Footy crowds here compared to overseas

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Sydneyfan

Club Legend
Aug 15, 2000
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Brisbanópolis
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I was looking at bigsoccer.com the other day and I was reading a thread about a guy from the States who was keen to an Old Firm match(Celtic vs. Rangers) in Scotland.
Fans told him how difficult tickets were to get to the game but also gave him warnings about what not to do or go if he went.
They said how if you drove to the match and kids came up to you and asked to mind your car, to give them a pound or so or otherwise they let local druggies or drunks steal or trash the car.
They also said how the supporters are segrated (sp?) at the match to avoid violence and that if you went to Celtic Park don't go wandering about in the surrounding suburbs wearing Celtic otherwise you could end up in trouble.
Sure sounds like a lot of effort has to be made just to make sure you don't get in trouble when you go to a match! I've heard in England that if a ground is near 2 train stations, they often let 1 team's supporters off at 1 station and the other supporters off at the other stations.
I'm glad that here in Australia, even though footy supporters are just as passionate as soccer fans in the UK and Europe. The incidence of violence amongst fans here is a lower than in Europe.
 
Why is it that supporters overseas do that?

It can't be because they are more passionate about their game then us to our game. Is it because they are drunk all the time...
 
English fans are the worst! I can give u lot, a couple of sites to look at to prove what they are really really like!

CHELSEA Fans Are Animals! Headhunters!
 

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what do you expect when the nature of the game is that you can see a nil-all draw or at best see your team win (or go down) 1-0

put it down to terminal BOREDOM!

AFL fans are never bored because there is always something happening on the field (ie, so you don't have to create your own action in the stands to compensate)
 
The boredom factor is probably partially true. Just like in cricket where the crowd can become quite agitated over a decision because they have time to stew over it before something else happens in the game to take their mind off it. For example if Steve Waugh was given out on a dubious LBW which upset the crowd but Gilchrist comes out straight away and smacks a few boundaries, the crowd energy would be channelled into positive pursuits. Doesn't always happen that way though. Certainly doesn't happen in soccer.

In Europe and England particularly religion plays a bigger part in their lives than it does in Australia. Fans are not more passionate but more tribal than us. Often it IS their life where as the Australian lifestyle enables us to appreciate our other endeavours as well, beach, barbeques etc.

In England, a lot of people seldom travel outside the villages they were born in. That is why they have so many English dialects in a relatively smaller country.
That has to give them a tribal mentality.

American sports usually have something happening (even grid iron) so the crowds are better behaved, except for when they win, in which case they riot!!!Go figure!

Crowd problems don't really exist in non-team sports. Cos people don't feel like part of a team. Otherwise, golf fans would be the worst in the world. (don't reply to that, I enjoy a hit now and again myself).

Of course there are exceptions to every rule.

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mens sana in corpore sano - a sound mind in a sound body
 
I'm not sure on this, but aren't the differences between Celtics and Rangers religious?

That is to say the Catholics follow Celtic and the Protestants Rangers.

Therefore they're not fighting over football sides as such but slight variations in religious belief, something that wars have been fought over.

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This is a hallucination and these faces are in a dream. A computer generated environment; a fantasy island you can do anything and not have to face the consequences.
 
I made this point to a few soccer loving friends of mine, that soccer's slow pace contributed to crowd violence, this was their response:

Firstly, it is not that soccer is a boring game, it is the opposite: the tension is so great that when there is no release fans sometimes have to expend their energy.

Secondly, many of these European nations and clubs have a culture of violence.

Thirdly, it is only a tiny proportion of the fans who cause the fighting, and they are extremely violent and well organised.

I conceded the argument. In any case, I agree that soccer is often more exciting than football.
 
That boredom line is rubbish. I just watched the Manchester Derby and it was very exciting. No time for advert breaks every time there is a goal. Look, footy is the best ever but soccer is a huge worldwide succes you can't knock. And in England the weather is so bad everyone lives for their saturday match and their team. It is far more passionate and serious than we can ever believe in Australia. THese supporters truly hate their opponents/ supporters. It's an unreal situation but in the English winter there is nothing else!
 
Originally posted by its hardly surprising:
what do you expect when the nature of the game is that you can see a nil-all draw or at best see your team win (or go down) 1-0

put it down to terminal BOREDOM!

AFL fans are never bored because there is always something happening on the field (ie, so you don't have to create your own action in the stands to compensate)


It's not down to bordom. Why would so many people watch a sport that's boring?

Violence also happens in European Basketball. There are flares going off all the time and roits happen sometimes as well. This is a sport that has scoring, basically, every 30 to 40 seconds.

