TV broadcasts.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience at QPR today against Reading. The Hotspurs game was not without some fun though. I played the dumb Yank and made friends with the Steward in my section who gave me a long history (he has been coming since '63) about the club, the field, the players, the coach, that this is a blokes event (hence few women), and on and on. Very nice fella and I think I made his day. Pretty sure he will weave me into his future yarns.

Well worth my time and money to go to both these.

- Uncle Phool