Football vs Football

Nothing is more enjoyable than watching your team live in either a American Football or Soccer live event. I spent my formative years in the Midwest and was exposed to the Kansas City Chiefs and Arrowhead Stadium. Known as the loudest venue in sports, that place can really rock, and it provides a great atmosphere to root your team on. Moving to London, I now quench my thirst for live action by rooting for the Crystal Palace, one of the English Premier League's most rabid football clubs. In many ways, there are quite a few similarities between Arrowhead and Selhurst, but there are many important differences as well.

Soccer is a special sport, and in the UK they have taken spectating to a fine art – almost a sport unto itself. From the minute you arrive at Selhurst (Crystal Palace’s home field), you are part of the event. Rarely do people sit. Rather, they start singing and chanting the minute you get to your seat, and you leave the stadium hoarse and tired! The songs range from being very plain to be cruelly witty towards the other team (specially the white collar teams like Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal). Here is a small example:

Can you hear the (insert opposing team) fans sing, no, no?

(pause)

I can’t hear a f*&%ing thing

Also, the fans are ridiculously friendly. Don’t be surprised if you get hugged by your neighbor when the Palace puts one in the back of the net! For those coming over to London, catching a football match is a real highlight. Get into the action. Safety is much better. Fans are segregated – opposing fans can ONLY sit in their special section which is guarded by large numbers of security staff. Soccer violence is way down – but still better safe than sorry.

American Football is a tradition. Families have been going to the game for years. Some highlights to the day include arriving early, tailgating with friends and family for a few hours before entering the stadium, screaming your lungs out, and leaving happy. If you have a 1 p.m. game, that doesn’t stop a tailgater, they start their drinking around 10, and their barbecues from 7 in the morning. That smoke coming from the car may not be coming from a tailpipe. Another big difference is that fans can effect the outcome of the game, and often do. Savvy fans know to raise the volume when the visiting team is in the huddle or approaching the line of scrimmage so that they can mess the playcalling, audibles, and cadence. The NFL is more of a production, with the big screens, cheerleaders, loud music, fireworks, big entrances, etc…

So – folks from the States coming over to the UK, try to go see an EPL match while you are here. For those of you, living in London, you MUST get to Arrowhead. It really is the mecca of sports arenas. That is a fact not an opinion.

London (or close) football fixtures - 31st October

Chelsea v Liverpool

Crystal Palace v Man United

Watford v West Ham

Reading v Brighton

Milwall v Bradford

Southend v Walsall