London Visitor Advice FootballFootball
Football it is. Never, ever called "soccer", so don't go there. Getting to see a football match is difficult, as season ticket holders 
for most clubs fill the ground's capacity and demand far out-strips supply, especially in the Premiership. Lots of pubs and bars screen international matches and the atmosphere changes to that of the terraces. Baying, chanting, dancing and shouting are expected, so if you're looking for a quiet drink, avoid them.
The Premiership is where the top teams battle for honours. There are three further divisions as well as feeder-conferences with teams being promoted or relegated at the conclusion of each season.
Yes, yes. The English are well aware of their poor performance at International level - highlights being semi-final places in the World Cup '90 and Euro '96. Their exit in the 2010 World Cup was greeted by an extraordinarily familiar sense of disappointment. But you have to admire the dogged optimism that precedes each tournament. The turnout at every game, whichever corner of the world it's held in, always exceeds capacity - and the late news invariably features a 'bunch of lads' who've pitched up in Latvia or Kuala Lumpur for an obscure friendly, without tickets.
If you're in town, try to see a game if you can, or failing that see a big match down the pub. If you're engaged post-match with a local and they'd like to hear some feedback, you can try the following: We were playing...
- - the wrong formation
- - too deep
- - luxury football
- - like a bunch of schoolgirls
- etc...
Contrary to everything else: football *is* to be taken seriously, immortalised by Liverpool legend Bill Shankly.
Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it's much, much more important than that.
