Why go see English soccer in Person?

We asked that question of Chris Larson, a video producer for Groundhopper Soccer Guides, after he had been to a few games with us. We have some thoughts on why Americans, in particular, will love English soccer. Here is Chris’s experience from a game at Chelsea.

The first big awakening of the senses was walking up to Stamford Bridge, the home stadium of Chelsea F.C. It was clear my first in-person Premier League game was going to be an experience far exceeding the expectations formed watching from my couch at home.

Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC

Like many English stadiums, Stamford Bridge is in the middle of a neighborhood with no giant parking lot outside, so I flowed in with thousands of people moving through the streets. It was a shared experience joining the growing volume of voices, with outbreaks of chanting, all rising as the stadium came looming into view up ahead.

Even the ticket was different than expected. Visiting a big club like Chelsea as a foreigner, the only ticket options included food and other amenities. My ticket in the Canoville Suite included a fantastic pregame meal. After 10 minutes of prioritizing options from three different buffet lines and strategizing how to fit as many as possible on one plate, I made it to my table without spilling any of the precariously piled roast lamb, yorkshire pudding, speciality cheeses, curried lentils and roasted root vegetables. The long table with a view of the field and the players warming up was shared with a man from Australia, a couple from Iran, and a family of local Chelsea fans who had been coming to Stamford Bridge for three generations.

The buffet in Chelsea’s Canoville Suite (by Chris Larson)

Part of the pregame experience for first timers is a visit to the club store for souvenirs. Definitely shop in the club store. It’s usually attached to the stadium and sometimes referred to as the super or mega store. Inside, it’s not just about team jerseys and those iconic scarves. Lamp shades, socks, bed sheets, pajamas, keychains, posters, pillows – If you can fit a Chelsea logo on it, they probably have it.

I go to the club store for pins with the team crest, collected to commemorate a visit to each stadium. I’m not alone in this. It’s a long British tradition, collecting pins at each stadium. If you go, you should buy yourself a pin too; just beware the obsession.

Heading to the seats, still stuffed from the buffet, it was time to squeeze my full belly through the turnstile’s narrow metal bars. At the end of a short, dimly lighted narrow hallway were stairs leading up to the seats. Emerging from the cramped dark stairway, each step up revealed more of the bright lights, lively music, and waiving banners in the expansive stadium.

Kickoff from Canoville seating

The game appeared to move more quickly watching in person, and not just the ball. Everyone on the field was moving in response to the action. Surges forward when in possession of the ball, recovering runs as defenses strove to maintain organization, and constant realignment in a tactical fight for control of the pitch. All the while, managers were pacing around their respective technical areas taking notes and shouting instructions, shouting at the referee, and sometimes shouting at each other. So much happens away from the ball, and often off camera.

During the game, fans were different than expected; I mean the real supporters. This is an important distinction because there were also tourists and neutral fans sitting nearby enjoying the game. The long-time passionate home team fans didn’t sing and carry on as much as I anticipated. They intently watched the game. This game really mattered. Yes there was cheering for the high moments and moaning and cursing about the low moments, punctuated by choice opinionated words about poor refereeing. There was singing and the whole thing was an emotional ride. Through it all though, was a sense you only get being side by side with locals in the stadium. Almost everyone was anticipating and analyzing the athletes, the tactics, the decisions and officiating that all weave together to create the game. Underlying the intensity and emotion was a collective scrutiny of all this wonderful complexity.

The away end at The Bridge.

The away fans were amazing: a group of deeply devoted fans corralled in their own limited section of the stands loudly cheering, singing, taunting, swearing and gesturing. A fervent display of support for the away team. It’s a tradition and dynamic fully realized when not sanitized by networks and obscured by commentary.

A deeper immersion into the culture of English football suddenly hits you when all this comes together. Imagine yourself at a game in person. At some point, take a deep breath, look around the stadium and consider the history of a club like Chelsea that has been in existence since 1905, founded 15 years before the NFL and 41 years prior to the founding of the NBA – and playing on this very spot since the day it was founded. Suddenly, the rising intensity of the noise and the crowds emotions sweeps you up as a beautifully crafted interchange of overlapping runs and one touch passing leads to a curling effort on goal that tucks into the top corner of the net just beyond a leaping goalie’s outstretched fingers. Waive your team scarf in the air and high five your neighbor! If your lucky, following the outburst of cheering and elated fist pumping is when it happens, the powerful and moving sound of thousands of people singing in unison in reverence for the traditions, connections, identity, and enduring legacy of their club.

If you love soccer, do your best to not just watch from the couch. Go to England and see games. Be open to the experience. Go and see for yourself that what you have seen on television is just a glimpse of what awaits.

Chris Larson is an international tour guide, soccer fan, and content creator. He is also the owner of Oregon Outdoor Discovery.