Who wants to answer my stupid American questions about Engish football

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So, I'm an American and my only exposure to English football is playing Pro Evolution 3 on PS2 and the rare time I can drag myself out of bed on a saturday to watch a game in a bar. But I am endlessly fascinated by the sport in general, and the English variety in particular. I'm constantly confused by all the nicknames for teams and references to stadia and all the complicated scheduling of the different cups. If you have links to things where I could find out that it would be nice. But what I am really interested in is the breakdown of fans for the different London clubs. Based on the video game, I am a fan of Fulham, but I'm not sure what that says about me. Are there general profiles for the different clubs' fans based on age/class/race/personality/behaviour?

― Mitchell Wimbish (Mitchell), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

C0ckn3y r3dz r great in bed.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Leeds fans have a positive attitude towards racial integration.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal set the standard with their gentlemanly conduct, fairplay and sportsmanlike behaviour.

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Spurs fans are in general wittier and more handsome. And never complain about anything. No siree Bob.

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Liverpool fans are known for their dedication to earning an honest wage.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

David Robinson Spurs? Or different kind of Spurs? Too many Spurs. Alamodome. Spurs?

― El Spinktor (El Spinktor), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal fans tend to be middle class mature students. They are Dido's main source of income.

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Spurs?

As in Tottenham Hotspur, a North London football club.

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

That isn't a stupid question, Mitchell...

There are, to a certain extent, stereotypes of supporters of different clubs. But, increasingly I think, these are being shown up as stereotypes and not much else. I mean, for Premiership clubs certainly, teams attract pretty much all types. This is especially true, I think, of the 'top teams': Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea (and Liverpool to a certain extent). Anyway, the stereotypes seem to have more to do with geography than anything else.

Football, and who you support (and what that says about you), is so deep seated that it can mean almost nothing at all.

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

What were your other questions?

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm a (default) Arsenal fan and I pay Dido no money at all.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Some club nicknames:

Tottenham: Lillywhites
Arsenal: the Woolwichers
Crystal Palace: the Do Do Ron Rons
Fulham: the Cottagers
Chelsea: Les Millionairoes
West Ham: Eastenders
Charlton: the Also-rans

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Are the London clubs' names all names of neighborhoods?
Why would WEST Ham be called EASTenders?
British humour?

― Mitchell (Mitchell), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

obviously there is not a neighborhood called Arsenal, right?
Does Aston Villa play in London?

― Mitchell Wimbish (Mitchell), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:05 (twenty-two years ago)

aston villa are from birmingham
milwall fans are fast reclaiming the right to call themselves human beings

― mullygrubber (gaz), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal are so called because it used to be a gun-factpry workers team, oddly enough.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

There IS a neighbourhood called Arsenal, actually...

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Ok im done pissing about (i feel guilty now).
These are the real nicknames;
Arsenal - Gunners
West Ham - Hammers
Chelsea - Blues
Charlton - the Addicks
Crystal Palace - the Eagles/Glaziers

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

the addicks is a pretty funny one??? wheres that from?

― mullygrubber (gaz), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

cockneyspeak for haddocks. 'Charlton's nickname The Addicks is believed to derive from the fact that the club used a fish and chip shop for post-match meals in the early 1900's.'

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought it was a truncation of 'Athletic'?

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

that would be 'the aths'

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"At[hle}tics"?

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

ive not heard that one, to be honest
where did you hear/read it?

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't, I just always assumed it.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Dom, you forgot that all Man United supporters own 5 bedroom houses in the Kent countryside.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Or Torquay.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Rushden and Diamonds fans have all supported their team for a long period of time.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:51 (twenty-two years ago)

http://redsky.vip.sina.com/player/united_24.jpg = http://www.mrbreakfast.com/images/34.jpg

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 6 February 2004 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Since when has Man U. let in 12 yr olds?

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Friday, 6 February 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

12 yr old scotch eggs!

