Premiership tips -- Tottenham v. Chelsea/ West Brom v. Fulham

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I’m flying to London tonight with some buddies to see some football (soccer) matches. Specifically, we’re seeing Tottenham vs. Chelsea and West Brom vs. Fulham. It will be the 1st and 2nd Premiership league games I’ve ever seen in person.

[takes a deep breath to quell the excitement]

Any tips out there on what to watch for? Any subplots or game watching tips that might not have made it across the pond?

And who do you folks think I should root for? (I’m nominally an Arsenal fan, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Tottenham since they’re the first Premiership team I saw in person.)

And, naturally, if there are some good spots to down a few pints after the games, then I’d love to hear those, too. If it helps, we’re 5 heterosexual, Texan males with marginal alcohol problems.

Thanks, all.

2

Color me jealous.

I usually look for the ‘Yank’ connection when deciding who to root for, so I’d say back Tottenham (Keller) and Fulham (Bocanegra, McBride). Or, since Keller’s not playing much lately (I think), you could root for Chelsea to cream Tottenham so Keller looks good by comparison and might get to play more.

Or you could just be quiet and enjoy the game. But you’ll probably be the only one. :slight_smile:

3

To be honest, you have to support anybody against the new oil-lubricated Chelsea. I can’t see how anybody can enjoy supporting a team who have just bought their way to the top.

4

You gotta support West Brom. Not only was I born near there, but they’re rock bottom of the league and need all the support they can get. If you’re looking to join in the singing and don’t want anything too complicated, listen out for that old standard “One Bryan Robson”, sung to the tune of Guantanamera:

One Bryan Robson,
There’s Only One Bryan Robson
One Bryan Robson
There’s Only One Bryan Robson (repeated ad nauseam and progressively more flat)

Robbo played for West Brom in their glory years (late 70s/early 80s) before going to Manchester United, where he became a folk hero and mainstay of the local brewery industry and physiotherapy room. He even managed 90 caps for England, scoring at the time the fastest goal in a World Cup finals match.

Captain Courageous is currently the Baggies’ manager, and unlikely to see out the season before returning to his ESPN sinecure. He frittered away a lot of Middlesbrough’s money before a proper coach took over and won them a trophy.

So, get rehearsing and pray that West Brom don’t fall behind too early.

5

Keep quiet about this if you do go to the Tottenham game.

6

This is VERY sound advice. Really don’t mention it.

You should also know that Spurs v Chelsea is by far the nastiest (off the pitch) game in London - it ALWAYS kicks off outside - so do be a bit careful. Stick with the home crowds and you’ll be fine

As for drinking spots - Tottenham is full of them. I would recommend either the Irish Centre (near the ground - huge great community centre with big bars). I like the Beehive in Reform Row (near the william hill bookies if you’re looking for directions) or the Victoria and the Two Brewers on Scotland Green (half way between Seven Sisters tube and the ground).

I would heartily advise you to avoid: The ten Joys (aka “the Cockerel”); THe Corner Pin; The Gilpin; The British Queen (In Love Lane) and the Antwerp - as these are where it usually goes off. (If you’ve ever seen the film “the Football Factory” - the opening scenes are spurs v Chelsea at White Hart Lane - and it’s no exageration)

As to on the field; - the main subplot in THFC v CFC is that we NEVER beat them. The last time we beat them in the league Gary Lineker scored the winner. They are our bogey team and for many spurs fans (inc me) the most reviled rival.

Players to watch out for in THFC’s line up are Robinson in goal, King in central defence, mendes in midfield and the fabulous Defoe up front - Chelsea are all good.

Fulham v WBA will seem a bit two-bob after THFC v CFC I’m afraid. There is a pub near the Hawthorns called the Vine that is always nice and friendly. I wouldn’t hang around too long after the game in West Bromwich - it’s not a very nice area (neither is Tottenham)

7

A couple of other things that occurred to me:

Top of the “pubs to avoid” list is Latinas on Tottenham High Rd near Bruce Grove station - it’s hoolie central.

You could also try (as good pubs) the Bell and Hare and Rudolphs which are both just by the stadium - just let the bouncers know you’re septics and they’ll let you in (it’s all season ticket holders otherwise). You can buy beer in the ground but its pricey and the queues are enormous.

There are some decent turkish restaurants around the ground - and a lot of really bad burger vans - plus the usual KFC, McDonalds etc.

Also; if you or any of your party are jewish you are in for quite a shock (even if you’re not jewish you will be amazed) the levels of anti-semitism at this game (above all others) from the CFC fans (the “cluehunters”) will probably quite shock you.

And finally you will understand what my “location” tag means :smiley:

Have a good day and let me know how you get on (I’m in the West stand upper BTW).

8

Wol, you just got to unfurl a banner proclaiming “WELCOME SEPTICS!”

9

It’s always possible I suppose.

Now where do we keep the spare bedsheets…

10

Easy - I’ve been a Chelsea fan since birth - and all that money is paying off!

CHA CHING! :wink: In all honesty, though, I don’t care. Politics, money, none of it bothers me, I just want to watch football, and Chelsea’s my team.

