At the end of March (I can't believe it's already May!), we went to our first Premier League football (soccer) match! Jordan found tickets to see Arsenal play at Birmingham, which is only a couple hours away. The only catch was that he could only find seats through Birmingham... meaning that we were going to have to sit with other Blues supporters. We figured it wouldn't be a big deal - people do it all the time in the states, right?
After speaking with some of our English mates, we quickly realized that this was actually quite a bold move. Later, I found out that Jordan had to become a member of the Birmingham fan club in order to purchase these tickets. We decided we'd wear our Arsenal kits (jerseys) anyway, but just keep them covered with our jackets. (Thank goodness it was a chilly day!)
We got to Birmingham with an hour to spare before kick-off, and spent some time walking around to experience the pregame festivities. We passed a pub with signs posted saying "HOME SUPPORTERS ONLY", with lots of tough guys standing outside (picture shaved heads, tattoos on their heads and fingers, scars, and drinking cans of beer that they bought at the corner store). I was considering taking a picture, but for my safety decided against it.
After speaking with some of our English mates, we quickly realized that this was actually quite a bold move. Later, I found out that Jordan had to become a member of the Birmingham fan club in order to purchase these tickets. We decided we'd wear our Arsenal kits (jerseys) anyway, but just keep them covered with our jackets. (Thank goodness it was a chilly day!)
We got to Birmingham with an hour to spare before kick-off, and spent some time walking around to experience the pregame festivities. We passed a pub with signs posted saying "HOME SUPPORTERS ONLY", with lots of tough guys standing outside (picture shaved heads, tattoos on their heads and fingers, scars, and drinking cans of beer that they bought at the corner store). I was considering taking a picture, but for my safety decided against it.
We found the appropriate entrance for our tickets (they separate the home and visitor sections), and walked past yet another sign that reminded us that we were about to enter a section for "Blues Supporters ONLY". We found our seats, and double-checked that our jackets were zipped up to our chins. When Arsenal scored, we celebrated quietly by giving each other a fist bump with our hands at our sides. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but it was really exciting to see the home team erupt when Birmingham scored. The passion that the English have for football is unbelievable. They get extremely upset when they're losing (screaming expletives and all), and celebrate like crazy when they score. This game was an unforgettable experience for both of us, but I think we'll try a bit harder to find tickets in our team's section next time.
The Blues' Stadium
Zipped up, waiting for the game to start!
No comments:
Post a Comment