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 6 February 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

well there isn't really a bit of london called arsenal, the tube station's only called that because the club paid for it (it was gillespie road before that). arsenal also originally started near the woolwich arsenal which was a place that made guns in south london, but then they moved to north london like the dirty franchisers they are...

west ham is in east london

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 6 February 2004 09:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't let Meg hear you sy things like that, Steve. Ooh!

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 6 February 2004 09:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say, where in London is a neighbourhood called Arsenal?

Arsenal are the dodgiest team in history - franchisers, bribing the FA to stay in the top flight erm that's enough to go on with I think.

― chris (chris), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, there's the small matter of this cunt as well:

http://www.givemefootball.com/images/keown_vannistleroy_bi.jpg

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that the one on the left or the one on the right?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal monkey boy on right.
Manyoo horse face on left.

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I rather half-heartedly support Bolton. They're nicknamed 'the trotters', I'm told because Bolton people eat pickled pigs trotters. The skanky northerners.

― Cathy (Cathy), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Darlington is also known as the Quakers, because their old ground Feethams was built on a fault in the earth's crust.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Bolton are known as the Trotters as way back in the mists of a bygone age they had no home ground and would play at various stadia around Greater Manchester.

A good place to start with football would be to watch Spurs against Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round. Great goals, a sending off, rookie keeper debut, top strikers off injured, amazing comeback etc. And Spurs losing. If this doesn't move you, you have no soul.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Wimbledon are known as the Dons because the club was shown to have the highest proportion of graduates among its fans of any professional club.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

(now i am becoming confused between truth and lies...)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Wimbledon have moved to Milton Keynes. Their players have moved to Upton Park.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

...waiting for the rebuttal...

― sgs (sgs), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Steve, my comment was true (the fact) and false (about the reason for the nickname).

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

(this is what's melting my poor ickle brane, and dom doing the same thing).

i wonder if there was an "explain me baseball" thread if it would decend into this much silliness so quickly...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

you might want to start this thread again in a few days, after people have stopped pissing about.

― Stringent Stepper (Stringent), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Silliness and pissing about are integral parts of being a football fan.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Because people are going to stop pissing about in a few days??????

About 80% of the stuff on here is factual. If you were really serious about finding this stuff, then there are other sites to check first. You'd hardly go to a chat room and expect 100% factual answers. Unless you're a tofu-eating, Guardian reading cockhead.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Mitchell, if you check some of the other football threads on ilx, you should get some straight answers about english football. they are mostly free of student humour

― Stringent Stepper (Stringent), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:25 (twenty-two years ago)

i grew up on the outskirts of North West London - the nearest league teams to me geographically were Watford, QPR and Brentford. Here's a breakdown of how many people I grew up with supported which London clubs.

Arsenal = 2
CHelsea = 5
Spurs = 6
QPR = 5
Fulham = 0
Charlton = 0
Crystal Palace = 0
Wimbledon = 1
West Ham = 1

a few Liverpool as well - not sure why there were more SPurs fans - I guess they were a big club in the 80s ;)

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

West Ham are nicknamed The Irons after the Thames Ironworks factory where the team was founded (situated on the east bank of the River Lea close to where it empties into the Thames). The symbol of two crossed hammers across a turret derives from the factory symbol and a castle which stood on the site of the club's current ground. The ground is also known locally as The Boleyn as Ann Boleyn is thought to have stayed there before her head and body went their separate ways.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:28 (twenty-two years ago)

fulham fan = desperatley want to be British but the government won't let you?

― chris (chris), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey I'm a fulham fan!!!
And I have to have a sense of humour abut football, I live with a Leeds supporter!

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Friday, 6 February 2004 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Mitchell, West Ham is just west of East Ham (where I lived until two months back), both well out in East London. Their ground is still officially the Ann Boleyn ground, though almost everyone calls it Upton Park.

Fulham are a team with a grand tradition, but they had no success for decades until Mohammed Al-Fayed (owner of Harrods) bought them and funded some team building that has turned them into a decent top-flight team. There is still something sort of quaint in their image, though.

