After spending most of my life in GMT + 5.5 (GMT + 8 for most of you!) and catching the premier league at awkward times, it’s been quite fulfilling having come to England and being at the centre of the footballing world. Now let me put out a disclaimer first: No. I have not been to Old Trafford or any of the other big clubs’ stadiums or done anything that can be even remotely considered as football tourism. My fulfillment comes from experiencing the world famous premier league through the eyes of the locals.
Back home I always saw the glamorous side of it, the hype and the showmanship. The bigger clubs with vaster resources had better reach to audiences and unsurprisingly most people were fans of these teams. Very rarely Never would you find a fan of West Ham or Aston Villa where I come from; and so I’ve been captivated by the importance placed to the other teams that make the premier league so competitive. Amongst my friends here, no more do I hear talk of Aguero’s sweet strike or Fabregas’ sublime pass. There is more talk of the likes of Mark Noble, Harry Kane and Danny Drinkwater. Amidst all the enthusiasm there is a state of normalcy and regularity. In fact, so normal that you could bump into a Southampton FC player like Victor Wanyama in a local club on a night out!
It is commonly said that football is a working man’s game. While I agree with this statement considering the history of the game, premier league ticket prices are now exceedingly high and makes me doubt this. Buying tickets to a big game with a student budget becomes a ridiculously costly affair. For us international students it usually is a once in a lifetime splurge or a show of devotion to our favourite clubs. However for the people here, it is an increasing burden to enjoy their own national league regularly. Most of us have found that the best way to feed that hunger for football is by playing it ourselves, however amateur it might be!
The Uni has several football and futsal clubs that welcome players of all calibres. You can try out for the University Team, play for your Halls in the intramurals, play for the Engineering FC or even play for the football club of a cultural society. In my case, some of my house mates and I play 6 a side football in a local league organised at the Cantell School. The league is nothing sparkly and is more amateur than high standard, but sees some excellent teams playing good competitive football on a 3G pitch. It even offers the perks of medals, trophies and man of the match awards. Based on my limited experience, I’d advise players new to this climate to consider the altered traits of the game here:
Playing football here is entirely different. The game is far more physical and quick. To add to this, are the climatic changes that affect it. It’s much harder to break into a sweat, the cold air sometimes feels alarmingly deficient in oxygen and the beautiful British weather with its drizzle and cold wind always adds an extra element to the game’s conditions. On the bright side, you’re less of a mess than usual after a game. Unless you’d been thumped 7 to nothing by a tank of a team. I could’ve sworn that was the German National Team at some point. Consider your gear thoughtfully. Purchase reliable base layers, gloves, socks and shin pads. They can all be bought right here from the many sports stores or online. Stay in touch: The Southampton Common and Riverside Park offer acres of space for recreational sports and are suitable venues for a kick about. Finally, take advantage of the cooler weather and push yourself to perform better!