Birth of an American Soccer Fan—is a true fan born out of misery?
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by Jgiuffra
Soccer has a special place in many young American’s hearts at local level. Usually, it is because it is the first ‘organised’ sport kids are allowed to play—I use the quotes to represent the organisation of the roaming gaggle of children chasing around the elusive football, and the even more elusive goal in the under 8 leagues all across the country.
The interest usually fades at around 10 or 11 when they can play one of the more popular sports. I very much fit this pattern. I did carry on as a soccer ref as a young teen, but that was for the 6 bucks a game it paid and authority it gave me over screaming parents for two to three hours every Saturday. I was lucky that when I started playing the NY cosmos were in full swing so I was at least given a chance to support a professional team with big name stars. But as we all know, the league failed and the chance to see any good soccer live quickly faded away.
To be honest, I didn’t think much about soccer again until I moved to England when I was 25. I lived in Bristol—not what you’d think of as a good soccer town—and I was shocked to see the mania that gripped the city every weekend. Both local teams—Bristol City and Bristol rovers—were in the then 2nd division of English football. And win, lose or draw they would be chanting as the marched toward the grounds. As both of these teams were embroiled in there own brand of sectarian violence I was not all that interested in joining the fray. I did find, however, watching the top teams in the premiership awakened an interest in me I hadn’t felt since I was a boy….I was enjoying soccer again….but I was not a true fan yet.
At that time I could root for any English team. I would pick my favourite based on who was playing. As my wife’s family is from Manchester and dyed in the wool Reds, I would always hope they would win. But I could happily support Arsenal, Liverpool or Newcastle if they were playing in Europe or other lesser teams in the prem.
What I didn’t realise at that point was that European soccer fans are defined by there collective misery. I didn’t understand. I thought, you’re English, an English team is playing in Europe so you support them…..I was so naïve.
It was a lovely day to be at old Trafford. It was sunny and brisk and Arsenal were in town to play an FA Cup fourth round tie. We were playing well and the mood at the ground was buoyant. About 20 minutes in there was still no score and it looked like Giggs was going to put us 1 nil to the good when the unspeakable happened…he missed. Almost immediately afterward Arsenal scored what, at the time, seemed on of the luckiest goals I’d ever seen. I won’t go into the full the description as it makes the bile rise in my throat. As you are all probably aware, united lost and Arsenal went on to win OUR cup!
What I remember most is the Arsenal fan saying shhhhhhhhhh in harmony when the old Trafford faithful couldn’t muster a cheer. All we could was to cant back, "have you ever won ther treble? Have you f***. have you ever won the treble? Have you f***. Have you ever won the treble, have you ever won the treble, have you ever won the treble, have you ****." It was at this moment I gave up my non-partisan stance on soccer fandom forever. I was finally miserable enough to be a real soccer—wait a minute—FOOTBALL fan.
There is one saving grace to all this misery………at least I’m not miserable enough to be a City fan!!!!!!!!
