Culture
Why Do Americans Call it “Soccer”?
Over the course of my English soccer travels, one conversation has been repeated just about daily. It goes pretty much like this: Me: “Hi, I’m visiting from the States.” English Person: “Are ya? Did you just come for this game?” Me: “No, I’m traveling around on a two-week football tour, going to as many games as I…
Things Americans Will Love About Seeing Soccer in England
I believe that Americans, who already seem to love watching English soccer on TV, will absolutely fall for it when they see it in person. And here are some reasons why. Great Locations Americans are used to football stadiums in suburbs surrounded by parking lots. Basketball arenas are usually the same, or in soulless developed…
Some of the Characters You’ll Meet at an English Soccer Game
If you head over to England to watch soccer games, you're going to be around quite a few interesting people. So I thought I would introduce you to some of them ahead of time. By the way, this post was written during one of the 80-plus soccer games I have attended, Fulham at Bolton in 2015.…
Stuff the U.S. is Better at than England
There is a lot to love about seeing soccer in England. But there are also things America is better at. Here's Paul's list of things the U.S. is better at in soccer. Of course, there are many things the UK is simply better at than the US when it comes to seeing sports events: the…
How to Read a Soccer Referee
There is always a lot going on during a soccer game, and one of the entertaining things to watch for is all the ways a referee communicates with players. One assumes he uses words, and one would love to hear some of the words he hears in response, but unless you can read lips, you…
Some More Thoughts on This Whole “Soccer” Situation
Once again, I shall wade into dangerous cultural waters. But this whole thing about Americans calling the world’s most popular game “soccer” just keeps coming up in lots of ways, and I have some more thoughts on it. First, as I have explained before, the word "soccer" originated in England and was fairly widely used…
Watching English Soccer: Etiquette, Dos and Don’ts
Every year, tens of thousands of Americans go see soccer games in England. But since they are visiting a different sporting culture, they often wonder about etiquette at games. After all, we don’t want to annoy our neighbors … right? So what are some common dos and don’ts at English soccer games? Here are some…
Is It Safe to Go to English Soccer Games?
The question about safety at English soccer games is one I get a lot. I even get comments about "running with the hooligans." And the answers are yes to the first, no to the second. While there are certainly some rowdy boys here and there, you’ll hardly ever see them, and I have only felt…
