American/Aussie posters: Describe your "matchday experience"

[GingerFurball]

I'm intrigued as to what your typical matchday involves for those of you who watch sports in other countries, and how that compares to going to the football in Scotland or England.

[sledger]

Going to an NFL/MLB game in the US is meant to be serious ****in' business from what I hear. Someone I know who went to a baseball game and sat in the home crowd chose to "be the typical stiff Brit and cheer on the opposing team", was told very quickly that one really ought not to do this.

One thing that always makes me laugh though, is the state of NFL forums online. I follow the Dolphins in the NFL, and went on one of their forums around the start of the season and said something along the lines of "we've picked up a few good players in the draft, but I don't think this will be our year", and was immediately shouted down by the rest of the forum for not having enough confidence in the team, and as such I was not a real fan, and that they were going to win the superbowl etc... My experiences on the Eagles' and Saints' forums yielded a similar experience. Pretty dire imho.

[PhoenixFire]

I'm not sure that's much different from sitting in the Kop at Anfield and cheering for the opposition though.

[GingerFurball]

Originally Posted by sledger

Going to an NFL/MLB game in the US is meant to be serious ****in' business from what I hear. Someone I know who went to a baseball game and sat in the home crowd chose to "be the typical stiff Brit and cheer on the opposing team", was told very quickly that one really ought not to do this.

One thing that always makes me laugh though, is the state of NFL forums online. I follow the Dolphins in the NFL, and went on one of their forums around the start of the season and said something along the lines of "we've picked up a few good players in the draft, but I don't think this will be our year", and was immediately shouted down by the rest of the forum for not having enough confidence in the team, and as such I was not a real fan, and that they were going to win the superbowl etc... My experiences on the Eagles' and Saints' forums yielded a similar experience. Pretty dire imho.

It's this I'd be particularly interested in, especially by way of comparison.

My current matchday experience basically involves getting to Ibrox at 2:50, and leaving as soon as the final whistle goes. There's no "event" to speak of at all.

[sledger]

Originally Posted by PhoenixFire

I'm not sure that's much different from sitting in the Kop at Anfield and cheering for the opposition though.

Probably not, but the impression that I was given was that by doing this sort of thing in the US it was just an ultimate faux pas and just not the done thing, whereas at Anfield it would be just plain stupid.

[sledger]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

It's this I'd be particularly interested in, especially by way of comparison.

My current matchday experience basically involves getting to Ibrox at 2:50, and leaving as soon as the final whistle goes. There's no "event" to speak of at all.

Well with the US being a huge country, I know that a lot of fans take roadtrips together in big caravans etc... and make a massive deal out of away games or even home ones if need be. You often see prior to matches begin footage of the car park outside the stadiums where groups of fans get together to have a BBQ or throw a ball around and have a game of some sort together.

[Craig]

Sports fans aren't segregated per se, like in England where the away team sits at one end of the ground. Here, you just buy your ticket and sit and watch the game. There away supporter sections, but not everybody sits there though. Put it this way, I wouldn't wear an Arsenal jersey and sit amongst MU fan at Old Trafford if those two teams were playing.

[sledger]

Originally Posted by Craig

Sports fans aren't segregated per se, like in England where the away team sits at one end of the ground. Here, you just buy your ticket and sit and watch the game. There away supporter sections, but not everybody sits there though. Put it this way, I wouldn't wear an Arsenal jersey and sit amongst MU fan at Old Trafford if those two teams were playing.

Did you make it to a game whilst you were over here btw Craigos? Can't recall.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Craig

Sports fans aren't segregated per se, like in England where the away team sits at one end of the ground. Here, you just buy your ticket and sit and watch the game. There away supporter sections, but not everybody sits there though. Put it this way, I wouldn't wear an Arsenal jersey and sit amongst MU fan at Old Trafford if those two teams were playing.

Only really segregated at football, tbf. Cricket and rugby fans mix unproblematically here.

[Craig]

Originally Posted by sledger

Did you make it to a game whilst you were over here btw Craigos? Can't recall.

I did when I went to England for the first time in 2005. But then I won a free holiday to do that.

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Only really segregated at football, tbf. Cricket and rugby fans mix unproblematically here.

I find it rather sad that fans do need to be segregated, but it does make perfect sense though.

[sledger]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Only really segregated at football, tbf. Cricket and rugby fans mix unproblematically here.

What's ironic, is that until last year (when whilst sat in the Everton crowd at the Emirates a load of their fans started racist chants and tried to get at the Arsenal fans on the other side of the barricades) the only crowd violence I had ever actually seen first hand was at a Cricket Match. Was the semi-final of the C&G Trophy between Hants and Yorks a few years back. Pothas and I were sat there happily watching Sean Ervine close in on his century when some incredibly fat woman sat a few rows in from of us (wearing an England ODI shirt with Tremlett printed on the back) took exception to something someone had said and attempted to lamp them, a brief fracas between her and the security and some police that were on hand ensued.

[sledger]

Originally Posted by Craig

I did when I went to England for the first time in 2005. But then I won a free holiday to do that.



I find it rather sad that fans do need to be segregated, but it does make perfect sense though.

It's because people are idiots to be honest, but if asked I'm sure they would say they were just "passionate".

[Craig]

Originally Posted by sledger

It's because people are idiots to be honest, but if asked I'm sure they would say they were just "passionate".

When you have douchebags like Adebayor doing stuff like this:

[Ausage]

Depends what you're watching and where you're watching it obviously. I watch alot of Rugby League at CUA stadium in Penrith, and there really is no reason to hang around in Penrith after the match, so I leave straight away. This might be different for someone watching say AFL in the center of Melbourne.

Fan relations are usually pretty good unless you meet the wrong person at a Bulldogs game. There's usually an area for away fans, they make alot of noise, you make alot of noise back at them. Not as hardcore as in England in the competing noise regard though..

[Goughy]

Originally Posted by sledger

Going to an NFL/MLB game in the US is meant to be serious ****in' business from what I hear. Someone I know who went to a baseball game and sat in the home crowd chose to "be the typical stiff Brit and cheer on the opposing team", was told very quickly that one really ought not to do this.

Nah. They dont compare in terms of passion and atmosphere, especially baseball.

The bigger difference is that it is more of an 'event' especially with tailgating at NFL events.

US sporting events are far more sterile but with better production values than British ones. Its not a bad thing, just different.