The same argument can be turned around and pointed to the Aussie Rules. e.g. if your side is down by 50 points you don't have much chance of winning. This happens quite often in the AFL.
 
Yes CJH, a major part of the rivalry between Celtic and Rangers is religion with Celtic being the Catholic team and Rangers being the protestant team. I don't know for sure but I think Celtic was formed by Irish immigrants in Glasgow.
So the rivalry between these two Glasgow clubs is probably bigger than the rivalry in many other local derbies in Europe because of the religion factor. But then again most local derbies are usually big especially the Merseyside derby (Liverpool vs. Everton), the Milan derby (Inter Milan vs. AC Milan), Real Madrid vs. Athletico Madrid, and Manchester City vs. Manchester United.
I heard that last year the Rangers fans did something very provocative during an Old Firm match against Celtic. They were at their home ground and they all wore Orange, which they said they did to honour their coach whose Dutch but, the Catholic Celtic fans saw it differently and weren't too impressed by this action. Everyone how knows about the symbolism of the colour Orange in that part of the world, especially Northern Ireland, would know what I mean
wink.gif
 
Originally posted by CJH:
I'm not sure on this, but aren't the differences between Celtics and Rangers religious?

That is to say the Catholics follow Celtic and the Protestants Rangers.


Your pretty much on the spot there CJH. However, the funny thing is that "a lot"
of catholic players play for Rangers these days and vice versa. The Rangers captain is a Italian who is also a catholic.

But this was not always the case, especially for Rangers. They had a policy up until around ten years ago that only Protestant players could play for the club.

Celtic also used to have an "unofficial" policy that no more than three players that were non-cathlolic could play for the club. But I not sure when they got rid of this.
 
Sydneyfan,

Just to correct you that match you were talking about were the Rangers wore orange was a the Scottish F.A. cup final against Aberdeen.

To further your point on how Celtic were formed, they were formed by a preist who wanted to raise money for the poor irish immigrants. This idea was borrwed from the Hibernean Football Club.
 
Sorry about that
Thanks Same Old's
It's pretty interesting how the Glasgow clubs had the policy on only recruiting players from their own religious background Celtic - Catholic players and Rangers - Protestant players.
Same Old's - Do you know if Hearts and Hibs have a similar local rivalry in Edinburgh to the one between Celtic and Rangers?
 

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Originally posted by Sydneyfan:
Same Old's - Do you know if Hearts and Hibs have a similar local rivalry in Edinburgh to the one between Celtic and Rangers?

They have a great rivalry but I don't think it goes to the extent or extreme should I say, between the old firm. That is, I don't think that the rivalry has got much to do with religion despite the fact that Hibs were founded by Catholics. But I'm not 100% sure on this fact.



[This message has been edited by Same Old's (edited 19 November 2000).]
 
Soccer's boring ay???

have any of you w***ers ever been to a soccer match??? they are ther most passionate ever!, ive been to heaps of footy games, and everyone is quiet like you's are watchin TV or somethin! yeah and if soccer's boring, how come its the biggest game in the world??????????
 
Soccer Games Boring? hmm thats new to me Boring yup!

Northern Spirt games at north sydney oval are the most fun ever! Get pissed, Get Chased by the dogs, Pick up, Smoke what more fun can u have with ya mates at the soccer then at North Sydney on a Friday Nite!

Plus i have going to alot of Basketball Games at Vodefone Arena Lately and let me say i quite enjoy going now after only seeing one game at The Sydney Entrainment Centre a kings game! And now im hooked on it! Better then watching the cricket at punt rd thats for sure!

[This message has been edited by Mags (edited 20 November 2000).]
 
Because the rest of the World dosn't know about our game Crowz4eva

You can keep your soccer - I've tried my hardest to 'enjoy' this most stupid of football codes. About ten years ago the last time I did any travelling I went to top ranked soccer games in Manchester (United v Everton) in South London (Crystal Palace v Liverpool) and in Milan (AC Milan v Udinese).

Nearly 5 hours of, er, 'action' for 1 goal and something like 4 shots on goal. Never, ever again - it was total shit, tyhe crowd was dead bored too, In Manchester they amused themselves by starting a brawl, in London they went for sing-songs and in Italy they enjoyed waving huge flags and letting off fireworks.

It was boring and stupid and cost a freakking fortune to go to.

And arguements about it (soccer) being the 'biggest in the world' Just don't add up.

