Anfield Road, Old Trafford, Highbury, Villa Park, Stamford Bridge, Elland Road and Wembley, are some of the places millions of soccer fans from all over the world visit regularly. Even though you are not particular interested in soccer, the fantastic atmosphere, passion and suspense thrilling there, will cure you for life.
The 28 August starts the FA Carling Premiership again. The tradition goes on, and many people wouldn't miss it for the whole world
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Photo: Two enthusiastic and friendly soccer fans from Norway; Svein and Alf.
Svein supports Leeds United, and Alf support Manchester United. Even though they are still good friends and enjoy their company, but not everybody in England has such relaxed attitude to soccer.
England still has the disreputable hooligans that consider football grounds as battlefields, and they know about warfare. Clubs in England have incredible good supporters, but earlier in English soccer my impression was that the supporters were better to support their own team than mobbing other's team. In the end of the 80s I heard the Chelsea support applauded for Liverpool`s brilliant play on Anfied Road. These supporters really loved good football.
Harder clashes between the supporters now a days? Maybe it has something to do with changes in the social conditions and lifestyle? The supporters are now more than ever like cat and dog. That is why these matches are arranged early on Saturdays or Sundays. The police get a better control!
Since Manchester United has dominated English soccer for 10-15 years now, fans all over love to hate this club. When they sing "Stand up if you hate Man United", everybody rise up from their seats.
Pilgrims
Foreign soccer fans invade English soccer stadiums to support their favourite teams. During thousands of years, so-called Pilgrim travelling has been popular world-wide.
Some of the most popular places Pilgrims still travels to are:
- Santiago de Compestela in Spain.
- The Vatican Rome.
- The wall in Jerusalem.
- Sinai - climbing the 700 steps to the top of the mountain where Moses received the stone plates from Gud.
- Chestochowa in Poland where the icon "The Black Madonna" is preserved.
- Lourdes in France where maiden Maria has appeared 18 times for a young girl in 1858 (source with healing water).
- Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where maiden Marian has appeared for some teenagers in 1982 and has continued with it since then.
- The Stonehenge, England.
- Lough Derg, Ireland.
- Nidarosdomen, Trondheim in Norway, where relieves after the Viking king, Saint Olav, is preserved.
- Elvis-fans go to Graceland where the King is buried.
But the most popular attraction for Pilgrims nowadays is definitely the football grounds in England. The similarity between the Pilgrims travelling in middle age and now is almost the same. The intention is to go to places that offer a healing force, and Pilgrims expects to be cured. Their experiences give them an extra spiritual energy that they can live on for a long time. When they need to be healed again they return to the holy place.
"The Football bridge" from Scandinavia to England
Each year ten-thousands of Scandinavians cross the ocean to England to support their favourite teams. Also people from other countries as Australia, New Zealand, USA, and all over the world, visit England primary for soccer. Football is their life and blood. They spend all their money on football; not only for the suspense thrill the game gives, but also first and foremost for attending the unique social scene the football supporters create. Almost every club in England's league system, from the top division to the lowest division, has supporters from abroad.
Photo: An eager soccer supporter from Norway, Ole, visits his favourite Club Liverpool F.C.
Rituals
Soccer matches start a long time before the referee signals the match to start. Supporters meet at pubs to drink, talk and sing before they enter the stadium. "Here we go, here we go
". It is rough, wild and loudly, but first and foremost it is social. People who have something in common enjoy their company very much. They support the same team, and hate the same teams.
The most eager supporters are dressed up in their team's soccer suits. There are also players in the game and deserved to be called the 12th player, even though they are not allowed the step on the football pitch and kick the ball.
Continue in part 2. Read more and see more photos from England's most important social function: soccer!
Stein Morten Lund, 15 August 2000
Additional information
Read more about English soccer (also Scottish soccer):
Information about British soccer; news, results, clubs, players, transfers and more.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport/hi/english/football/default.stm
Information about British soccer; news, results, clubs, players, transfers and more.
http://www.fa-carling.com/
Fan club sites:
http://www.liverpool.no (for the crazy, but nice Scandinavian football supporters - this is an example of how popular English soccer is outside England). They have their good time in England, and their show goes continuously on.
Please tell us about other fan club sites - we in Travel Explorations would like to hear from you!
General tourist information about Britain:
http://www.visitbritain.com/uk/home2.htm
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