Paul’s Soccer Stories
English Soccer Tour: Spending a Day in Barnsley
After my one-day visit to Barnsley, I can say that it is a charming place with something of an inferiority complex. I spoke to several locals who seemed genuinely shocked that I was visiting from the States, and even when I told them I didn’t come all this way just to see Barnsley, they were still…
“Zombie Day” and a Badge Run to West Bromwich Albion
There are getting to be a few traditions on my English soccer trips. One is the arrival day, which I had yesterday and included a fine version of the Standard Customs Chat. Today it was time for two more: Zombie Day and the Badge Run. Zombie Day is just the day you get to the…
English Soccer Touring:
Ah, the Rituals of Arrival
Here's an example, from 2017, of what coming through UK customs for an English soccer trip used to be like. The new kiosks have screwed this all up. Coming through customs into the UK is starting to feel quite familiar. First there is the somehow sudden arrival, after 8 or 9 hours in the plane.…
On the English Soccer Road Again: February 2017 Tour
I feel like I’m getting pretty good at planning trips to see English soccer. That sounds like bragging, I suppose, but it’s true. A couple of years ago, all I really knew about was the Premier League, and finding my way to a game at West Bromwich Albion felt like a cultural adventure outside my…