The greatest team in England are Bristol Rovers, though there is a shortage of statistical evidence to prove this.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 6 February 2004 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

So is he not quite as rich as the guy that bought Chelsea? Or will they eventually assume that kind of bought talent?

― Mitchell (Mitchell), Friday, 6 February 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

mitchell, only about ten people on the planet are richer than the guy (roman abramovich) who bought chelsea! Al-Fayed's not especially rich, he just put a lot of money into a team that was in the second division to get them back up to the top flight.

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 6 February 2004 21:12 (twenty-two years ago)

He's stopped pumping the money in, too - they look like they might just hold steady in mid-Premiership for the immediate future. The Chelsea money is another order of magnitude.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Friday, 6 February 2004 21:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Wesley Brown -- Britain's first orange footballer.

Oh, and as a United supporter (born in Grtr M/cr), it's spooky seeing that February 6th date on most of these posts...

― David A. (Davant), Saturday, 7 February 2004 01:24 (twenty-two years ago)

(But not on mine.)

― David A. (Davant), Saturday, 7 February 2004 01:24 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

so what about Americans who visit and want to experience English football? how easy is it to get tickets? are sub-Premiership teams substantially less interesting, and does it depend on how sub they are? where do you go to minimize the likelihood of hooliganism?

timing - is it best/easiest to go on Saturday? what about the Tues/Wed night games, or does it depend on the particular field? also, when in August does the season start?

somehow, i have decided that QPR at Loftus Rd would be a good place to begin/sample. am i right or do you have better suggestions?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

how easy is it to get tickets?

Depends where you're going. Tickets for some Premiership games can be very difficult to obtain, especially at Man Utd, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, and for big games and local derbies.

are sub-Premiership teams substantially less interesting

Not really

and does it depend on how sub they are?

Possibly. There isn't, in most cases, a huge gulf between the bottom of the Premiership and the top of the Championship (the next division down) but you probably wouldn't want to go and watch, say, Rotherham v Brighton. There is some good football played outside the Premiership, but being a Leeds fan, I wouldn't know about that, ho ho.

where do you go to minimize the likelihood of hooliganism?

Being in London, you're probably best avoiding Millwall, West Ham, and games between rivals (i.e. Arsenal v Spurs).

timing - is it best/easiest to go on Saturday? what about the Tues/Wed night games

I prefer evening games myself, but that's just personal choice.

also, when in August does the season start?
The Premiership starts on 13th August this year, the rest of the leagues on 6th August.

somehow, i have decided that QPR at Loftus Rd would be a good place to begin/sample. am i right or do you have better suggestions?

Loftus Road is OK, don't get a restricted view seat though! My suggestion, you being in London, would be to give Watford a try, always a nice place to watch football.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 19:25 (twenty years ago)

!! watford remains the only place i have heard racist abuse, from home fans. and ive been to leeds. my advice is, go with prices. look at clubs sites, because division, qualtiy of team/football, or location dont necessarily mean it will be expensive, or cheap. for instance, crystal palace, who have been relegated to the 1st division (ie below premiership), are still very expensive. watford might be cheaper. they arwe called the hornets becuase they play in yellow, and its funny to hear everyone sing "come on you 'orns!"
palace are called the glaziers becasue the original crystal palace was bui.lt of glass. but malcolm allison (or maybe arhtur wait) changed the name in the 60s/70s (along with the kit) to the eagles, in an early example of brand awareness, eagles denoting something soaring away or something. the only people that call them the glaziers are the old guys who still hate brighton. (eg the guy in the holmesdale behind my old seat).

mind you, palace games are pretty much free from trouble. you will hear pretty "colourful" language whatever ground you go to (maybe not AFC winmbledon?!?! i dont know).

if you want to see REAL football, in pretty sourroundings, go to a non league match. like dulwich hamlet or something.

― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 20:25 (twenty years ago)

If an ILXer is visiting London, I recommend asking when you know when you'd like to see a game - there might be some game to which ILXers are going. We had a good turnout for Barnet-Exeter this year, for instance. I am hoping that a few will join me when Barnet host my beloved Bristol Rovers next season. Even if no such game exists, we can advise on where you might get in and how safe/fun it might be.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 20:32 (twenty years ago)

I'm up for some West Ham games in the initial weeks of next season.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 20:34 (twenty years ago)

(xpost) You won't get a ticket for Arsenal or Chelsea. If you want to get into a premiership game Fulham might be your best bet as they don't have that many fans. Mind you, I got a ticket for Spurs v Everton for about £30, which I bought from the ground about 3 or 4 days before the game - much bigger crowd and probably better football than you'd see at Fulham. I wouldn't worry about hooliganism, it's a different world now to how it was 20 years ago.

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

I would thoroughly recommend AFC Wimbledon, because it's cheap, it's easy to get in, me and Markelby would be happy to chaperone you, the football is competitive, and the company is good. You can also choose to sit down or stand, as you fancy, change ends at half time, or watch from the side, see the fruity and industrial language behind the goal, or the witty repartee and razor sharp analysis of our group who stand to the right of the main stand (closer to tea bar, toilets, and we're just not young enough to do all that bouncing around anymore). Drop me a line if you fancy it - you were really helpful on my 'tell me what to do in DC and NYC' thread last year, so it's the least I could do).

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 21:04 (twenty years ago)

how much is a ticket for a decent seat for like an arsenal match? also, are these matches scary places to be? i get visions of bottles being broken over my head during big riots or something.

― phil-two (phil-two), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

Not scary, Phil, but pretty pricey (I've not been - somewhere in the £25-40 range, I think), and very hard to get a ticket at all.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

I wouldn't worry about hooliganism, it's a different world now to how it was 20 years ago.

Try an away game at Cardiff! Yes though, to be fair it is totally different to the 'bad old days' now. Partly due to the different demographic of footrball audiences, and partly due the the fact that the police have got their shit together*

*though this can go too far - I went to 13 Leeds away games last season and, despite me being a mild mannered bespectacled balding old git, was Section 60'd at railway stations five times.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 21:41 (twenty years ago)

(x-post again) No, no, no, no. A ticket would probably set you back about £35-£40, but like I already said, you wouldn't get one. And there really isn't trouble at games any more (or not often any way).

― Teh HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 31 May 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

i think football grounds can still be pretty intimidated places even now, despite the lack of outright violence, for those that are not used to it. the level of abuse and swearing is still pretty.....impressive. there cant be many other places where you hear 50 people screaming "CUNT FUCKING WANKER FUCK OFF AND DIE" etc etc etc. or "and ron noades wife is a whore...........".

maybe things are better if you sit in the family stand.

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 07:14 (twenty years ago)

the swearing is higher pitched?

― Ed (dali), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 07:38 (twenty years ago)

the swearing is higher pitched?

Indeed, I once heard a wee boy with the squeakiest voice ever singing "Tommy Turner's wife's a hoor" at Cappielow.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 07:43 (twenty years ago)

Probably your only chance of getting into Highbury would be for a midweek League Cup* tie when the crowds are low and Wenger puts out his kids team (who are still good enough to beat most anyone). In 03/04 I saw Arsenal-Wolves in the League Cup for £15. Wolves, despite fielding a full-strength side, were destroyed 5-1.

(* the League Cup, under various sponsorship guises - currently Carling - is the secondary knockout Cup competition in England. Although it's a gateway to European competition [the winners qualify for the UEFA Cup], the elite clubs don't take it very seriously thesedays, generally using it as an opportunity to give their second string a run out.)

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 08:32 (twenty years ago)

Lower league football is more fun

Reading (the Biscuitmen) are the 4th best side in the country in the post-war period in terms of points earned in all divisions.

