ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
- Thread starter synical dj
- Start date
Fuck trying to front on the worlds biggest sport, but to an extent I agree with dude but for a completely different reason. A lot of what has been said about the differences between Serie A and EPL is true but the thread has got it a little twisted with perception of English football vs EPL.
Two different things entirely. The history, the passion, the violence, the shit which makes it so real, that is not really the case at the EPL clubs no more. I've been to a Man Utd home game and that shit is so sterile and quiet. It is lightweight gay to act like Man Utd is like that any more.
I'ma break it down like this, in the NFL you had franchises moving town, to the point of losing their identity and hardcore support. With the EPL it's a different type of disenfranchisement, they dont move town, they just move their customer base from working class to corporate.
EPL is nothing like y'all described it, maybe somewhere in the North East like Newcastle keep it real but otherwise for atmosphere Serie A got em. So for the most part is is kinda gay to be saying some of this shit about the EPL, yes it is great to watch but its not as real as made out.
Point of this post.. really just to give it up for the rest of English football that y'all might not know about. That's where history and passion really catches up with you and where people really rep they town. Problem with EPL is groupies all over wearing the shirts claiming to be down.
The division right below the EPL gets crowds as big as 75% of games in Serie A or La Liga, but its way more real than EPL, crabs in a bucket type shit, everyone fighting for what they can get and you know all the folks is supporting their own city so the atmosphere really means something.
EPL is great attacking entertainment but when you guys watch it via the net or on TV, you have actualy seen it all, you're not missing anything by not being there, watch pitchside at a Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal game everyone sat round like groupies or tourists, zero atmosphere.
There's no equivalent to Rangers-Celtic in EPL as proportion of real fans to groupies at (say) Man Utd - Liverpool game is worse. 90% of claimed EPL fans over here are no more connected to their team than you guys, you could come over for a game and end up schooling dude next to you.
But scratch the surface and below EPL its hasn't sold out so just like the Glasgow derby in Scotland, the larger percentage of real fans, the better the experience. And that's the shit I'd love for you guys to see, it's what you want to believe about English football except its largely gone in EPL.
I'm not just saying this like some fan watching TV, I got a season ticket for my home city team and for 10 years I've travelled to away games all over which is the one experience that does not translate via TV or to US sports. That's some crazy shit repping your city in another town.
I've been in opposition pubs which have been firebombed, chased round other cities, escorted under police guard. I'm not saying any of this shit is cool or makes it any better, but when you have that edge and you know everyone is really down for their team, it makes the game matter more.
Everyone wants to be in the EPL for the money and exposure (my team was one game away last season, Hull took our spot) but at the same time we know here that to be there is to sell out the best things. You guys rightly enjoy EPL but you'd love the EPL without the made-for-tv filter!
Finally, if you do travel to Europe, and want to really see somewhere that goes, go watch big derby game in Croatia. Besides being in a football riot in Chile/Argentina (I've done both) it's as crazy as it gets. Croatians are crazy motherfuckers, make EPL or La Liga seem like a star trek convention. :classic:
By the way, I read all 12 pages but didn't see anyone really break it down what drew you to your EPL teams? How did you get into it? Was it to do with players or matches you first saw? How does that compare to say, following an NFL team, or would you only ever support your city?
I'm asking cos although I don't support an EPL team, even for me I make judgements like when I'm in London, Arsenal fans always stand-up dudes and their side play good football, so I respect them, but, say, over here Liverpool often come off as arrogant and dislikeable. Do you get that?
1
Two different things entirely. The history, the passion, the violence, the shit which makes it so real, that is not really the case at the EPL clubs no more. I've been to a Man Utd home game and that shit is so sterile and quiet. It is lightweight gay to act like Man Utd is like that any more.
I'ma break it down like this, in the NFL you had franchises moving town, to the point of losing their identity and hardcore support. With the EPL it's a different type of disenfranchisement, they dont move town, they just move their customer base from working class to corporate.
EPL is nothing like y'all described it, maybe somewhere in the North East like Newcastle keep it real but otherwise for atmosphere Serie A got em. So for the most part is is kinda gay to be saying some of this shit about the EPL, yes it is great to watch but its not as real as made out.
Point of this post.. really just to give it up for the rest of English football that y'all might not know about. That's where history and passion really catches up with you and where people really rep they town. Problem with EPL is groupies all over wearing the shirts claiming to be down.
