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- Iain who? exactly worst piece of garbage i have heard in my entire life? two european cup finals in the space of three years, how long did it take Sir PinkNosed ferguson to win his first european...
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- if any thing this proves that who ever wrote this article is racist as he clearly generalises both sets of supporters which is a racist trait
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EPL Talk
Daily News & Analysis of the English Premier League
Many people look back to the 1980’s as a golden age, but for soccer fans living in the United States, it was a quagmire. Not only that, but it was also a very difficult experience admitting you were a soccer fan in those years.
If you were fortunate, you could probably see five ... Continue reading »
If you were fortunate, you could probably see five ... Continue reading »
1 year ago
Tell me how that is more manly than soccer.
When I talk to people about soccer, I don't tell them about "beautiful, flowing football" or free kicks. I talk about watching West Ham fight to stay in the Premier League in their last 9 games last year. And I ask them how many times they actually WANTED to watch the Devil Rays play in August.
1 year ago
Good point. Even the poor teams get weeded out of the Premier League, well eventually.
That definitely adds a lot of enticement for people who may not understand soccer.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
1 year ago
However, you have made a mistake by mentioning Hillsborough and hooliganism in the same paragraph.
I realise that the disaster may have been reported in the US as hooligan-related (it was here as well) but it had nothing to do with violence.
I encourage people to do some searches on the internet to find the real truth behind Hillsborough.
1 year ago
I completely agree with you and didn't mean to paint Hillsborough as a hooligan problem. I know the facts, as you do, and the police were the main reason for the blame.
However, as you mentioned, a lot of people in America considered it as another hooligan-related event - sadly - which was quite untrue.
Cheers,
The Gaffer
1 year ago
You are right on target about how football violence, whatever the cause, lead to a negative image of the game in the US. It kept many American's from viewing the game in a serious light. Even now when I talk about football/soccer as a passion of my later years I almost always have to explain how the game in England has been "cleaned up".
America has it's share of sport related problems, ie drugs, crime, betting but it troubles me that FIFA has to spend a great deal of time fighting racism among fans. Luckily MLB great Jackie Robinson did so much to end racism in American sports. Also, I do not know of a major American sport that has had to be played before a empty stadium or riots taking place between fans of the various teams. A small fight, yes.
So, thanks to the 94 WC
coming to the US, the American Womens soccer team, and FSC for bring the best of English football to my home for getting me involved in the game and this community.
1 year ago
Ive been a fan since the mid 70s and have gone thru all the ups and downs you referenced, but all along Ive felt that following international soccer both national and club teams, I was privaledged to appreciate and be apart of something 99% of the people here in the US didnt get. I never once felt the odd ball, I always felt somewhat sorry for those that didnt get it, man what they are missing out on.
But now soccer has gone all suburban and landon donovan here, I mean really what could be worse? We have a crap national league, horrificly produced and commented us games, its all going espned, oh my!
Im not a fan of the packaged politically correct direction that soccer here has pursued to make it acceptable to the mainstream here. If they dont get it oh well, leave it for those of us who do. Remember, most of the people here cant pick out canada on a map, so im quite sure not fitting in is kinda ok.
Anyway, I kinda miss the feeling that i described above when Baggio missed the penalty and i screramed my head off in a full bar in Philly, ironically full of mainly italian descendants, and people looked at me as though i were nuts, and i just smiled. :) There are many other examples.
1 year ago
Still, it's good to hear that you guys in America can enjoy the greatest sport on the planet without being subjected to abuse by certain idiots.
Trust me, I'm sure they wouldn't have had the guts to say these things to certain groups of fans in England and Europe!
1 year ago
I played (American) football in high school, and also captained the soccer team. Found myself in this argument more than once with my football-playing friends.
Most of it was just good-natured ribbing, but we nearly came to blows a couple times.
Basically I told them that I could play their sport pretty easily but I doubted that they could make it through one soccer practice. They took me up on the challenge, and I was right.
As for the "fags" association, I told them that I hurt a lot more people on the soccer pitch than I ever did on the football field. "Pads are for fags", I think is how I put it.
It also helps when a 200-lb "soccer fag" can out-leg press the entire offensive line and outrun all but 2 of the receivers and DBs.
Those were the days...
1 year ago
In the USA, soccer will never manage to draw anything but paltry audiences comprised of pseudo-erudite geeks, euro-wannabes, and foreign-born fans.
Americans expect results from their efforts...something that, by its very nature, the game of soccer rarely provides.
You really expect people to care about a game in which the only point earned by the USA during the 2006 World Cup was scored by Italy? Give me a break! That might be fine for your average socialist/Marxist, but not for the vast majority of Americans.
Furthermore, no red-blooded American will ever respect a game in which its players respond to physical contact by squirming around on the ground in feigned pain like schoolgirls.
Other than a safe alternative to Unisom and a benign pastime for prepubescents, there is absolutely no role for soccer in America. Unless someone manages to transform the game into something more interesting than watching a golf tournament with the commentators speaking in Swahili, you can forget about soccer ever garnering anything more than a fringe interest here.
Adding another ball or two into active play would be a good start.
1 year ago
9 months ago
8 months ago
Real American hate soccer. Americans are macho ubermanly 350lb muscular HE-men. Foreigners are little 110lb nancy boy fags.
Soccer is for fags. USA wins at EVERYTHING.
6 months ago
That is precisely why soccer was, is, and forever shall be a FAILURE in my United States: we have choices. My 12 year old son plays 4 sports throughout the year - each of them his own choosing. Soccer fails in the free market where consumers can freely vote with their wallets. The only reason it has worldwide popularity is because it costs next to nothing to play - you can drive a few stakes into the ground and kick around a coconut husk and get the gist of the game.
Youth soccer is nothing but daycare with some exercise mixed in. The parents that choose that for their children are making a mistake.
6 months ago
The rest of the world calls it football. Join in.