Wycombe are the Chairboys

Fulham's nickname is still officially The Cottagers.

― re (rde), Wednesday, 1 June 2005 08:51 (twenty years ago)

nine months pass...

tell me of Brisbane Road

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 18:44 (twenty years ago)

you are a treat

― Adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 18:45 (twenty years ago)

I'd suggest Vicarage Park - savo(u)r the delight and anticipation of a team on the brink of Premiership football.

― Adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 18:46 (twenty years ago)

Vicarage ROAD, obv

― Adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 18:47 (twenty years ago)

Matchroom Stadium?

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 18:58 (twenty years ago)

yes

I see there is a Watford v Millwall at Vicarage Road on Sat Mar 25. Would that be preferable to Leyton for a newcomer? Should I sit in the family stand?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 19:00 (twenty years ago)

I would say so.

― Adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 19:15 (twenty years ago)

Be sure to heckle the Lions' supporters.

― M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 19:19 (twenty years ago)

Watford = vg side, serious contender for promotion to the top flight. Millwall = not so good, looking like maybe slipping down instead of climbing up. Good side at home to struggling side that will be scrapping for points.

Leyton Orient = rebuilt but dull ground, dull team, not the same class of football (two levels down).

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 19:52 (twenty years ago)

Plus you can have a lovely day out in Watford! Harlequin!

― Adamrl (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 19:53 (twenty years ago)

sory but im not sure i would do watford vs millwall. or at least leave early. adam is right about watford though, you can go to costa coffee before hand nad look at the "twinned with novgorod" sign. also, d'vinyl records for all yr boring grime bootleg needs!

― ambrose (ambrose), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 22:06 (twenty years ago)

Should I sit in the family stand? Sit wherever you want, this is 2006, not 1985. The chances of there being trouble in the stadium are about one in a thousand, if that.

― Tehrannosaurus HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 22:10 (twenty years ago)

And if you do go to Watford, stick around for a top night at the local discotheques after the game. Rub shoulders with the players! Seriously though, Vicarage Road is a bit of a walk from the trains. There's always Brentford v Doncaster although that's a lower division.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 22:19 (twenty years ago)

Vicarage Road is a bit of a walk from the trains Yeah, but he's going to Vicarage Park, remember?

― Tehrannosaurus HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 22:23 (twenty years ago)

Vicarage Road is a bit of a walk from the trains [imagine a space here] This is very true. One freezing winter Saturday, back in either late 87 or early 88, I went to watch Watford v Man Utd on my own, aged 14. First I got a bus from Harlow to Watford that seemed to stop in every single town in Hertfordshire. Then when the bus arrived by Watford Junction I had a trek across town. In those pre-internet days it was difficult to get hold of directions, but I'd drawn a felt-tip map of the town centre copied from a road atlas. It absolutely pissed down with rain, drenching me and turning my map to mush while I wandered around hopelessly lost. By the time I got to the stadium the normal away terrace was completely full so they put me and a couple of hundred others on some kind of overspill corner section with crumbly terracing and barbed wire coiled around the floodlight. United won a tedious game 1-0 with a McClair goal at the far end that I couldn't really see. After the game all the away fans were herded with a police escort off on a march towards a station that wasn't Watford Junction. Eventually I realised this, and had to beg the police to let me out, then I was left to drift in the dark, lost, cold and wet in Watford. I've never been back to that ground.

― Tehrannosaurus HoBB (the pirate king), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 22:42 (twenty years ago)

that's around the same time i went to my first ever match (Watford v Newcastle) and i remember the ground seeming so HUGE, plus that burst of excitement when you actually see the pitch (a bit like the sea when you went on hols as a kid).

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 22:48 (twenty years ago)

Bump - more sarcasm, please.