The division right below the EPL gets crowds as big as 75% of games in Serie A or La Liga, but its way more real than EPL, crabs in a bucket type shit, everyone fighting for what they can get and you know all the folks is supporting their own city so the atmosphere really means something.
EPL is great attacking entertainment but when you guys watch it via the net or on TV, you have actualy seen it all, you're not missing anything by not being there, watch pitchside at a Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal game everyone sat round like groupies or tourists, zero atmosphere.
There's no equivalent to Rangers-Celtic in EPL as proportion of real fans to groupies at (say) Man Utd - Liverpool game is worse. 90% of claimed EPL fans over here are no more connected to their team than you guys, you could come over for a game and end up schooling dude next to you.
But scratch the surface and below EPL its hasn't sold out so just like the Glasgow derby in Scotland, the larger percentage of real fans, the better the experience. And that's the shit I'd love for you guys to see, it's what you want to believe about English football except its largely gone in EPL.
I'm not just saying this like some fan watching TV, I got a season ticket for my home city team and for 10 years I've travelled to away games all over which is the one experience that does not translate via TV or to US sports. That's some crazy shit repping your city in another town.
I've been in opposition pubs which have been firebombed, chased round other cities, escorted under police guard. I'm not saying any of this shit is cool or makes it any better, but when you have that edge and you know everyone is really down for their team, it makes the game matter more.
Everyone wants to be in the EPL for the money and exposure (my team was one game away last season, Hull took our spot) but at the same time we know here that to be there is to sell out the best things. You guys rightly enjoy EPL but you'd love the EPL without the made-for-tv filter!
Finally, if you do travel to Europe, and want to really see somewhere that goes, go watch big derby game in Croatia. Besides being in a football riot in Chile/Argentina (I've done both) it's as crazy as it gets. Croatians are crazy motherfuckers, make EPL or La Liga seem like a star trek convention. :classic:
By the way, I read all 12 pages but didn't see anyone really break it down what drew you to your EPL teams? How did you get into it? Was it to do with players or matches you first saw? How does that compare to say, following an NFL team, or would you only ever support your city?
I'm asking cos although I don't support an EPL team, even for me I make judgements like when I'm in London, Arsenal fans always stand-up dudes and their side play good football, so I respect them, but, say, over here Liverpool often come off as arrogant and dislikeable. Do you get that?
1
By the way, this is a sample of what going to another city for an away game is like in English football, this is something they don't really show from TV so it's worth sharing with you if you like English football.
This was my team in London this year against Crystal Palace who used to be EPL, we took 2000 people over there, I didn't film this and its kinda shaky but I was in there somewhere and its fairly representative.
Sadly, this kinda atmosphere is gettin rare in EPL now, real fans watered down by groupies and corporate spectators so everyone kinda ends up sat down and quiet. They don't tell you that on TV when they're hyping it.
As far as your comparisons with Serie A and La Liga, away fans quite rare there too, I been to games in both leagues and fans don't really travel so much, a hardcore in Italy do, but in Spain away support is just pathetic.
This was my team in London this year against Crystal Palace who used to be EPL, we took 2000 people over there, I didn't film this and its kinda shaky but I was in there somewhere and its fairly representative.
Sadly, this kinda atmosphere is gettin rare in EPL now, real fans watered down by groupies and corporate spectators so everyone kinda ends up sat down and quiet. They don't tell you that on TV when they're hyping it.
As far as your comparisons with Serie A and La Liga, away fans quite rare there too, I been to games in both leagues and fans don't really travel so much, a hardcore in Italy do, but in Spain away support is just pathetic.
same here I followed EPL since the formation in 93 I think it was, I went against the crowd and followed Chelsea (majority went man utd liverpool newcastle)but as time went on my support for the EPL as a whole has diminished.
I follow Partizan Belgrade as well, but out of all the fans, nothing beats the ULTRAS in Italy, its one of the biggest gangs in the world.
then again nearly everywhere has its hardcore element, even Chelsea did with the headhunters & combat 13, they were one of the most hardcore of all supporters groups in England.
I follow Partizan Belgrade as well, but out of all the fans, nothing beats the ULTRAS in Italy, its one of the biggest gangs in the world.
then again nearly everywhere has its hardcore element, even Chelsea did with the headhunters & combat 13, they were one of the most hardcore of all supporters groups in England.
