7 comments

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  betsy's bolton bum baster

  1 year ago

  ever heard of Miami FC? you must embrace the local game gaffer!
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  Hudsonland

  1 year ago

  To me the whole point of attending a game live was exposure to and participation in the atmosphere. It's a sad indictment of the corporate packaging of modern football that maybe a couple of thousand people in Swindon's Town End on a Wednesday night could produce a better atmosphere twenty years ago than a Holland-Italy game in 2008.
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  The Gaffer

  1 year ago

  Miami FC? You've got to be joking.
  
  Cheers,
  The Gaffer
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  eplnfl

  1 year ago

  Different sports translate better or worse on TV. for instance, the NFL was made by TV, and after attending a NFL game I go home and watch the tape of the game to see what I missed. MLB on TV is forced to focus on the batter and pitcher and you have guess what the other eight players are doing. A great summer day at Wrigley Field can not be beat. The NBA for what they charge watch it on TV, and get a better of how made the refs are from the replay. NHL, be there feel the ice and the crowd. Hockey doesn't work on TV.
  
  Soccer works well enough on TV but being there is a bonus. A good soccer crowd is something you must feel and touch. TV can show alot of the action, but not all. In Chicago both major stadiums have excellent site lines for soccer. So in my opinion it changes from sport to sport.
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  Marco Pantanella

  1 year ago

  No one goes to see a live match for comfort. Staying at home on a cushy sofa, with a perfect view of the play and tons of video replay and commentary telling you what's going on the screen is definitely the most comfortable experience.
  
  However there's something that a TV match just can't give you, and that is atmosphere. It's the "I was there" feeling you're talking about Chris, the cheers of the crowd, the moment where every person around goes completely berserk when your team scores a goal, seeing your football heroes with the naked eye. Those are emotions that are incomparable to watching the game at home (or even in a sports bar).
  
  I haven't been to many live football matches in my life, but the few include some of the 2007 U21 Youth World Cup games in Canada, some 2003 Confederations Cup games in France (Brazil 0-1 Cameroon and France 3-2 Turkey), the 2003 Coppa Italia final return leg at San Siro (Milan 2-2 Roma) and above all, the 2003 UEFA Champions League semi-final in Turin (Juventus 3-1 Real Madrid).
  
  The latter game was, by far, my most exciting soccer-related experience ever. I was sitting almost exactly in front of the corner-kick flag (although many stairs up), so I got a pretty good panoramic view of the entire field. I wasn't too lucky in the sense that most of the action took place on the other end (Trezeguet, Del Piero, and Zidane's goals, and Buffon's PK save on Figo), but when Pavel Nedved scored on my end it was an experience I can't even begin to describe. It was simply... fantastic! 20,000 Bianconeri fans screaming at the top of their lungs, Juventus crushing the great Real Madrid. Just absolutely priceless, and to be there living those moments inside the stadium, where all the action took place, was just incredible!
  
  I have a question for you Chris though. From your report it seems as you were sitting directly behind the net on one end, am I correct? If you were that close to the field, it'd be really hard to see what's going on on the opposite end. My personal taste is that if you go to see a live match, you should at least sit somewhere where you can tell what's going on on the field. The entire field that is. :)
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  The Gaffer

  1 year ago

  Marco,
  
  The section where I was sitting in the stadium was definitely more quiet and timid than other sections, but I had no choice where my seats were. They were free tickets courtesy of EPL Talk's sponsors, Castrol Oil.
  
  In fact, the atmosphere in the pub where I watched the Spain vs Sweden game yesterday was probably wilder than the 20 people who sat around me. At least in the pub there was singing, people getting out of their seats, etc. My section at the ground was very quiet.
  
  Even the crazy sections behind each goal didn't go berserk, though, when goals went in.
  
  Cheers,
  The Gaffer
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  Oldham Fan

  1 year ago

  What a thought provoking article! For supporters of lower league teams there is little oppertunity to watch on live TV. However, that said, for those with an analytical preference over an emotional one explains why certain big clubs attract "fans" from all over the world (e.g. Man Utd) and they can feel justified in their support as they feel no emotional attachment to their local team.
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