― schwantz (schwantz), Thursday, 9 March 2006 19:00 (twenty years ago)

if you sit in the er....north stand is it? you can see the portacabin to the left hand side between that and the stand running along the side, and in the portacabin you can see the dude "harry"? "horace"? getign changed into his fuzzy hornet costume.

its only about 15-20 mins to the ground from watford junction! if this a long time then you have obviously never been to the manor ground

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 9 March 2006 23:30 (twenty years ago)

can you get to watford on a 7-day oystercard?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 9 March 2006 23:38 (twenty years ago)

hmmmm....dont think so. you might be able to scam it thru the barriers at euston, then hope no ticket dude gets on. its only abotu a fiver to watford anyway i think.

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 9 March 2006 23:53 (twenty years ago)

its only about 15-20 mins to the ground from watford junction!

Not if the rain destroys your map.

― Tehrannosaurus HoBB (the pirate king), Friday, 10 March 2006 08:27 (twenty years ago)

BORO 1 ROMA 0

― Russell Dixon (Skinny), Friday, 10 March 2006 09:33 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

Do any English teams wear green kits?

― mizzell, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:44 (seventeen years ago)

Plymouth Argyle

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/images/2005/05/27/squad_470x400.jpg

Plymouth Argyle

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.subsidesports.com/fe/images/product/large/PlymouthHSS0708.gif

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

a weaving of xposts

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/images/2006/08/01/1_440x330.jpg

Yeovil Town play in green and white

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

did Liverpool used to ?

― Ant Attack.. (Ste), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

here is top MLS goalgrabber Darren Huckerby in the yellow and bit of green of Norwich City

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/20080405/14/4240646621-soccer-coca-cola-football-league-championship-norwich-city-v-burnley.jpg

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:48 (seventeen years ago)

that's a real fucking eyesore of a kit

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:48 (seventeen years ago)

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00392/forest_green_392286a.jpg

Forest Green Rovers away kit

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:49 (seventeen years ago)

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e312/bubmeister/LiverpoolGreenAway.png

allegedly green 3rd kit

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:49 (seventeen years ago)

Northwich Victoria still green and white?

― Ant Attack.. (Ste), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:51 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.chaddertonparkfc.co.uk/1984.jpg

Chadderton Park FC

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:51 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/images/0708/bristolrovaway.jpg

Bristol Rovers away

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:54 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/images/0708/bristolrovaway.jpg

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:54 (seventeen years ago)

THE MIGHTY LINNETS

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2742857987_8a89fb465b.jpg

― Jarlrmai, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 16:13 (seventeen years ago)

hold on a second GIS is lying that's Southport.

― Jarlrmai, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 16:14 (seventeen years ago)

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/20071013/19/3837897220-soccer-fa-cup-third-round-qualifying-gainsborough-trinity-v-blyth.jpg

Blyth Spartans

― William Bloody Swygart, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 16:22 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

arsenal will wear green away shirts next year apparently.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/03/25/article-1164758-0416D542000005DC-205_468x360.jpg

― mizzell, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 14:14 (sixteen years ago)

fugs

― ilx robot (jergins), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:46 (sixteen years ago)

not as bad as new Chelsea shirt:
http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/fans/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/chelseahome0910.jpg

― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:54 (sixteen years ago)

The placement of the seams makes it look like some kind of athletic exo-skeleton. Are they REALLY outlining the pectoral muscles on purpose??

― guys i need to eliminate this business associate and im really nervous (Laurel), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:56 (sixteen years ago)

it's gonna do wonders for Fwank Lampard's moobs.

― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:57 (sixteen years ago)

Do you think it'll look slimming on Lampard?

(ha ha, porkpie)

― It is not enough to love mankind – you must be able to stand (Michael White), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:58 (sixteen years ago)

while we're on kits - Spain's kit for the federations cup is quite lovely:

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/7746/bcbd37c36b7305347cd66ee.jpg

― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

Photo?

― It is not enough to love mankind – you must be able to stand (Michael White), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

Facial tattoos included? That's going to make it awkward to go back to their clubs.