Belgrade is crazy no doubt, Hadjuk Split was the one in Croatia I saw and they have ridiculous fans. Ultras in Italy is a different group at each club so you can't really call it one of the biggest gangs in the world, Ultras is just a description of what they are, rather than a joint affiliation.
There isn't much affiliation, only where different ultra groups share similar political messages, i.e. left wing Italian ultra groups (ones wit Che Guevara banners, Anarchy signs) and others right wing (like Lazio). For example FdL utlras at Milan is left-wing and friendly with left-wing Ultras at Brescia.
But ultras from each club rarely get along so don't believe that that there is one big gang in Italy, each individual Ultra group hate most of the other ultra groups and their loyalty is only to their curva (the end of their home stadium where they gather). Ultras is just a description.
Chelsea Headhunters were feared just like Millwall Bushwackers (Millwall is now 2 div below EPL but still one place I hated going) but I think you got it twisted with 'Combat 13', there is no such thing, it is Combat 18 which is a racist group not specifically Chelsea, but Headhunters were affiliated.
Combat 18 hella fucked up, it's 18 because of the letters A H from Adolf Hilter being 1 and 8 in the alphabet. Combat 18 is not ultras, they're KKK like they just want to kill blacks and asians and immigrants. They used to firebomb asian shops, attack black folks in the UK or send death threats.
Headhunters were connected but Combat 18 nothing to do with Chelsea specifically and thankfully little to do with football or hardcore fan groups no more, I wouldn't be able to go some of the places I do if people were still violently racist or openly supporting C18, believe that! :dead::classic:
There isn't much affiliation, only where different ultra groups share similar political messages, i.e. left wing Italian ultra groups (ones wit Che Guevara banners, Anarchy signs) and others right wing (like Lazio). For example FdL utlras at Milan is left-wing and friendly with left-wing Ultras at Brescia.
But ultras from each club rarely get along so don't believe that that there is one big gang in Italy, each individual Ultra group hate most of the other ultra groups and their loyalty is only to their curva (the end of their home stadium where they gather). Ultras is just a description.
Chelsea Headhunters were feared just like Millwall Bushwackers (Millwall is now 2 div below EPL but still one place I hated going) but I think you got it twisted with 'Combat 13', there is no such thing, it is Combat 18 which is a racist group not specifically Chelsea, but Headhunters were affiliated.
Combat 18 hella fucked up, it's 18 because of the letters A H from Adolf Hilter being 1 and 8 in the alphabet. Combat 18 is not ultras, they're KKK like they just want to kill blacks and asians and immigrants. They used to firebomb asian shops, attack black folks in the UK or send death threats.
Headhunters were connected but Combat 18 nothing to do with Chelsea specifically and thankfully little to do with football or hardcore fan groups no more, I wouldn't be able to go some of the places I do if people were still violently racist or openly supporting C18, believe that! :dead::classic:
I grew up playing soccer but got into Serie A when I was living in Torino. I lived there for 6 months and went to 4 Juventus games. I was at the Derby last September and Juve won 1-0 in the 93rd or something and the whole city went crazy. I was in Rome when the italian police killed a Lazio supporter and there was riots everywhere.
Ultimately I just enjoy the game. But I would love to get to watch some more Juve games in person. We sat in the same section as the Drughi, very fucking crazy.
And I'm Italian so I guess I was a bit predisposed to liking Italian football
Ultimately I just enjoy the game. But I would love to get to watch some more Juve games in person. We sat in the same section as the Drughi, very fucking crazy.
And I'm Italian so I guess I was a bit predisposed to liking Italian football
Opening goal from Spurs was ridiculous, 40 yard volley (no joke), dude flicked the ball up then hit it on the volley from way out. One of the all-time great goals, similar to Yeboah in 95 v Liverpool, will be shown for years. (Yeboah goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JMuMtEVFwY).
Arsenal ripped them apart after that, then got casual at the very end, two curling shots from edge of the box (second one off the post and rebound slammed in) tied it up when it had been 4-2 after 90 minutes. Don't like Spurs or their new manager but gotta give it up for the comeback.
Arsenal ripped them apart after that, then got casual at the very end, two curling shots from edge of the box (second one off the post and rebound slammed in) tied it up when it had been 4-2 after 90 minutes. Don't like Spurs or their new manager but gotta give it up for the comeback.