Tales of Home [3]

It depends on what you consider meaningful, I guess.  People who consider American football to be their life (or whatever that quote you used to have in your signature was ) are generally considered to be kinda weird.  But plenty of people feel passionate about it (relatively speaking) and enjoy following the sport.  All in all it seems much more light-hearted and friendly.  I was really weirded out the first time I read about European football fans being segregated into different areas based on the team they support.

The Old Firm rivallry- neatly dealing with two topics under discussion here at once!  

the whole idea of getting emotional over a sports team never made an iota of sense to me. I mean, you don't even know these people, had nothing to do with their training, etc, and if they win, you get....nothing. Why should you give a flying flick about them?  

Because they are your side, your club, the support and the club are one, one cant survive without the other- in football the support is a part of the club.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:The violence and deaths are tragic and should never happen- but it seems to me that it does make real football a lot more passionate and more meaningful than the US variant- which seems to me to be more like going out to the cinema or any other 'day out' activity.

Exactly! Less passionate and much more profitable! 

And if you were a billionaire owner of a franchise team and you had to choose between violence and death or outrageous profit, which would you choose?

Petty Tyrant wrote:Because they are your side, your club, the support and the club are one, one cant survive without the other- in football the support is a part of the club.

So you "join the club" just so you'll have something to get properly emotional about?   That would be fine (a wee bit silly, but fine) except that there seems to be this feeling that one is obligated to join the local club.

there seems to be this feeling that one is obligated to join the local club.- Halfwise

I dont think thats true- my local team would be Morton based in Greenock, but my home town is largely split between Rangers and Celtic fans, both based in Glasgow 70 miles away. Im a Rangers fan.
Its much more which side you grew up on, my family are all Rangers fans for example (and all protestant), so I was a Rangers fan by default, brought up as one basically, taken to the games, learned the songs, made part of the group.
When I was a kid I brought a friend home who was Catholic, my Dad didnt talk to me for a week- he has come to his senses in the intervening years and mellowed a lot, but he still hates Celtic with a passion if nt Catholics any more.
But that attitude was nothing unusual when I was a kid.

how can anyone get passionate about football these days, for eg non of the players from Manchester United are from Manchester, non of them are even English, well maybe one or two, the manager is foreign the owners are foreign, whats the point?

Petty Tyrant wrote:my family are all Rangers fans for example (and all protestant), so I was a Rangers fan by default, brought up as one basically, taken to the games, learned the songs, made part of the group.

Oh, you have songs (suddenly brightening).  How very Tolkienish.

I was in the pep band in college not to watch the games.  None of us were, the band came to games for reasons of our own (and being from a geeky college our team was a notorious loser).  We came up with cheers that usually did little more than befuddle the fans on the opposing side: they couldn't figure them out.  For example,

"Gimme an X! Gimme an E! Gimme an R! Gimme an O! Gimme an X!  Gimme an E! Gimme an R! Gimme an O! Gimme an X!  Gimme an E! Gimme an R! Gimme an O! Gimme an X! Gimme an E! Gimme an R! Gimme an O! Gimme an X! ......"

Songs are big part of football in all countries that play it as far as I know, certainly in the Uk anyway- clubs have anthems they are known by. Jump to 22.05 on that vid I posted for an example.

I'm sorry? Did you say songs? Ha!

American college teams will have a single fight song, but that's about the extent of it. Some city teams will have songs too, IF they are polite enough to stay put, which is becoming increasingly out of fashion.

Kafria!  

Singing, chanting ect is a big part of football.
One of the most famous if Liverpools You'll Never Walk alone anthem (also sung by Celtic fans who lay claim to it first)-

I watched the Vice documentary you posted, Petty.  Very interesting and I enjoyed getting a closer look at the Old Firm since you've mentioned it before.

NB Did the Rangers ever make it out of the Division 3 basement?

Currently top of Division 1 ( 1 below the top which is the Premiership) after winning the third last year and being promoted (you might be wondering why we are not in the 2nd division then- thats because the leagues were restructured in the close season).
The club survived (so far) and the support remained loyal and kept the money coming in- first time in Scottish football history 3rd division teams found themselves playing before 40,000 fans!

Oh, I'm not debating that the supporters 'sing' - although OED might argue your definition of singing. Just not sure i would quantify the caterwauling and taunting, random chants aimed at the ref and players and the latest 'witty' insults as songs, more 'herd' bonding rituals.p

Well, yes Kafria- thats sort of the point- when youre in a crowd of 40,000 all singing the same thing it makes you feel part of something bigger and greater. It fosters a basically tribal mentality- when I got a bit older, and slightly wiser I decided the whole hating the catholics thing and singing songs about being up to my knees in Fenian blood was just not for me- unfortunately I didnt immediately stop going to games- the very last time I went from my town to a match on the official Ranger supporters bus (many years ago now) I nearly got lynched by felow Rangers fans for refusing to sing along. You've got to be complicit to be in the tribe. (I went home on the train and boat after that one rather than the bus!)

You call that sappy crooning a football song? How you blokes ever get around to smashing bottles over each other's head I'll never know. At least Americans have the wherewithal to chant things like "Blood makes the grass grow!"

It's alright, just sour here. Being a Leeds fan will do that to you. Actually gave up, the cricket is far more satisfying at the mo. and Yorkshire still have a good number of hone grown lads in the team!

Halfwise, that's just the Liverpudlians being soft. Talking footsie, dad was a Liverpudlian from a family of Everton supporters, but he betrayed the family and supported the 'pool throughout his life!

Halfy you have to be lyrical, poetical and soulful first- passion, love for the team and your fellow fans, then you can get crabbit together having bonded and start bottling people.  

And the Ranger song The Billy Boys (named after King William of Orange, a Dutchman who saved us form the catholics!) has the chorus-
"Hello, hello, we are the Billy Boys.
Hello, hello, you'll know us by our noise.
We're up to our knees in fenian blood, surrender or you'll die.
For we are the Brigton Derry boys."


dad was a Liverpudlian from a family of Everton supporters, but he betrayed the family and supported the 'pool throughout his life!- Kafria

Brave man your Dad!  

And the best is

The difference between U.S and Europe football fans

I'm not really sure what the point of that comparison is supposed to be, other than European fans are louder/more coordinated?

At least in the U.S you can walk out the ground knowing your safe.