To use an analogy, Demi Moore is the world's highest paid actress but do you honestly believe she is the best ? - I doubt it. Mac Donalds is the worlds favourite cuisine - but do you think it is the most delicious food You have ever eaten - no, of course not.
Microsoft is the world's most popular software - but is it the best ? hmmmmm I dunno 'bout that. Liberace was the world's highest paid entertainer - but do you find his music entertaining ? - I don't

So why should I believe Soccer is the best just because it is the most popular ?

All that tells me is that most football fans around the world are ignorants who would gladly follow another code - if they knew that one existed.

cheers
 
how come then when they take AFL overseas, theres only 4-6 thousand, and their all australians!!!!!!!!!!!!


As they say, "soccer is the world game"
 
Crowz, I imagine that there is a slight difference in standard between AFL and overseas Aussie rules leagues, so it would be less attractive, but also there is exactly zero media coverage.

However, the sport seems to be pretty popular in Denmark, where they have a strong national amateur league, with restrictions on the number of Australians who can play.
 
Crowz, the overseas games have a standard lower than practice games, receive just about no media coverage, and the lack of knowledge of the game means any non-Australians would have no idea what is going on.

But for the success of Aussie football overseas, look at Denmark, which has a strong national amateur league, with restrictions on the number of Australians who can play.
 
The biggest problem is educating the new potential supporters. Footy is not easy to explain and the umpiring rules are very subjective. Holding the ball and throwing decisions particularly as well as deliberate outs. It took me 12 weeks of watching gridiron on TV and having the rules explained bit by bit each week before I could understand what a good game it is. Such an introduction would be needed to any country taking on Footy seriously.
To me, Footy is the best game in the world but I respect most other codes. If there is a detraction from footy it is the potential for injury, particularly knees and shoulders.
 
TomFC .... don't quite fully agree with your sentiments re the reasons for crowd violence, but you and I are on much the same path.

Rather than the pace of the game being much the cause, I feel its more the non-contact nature of the game. Big crowds, big atmosphere, big rivalry .... yet noone can actually go and "put a shot" on an opponent.

Soccer is one of the most frustrating sports ever, and the frustrations of the crowd can't be taken out on-field. At the footy at least, frustrations are gotten rid of by players legally belting each other.

A strange game indeed ....

There's also the argument that there really isn't that much to do outside in country's with shitty weather most of the year .... like Melbourne, I guess.

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Anyway, that's what I reckon ........

mud n blood
 
TomFC .... don't quite fully agree with your sentiments re the reasons for crowd violence, but you and I are on much the same path.

Rather than the pace of the game being much the cause, I feel its more the non-contact nature of the game. Big crowds, big atmosphere, big rivalry .... yet noone can actually go and "put a shot" on an opponent.

Soccer is one of the most frustrating sports ever, and the frustrations of the crowd can't be taken out on-field. At the footy at least, frustrations are gotten rid of by players legally belting each other.

A strange game indeed ....

There's also the argument that there really isn't that much to do outside in country's with shitty weather most of the year .... like Melbourne, I guess.

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Anyway, that's what I reckon ........

mud n blood
 
As a fan of both codes, I feel I have to say something in support of the world game.

Yes, it can be boring, but so can footy, so I won't get drawn into the arguement of which game is better (or worse) in that respect.

I am living in Italy and have been to quite a few games in Australia, England and Italy and haven't seen any violence at all. That's not to say that it doesn't exist, far from it, but I think it is something that is highlighted regularly in the Australian media. You never hear about good soccer crowds only bad. But there is a minority of idiots that spoils it for everyone. You also have to consider that there are alot of political/religious/racial tensions which manifest themselves in soccer (which I totally disagree with). These tensions either don't exist in Australia or they exist to a much lesser extent. It actually has little to do with soccer itself, and more to do with morons who use soccer to express their political/racial/religious bias.

I have to say that the atmosphere at soccer games that I have been to has been (mostly!) fantastic and all I can say to people is please don't judge it on what you see on television. Go and see a game yourself, live, as when the game on the pitch isn't great, the crowd usually find a way to entertain themselves.

I don't think footy fans should bag other codes.
 
I have grown to love soccer, having attended Oz v Iran and following the English/Italian leagues for many years. I am a regular visitor to the Crystal Palace FC Supporters Bulletin Board (similiar in nature to this site) but am often amazed at the absolute hatred they have for their local rivals - Fulham, Charlton, Chelsea and Brighton when those supporters "infriltate" the boards. It goes way past friendly banter. The topics often talk of the "trouble" encountered at away grounds - its really quite sad. The day I can't sit next to Carlton/Collingwood/Essendon fans at the footy I'll stop going - don't ever sepaarate fans at the AFL.
 

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Footy crowds here compared to overseas

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