August 9, 2006
Head down, collar up…..
I’ve followed football all over the place and the check list of teams seen and stadiums visited is long and varied - I’ve seen England fall to Germany on Penalties at Wembley in Euro 96 - I’ve seen them fall again vs. Portugal at the Estádio da Luz at Euro 2004 - Anfield, Old Trafford, Villa Park, St.James Park, Stamford Bridge, White Hart Lane, St.Marys, Fratton Park - even the Tiger cup in Vietnam all the way down to standing upon the stone cold, deserted, concrete terraces of Brunton park, watching Carlisle UTD in the old fourth Division get a hammering against Fulham in the pouring rain - all that time I’ve never really had any problems as far as getting into scrapes goes.
Dutch Football has a fairly fearsome reputation when it comes to it’s followers two UK Sheff Utd fans got stabbed here over the weekend - the main local team is Feyenoord and when they play Ajax it is full on war in the streets - this season they may not let travelling fans attend each others matches due to the disturbances of last year when there was widespread violence and damage all around the ground - as to whether you can call the people involved fans or not is open to debate – my side would be that they aren’t there for the football, they are there for the idea of being part of a tribe going to war - and I think you should put all your fear, love, hate and anger into roaring your team on from the stands - rather than charging down backstreet alleyways hurling bottles and rocks at opposing fans hours after the game has finished.
That is not to say that this is how it is with Dutch football all the time - just that when the tinder box is lit there aren’t so many cameras catching the action and the money in the game here doesn’t pay for the beefed up security of the UK game for example - on the whole Feyenoord is about genuine football fans - they love the club and follow the team through all manner of fortunes – they keep singing even when they are down on the field – a sense of belonging to one big boisterous family - the football isn’t of the highest standard, but the seats are always filled and the atmosphere resonates with passion for every home game.So I was sold - seemed a good way to help myself settle and a damn fine way to spend a Sunday every couple of weeks - got myself a season ticket, got myself and hat, got myself a shirt, started finding out a bit about the history and the current crop of players (best of which is Dirk Kuyt who may be about to leave for UK premiership shores just before the season starts) sign me up.First game was the friendly on Sunday vs UK side Middsboro - a 2-0 Victory, Kuyt scored and a good introduction to the place - went along with my boss and his son - met a few folk - did the match day rituals of munch before the game and drinks after - good seats - cracking atmosphere - bring on the rest of the season.
Next up was last night vs Premiership champions Chelsea - a bit more well known and have a strong-arm history of tough nut followers - I went up straight after work on my own for a 7pm kick off - a few folk had commented that it would be a good idea not to advertise the fact I was English for this occasion and I didn’t make too many murmurs to allude to my origins on the way up and in the wait to get in the ground.
I passed my ticket, went through the turnstile, walked out towards section O and the steps to my seat and then realised that I was in fact in section Q and I was supposed to be the other side of a fortified gate to the right of me - no obvious way through – I also noted that I seemed to be in the section that represented the hardcore element of supporters at the far end of the ground behind one of the goals - the end where all the noise comes from - where all the flares are lit - where all the controversial chants about the holocaust come from (rivals Ajax have a Jewish base apparently - Feyenoord supporters make the hissing noise of the gas chambers when they play them) - basically the part of the ground that on a night like tonight an Englishman has no place being whether he is wearing a Feyenoord shirt or not.
I looked about and saw a steward checking tickets as people went to their seats and shuffled over - I tried to communicate through the medium of mime but ended up having to use English - and suddenly ears all around started pricking up and all eyes seemed to be on me - one group of four was passing as I explained the situation and although I couldn’t understand the language I got the gist - it was that I was probably trying to sneak in to cause trouble at the Feyenoord end (did I look insane??) and they would gladly help me find my seat by passing pieces of my body over the crowd to my designated section - the Chelsea end in their eyes.
With one hand pushing me to the foreground and one gesturing to the group that they should go inside and take up their seats the steward explained I would have to walk all the way round the stadium to the right of me, passing through each security gate separating sections, until I had come full circle and was on the other side of the fence to the right of me and section O - this meant I had to explain the situation (that I was an idiot) to each fluorescent bewildered guard in turn - all of whom could not grasp that I was English and not a Chelsea fan (I’m Liverpool - I hate Chelsea and nothing would of pleased me more than to see them lose) and didn’t seem to keen on letting me through.
Once I had made it through most of the security gates I was almost back at my section - one more to go - the Chelsea away supporters section
And I am wearing a Feyenoord shirt.
Those that don’t have English as their native tongue use the most blunt and basic way of describing a situation at times - I’m not sure you going through here is a good idea - you might get hurt as it was there was just a lot of abuse hurled in my direction via chants about my mother and I got out without a scratch.
Once I finally got into section O, I found my seat and decided that I wouldn’t mutter another word for the rest of the evening - including opting out of half time munch and drinks as speaking up at the time of order would blow my cover - Feyenoord lost 1-0 but played their heart out against the superstars like Ballack, Schevchenko, Terry, Robben, et al ( I would mention Lampard in that bracket, who scored in fact, but he is still not forgiven for being so useless at shooting during the world cup that he would probably wouldn’t be able to even hit a cows backside with a banjo).
The crowd bounced to the sounds of the Feyenoord songs which are played at full volume with cheesey cheerful Euro-techno backing - they roared every attack - viscerally kicked every ball - and praised every player - we all thought the perfect equaliser was in when Van Hooijdonk volleyed a free kick against the post in the final minute - it was not to be - when we all realised he’d missed that was incidentally the only other time I opened my mouth.
Motherfucker!
Think those around me agreed.
Sentiments cross the language barrier when your team is losing and hits the post in the final minute.
Spo | August 9, 2006
Comments on Head down, collar up…..
Thanks for clearing that up. As I mentioned, I’m not familiar with your firm or services. It sounds like you’re on the up and up. I hope you find the folks that are tarninshing your good name through strong arm tactics.
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