― guys i need to eliminate this business associate and im really nervous (Laurel), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:06 (sixteen years ago)

oh i like those

― i like to fart and i am crazy (gbx), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:12 (sixteen years ago)

Yoda is their trainer

― snoball, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:44 (sixteen years ago)

ten months pass...

is there a team that is traditonally supported by the royal family?

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 19:35 (sixteen years ago)

The Germans.

― might seem normal (snoball), Monday, 8 February 2010 19:50 (sixteen years ago)

[Cathy:] I rather half-heartedly support Bolton. They're nicknamed 'the trotters', I'm told because Bolton people eat pickled pigs trotters. The skanky northerners.

[MikeyG:] Bolton are known as the Trotters as way back in the mists of a bygone age they had no home ground and would play at various stadia around Greater Manchester.

Um haha both of these fun facts from six years ago were in the "pissing about" category right? I don't really know, but they're not the reason I've always assumed obvious...

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 8 February 2010 19:58 (sixteen years ago)

is there a team that is traditonally supported by the royal family?

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 19:35 (33 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42577000/jpg/_42577917_qe2_pa.jpg

― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Monday, 8 February 2010 20:11 (sixteen years ago)

Queen + Now Deceased Queen Mother = Arsenal fans. Don't know about the rest of the royal family.

See also: Osama Bin Laden, Roger Daltrey, about 40% of English ILXers.

― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Monday, 8 February 2010 20:12 (sixteen years ago)

Um haha both of these fun facts from six years ago were in the "pissing about" category right? I don't really know, but they're not the reason I've always assumed obvious...

― anatol_merklich, Monday, February 8, 2010 2:58 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Is this the obvious one?
Bolton Wanderers are also known as “The Trotters", due to a pitch that the club used towards the end of the nineteenth century. The pitch backed onto a piggery and clearances tended to end up in the pig pens. Players therefore had to ‘trot’ through the pens to retrieve their ball.

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 21:39 (sixteen years ago)

Haha no! Simply wanderers = trotters surely??

(Have I just been triply trolled? I knew the risk when I asked...)

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 8 February 2010 21:54 (sixteen years ago)

o well that is the second one you quoted, right? they played on different pitches so they were called wanderers

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 21:57 (sixteen years ago)

I'm pretty sure Prince William is a Villa fan.

― L'obamalâtrie obligatoire (Michael White), Monday, 8 February 2010 22:01 (sixteen years ago)

I think traditionally the royals would have nothing to do with the oiks' game, but I did see William getting presented with a football top on telly once - can't remember which team, but likely it was Man Utd. It had 'Wales' written on the back.

― Ismael Klata, Monday, 8 February 2010 22:03 (sixteen years ago)

ah ok that may be so mizzell, the "wanderers" tag was not mentioned there, so I didn't make the connection.

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 8 February 2010 22:18 (sixteen years ago)

Royals attend more games a year than I do. (Both domestic finals, non?) AND YOU KNOW, PICTURE OF THE QUEEN KICKING IT WITH EVERYBODYS TWENTY FOURTH FAVOURITE RIGHT BACK JUSTIN HOYTE

― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Monday, 8 February 2010 22:25 (sixteen years ago)

Think Prince Harry is a Man Utd fan and William is definitely Villa.

― Number None, Monday, 8 February 2010 22:43 (sixteen years ago)

Prince Harry is an Arsenal fan. William definitely Villa. I am sorry I know this.

― ailsa, Tuesday, 9 February 2010 00:36 (sixteen years ago)

Wasn't Princess Diana a West Ham fan?

― drew in baltimore, Tuesday, 9 February 2010 01:37 (sixteen years ago)

five years pass...

We'll never know now

― MONKEY had been BUMMED by the GHOST of the late prancing paedophile (darraghmac), Saturday, 21 November 2015 00:51 (ten years ago)

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/71472000/jpg/_71472688_3s5b7914.jpg

― xelab, Saturday, 21 November 2015 00:57 (ten years ago)

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