Indiana University

Indiana University School of Journalism

Summer in London: An obsession with soccer — er, ‘football’

Thirteen honors students from the School of Journalism are spending their summer in London, working in British media and studying British culture.


Program’s lone male examines Brits’ obsession with football

May 29, 2008
Tim Solon

London group
Courtesy photo
Tim Solon (standing, far right) is the only male student in the Summer in London program, but says he’s found solace in following the British football phenomenon.
Look at this picture. Notice anything strange? If you noticed 14 incredibly attractive people, you are very observant. If you noticed 12 female students and one male student, you are even more observant. That’s me standing to the right of the group, with the short hair and without a purse draped over my shoulder.

That’s right, I’m the lone testosterone-generator studying abroad in London with the IU School of Journalism this summer, so things here have been a bit different for me.

I can’t say that I’m particularly interested in getting tea with my lady friends, going to the ballet at the Royal Opera House, or even marginally interested in what sort of mischief Prince Harry has gotten into during the wee hours of the morning — saying such things wouldn’t be honest. But that certainly doesn’t mean that the trip hasn’t been a great experience for me; I’ve simply chosen to absorb different aspects of the English culture.

The most obvious one: football. I don’t mean the football that most of us are used to. I mean soccer. For those who think they are hardcore sports fans, until you’ve experience a football match here, you haven’t seen hardcore sports fans. I haven’t seen a match live, but even watching matches in pubs allows you to experience the passion and devotion of the fans.

Many pubs are known for the clubs they support; those that aren’t often are divided by colors on match night. On May 21, two of the most widely-supported teams, Chelsea and Manchester United, met in the European Champions League final. This meant that some of the pubs showing the game had a clear division between the “Reds” (Man. U) and the “Blues” (Chelsea).

The cultural differences stretch beyond the game being played. As my boss explained to me after the Champions League final, many bosses across England wouldn’t expect their employees who are Manchester United supporters to be into work in the morning. I wish expectations in the U.S. were the same after the Colts won the Super Bowl.

Football here is an obsession, one that goes far beyond that of any U.S. fans of any American sport, including football. Not only can you buy team apparel everywhere, but every day, several pages in almost every newspaper are devoted to football coverage, even when no games were played. You can even subscribe to your team’s magazine.

On May 28, the U.S. National Team played England’s National Team in a friendly match here in England. The British made us look like amateurs. After watching the game, it appears that even our players have a long way to go before they understand the game of football.

But while I’m here, as a sports fan, I can’t help being drawn into the madness — and I love it. The rules may be different, but here, football is still the perfect male escape.