Just got to see them here in Seattle last summer, played against Celtic - the one thing all of us fans agreed on? Arsenal are whiny prissy *****es - “Oh, no! I have fallen down!” A bunch of us, Chelsea fans and Celtic fans alike, got on so well we went out for drinks after the game. Oh, and Chelsea won :stuck_out_tongue:

11

And that, ladies and gentlemen, explains why football will never catch on in the states :stuck_out_tongue:

12

The Celtic fans were all from Scotland, and the Chelsea fans were from… well, Chelsea. I was the only Canadian in the bunch, and my husband was the only American. shrugs They took us out.

13

I meant to specify - in our little group that got on so well. You could tell the Americans in the crowd, though - the ones who were sitting quietly - looked like they were just there to see what all the fuss was about, and looking bored with everything.
The rest of us were on our feet, screaming, hollering… we yelled at each other quite a few times, but once we agreed about Arsenal, that’s when we started a horrid little “After you, Alphonse” attitude. I had a ball.

14

And that would be a brain fart, damnit. I meant to write London.

15

I live in SW London and I am not a chelsea fan - it doesn’t necessarily follow you know! (no one in their right mind would live in Tottenham - it’s known locally as 'nam (tott’nam) as there is an intractable war going on there.

I’d be interested in hearing what the septics made of today (were you in with the home fans? Whereabouts?) although as they haven’t come back on the OP I may be talking to myself here.

If nothing else my tea-tipping cousins; you can at least say that today you saw the Champions win the Championship, given the result from the Reebok.

Now another point (assuming the OP ever returns):

Ignore what I said about the Vine etc for Fulham v WBA. I assumed that the game was at WBA (it’s a football convention to write the home team first and I didn’t check).

Fulham FC are based in Fulham (natch) which is a very nice area of London (I live nearby, which raises the tone) - you are spoilt for choice for pubs, bars and restaurants in the area. If you want a beer before or after with the home fans I would go to either the Larrik (one of my locals), The Golden Lion (ditto) or the Eight Bells (yes again) which are all near Putney Bridge tube station (Whilst I support spurs I live near Fulham). I personally hate O’neils (opposite the Larrik) but this is a personal hatred of faux-irish pubs. There is another place called (without apparent irony) “Zulus” but that’s full of Sith Effrikans and they’re all wankers.

After the game go over Putney Bridge into putney, where you are spoilt for choice. If you wantr specific recommendations I can help. My best choices for a beer would be The Coat And Badge (and beyond it the Gardener’s Arms). For pub food the same two places, and to pick up English birds the Star And Garter or The Railway.

Have a good time - unlike today FFC v WBA will be a completely trouble free day.

p.s after you’ve been to the Cottage - tell all the English blokes that you meet that you enjoyed and hope to go cottaging again.

16

I’m just going by what they told me, there were about five guys who came out with us, and they all said they were from London - they may have been questioned further about exactly where, but I wouldn’t have heard it. I’m from the Canadian Maritimes, where we get scores of people from Britain, however, I only understand Scouse, Souf, Essex, Wales, and London in the middle :wink: (And I apologise if I managed to even screw that up!) There was about 14 of us who went out after the game together, give or take one.

We were seated with the Chelsea fans, on the end of the stadium… but what happened was there was about seven Celtic fans who either didn’t call ahead, or didn’t specify which side to be on. And so amid our sea of blue, sticking out like a sore thumb, were these Celtic fans in green, seated directly behind us. The fact that they were on the wrong side didn’t deter them (why would it?) and they cheered for all they were worth, and began picking on us Chelsea fans (naturally!) After a few more rounds of “COME ON, CELLY!” yelled directly in my ear from a rambunctious young lady, the fellow sitting next to my husband turned around and began heckling them for being stupid enough to not ensure they were even sitting on the right side of the stadium. He was laughing, and a couple of the Celtic fans started slapping him in the head, laughing. He took it, just shaking his head, and muttering about how stupid they were. So it went on like this for a while, and Chelsea fans would turn on them, throw things at them, etc. So during the break, we all went off to get drinks, of course, and brought them back to our seats. I got to chatting with the guy to my left, who was a Chelsea fan (who said he was from London), and we had a nice long talk about football. At one point, he mentioned Arsenal, and I expressed my scorn for them just as Miss Celly was sitting down. She stuck her head between us and asked us if we were talking about Arsenal, and then we all began making fun of them together.
To be honest, I’m not really sure how the camaraderie grew from that as well as it did, but by the end of the game, they were saying Chelsea fans weren’t all bad, and we pretended to feel sorry for them that Celtic lost (HA). We still heckled each other, but it somehow took on a lighter note. The guy they’d been smacking in the head was told he was alright and they’d buy him a pint. I think part of it might have had to do with the fact that all of them were far, far away from home, and my husband and I were invited because, well, we weren’t from there and we were football fans. I’m not really sure. But it went well, there were no fights between us all later, not after a few beer (stifles a giggle In America, they call water “Budweiser”…) and we ended the night off singing “Blue Is The Colour” - though of course, the Celtic fans had their own interesting version of it. The last thing I remember was Miss COME ON CELLY shouting after us on our way to get a cab (not singing): “OLE OLE OLE, CHELSEA!” and blew us a raspberry. Nice girl, really.
So, lots of snide, nasty remarks made, turned into playful jabs, and ended in getting soused. Great fun.

17

Shoot, I’m correcting myself a lot today - I apologise for quoting this bit in my last post, since I’m not sure why I did it - I *did * want to expand on what had happened at the game I went to, but didn’t mean to quote this :smack: It just reminded me about where I was sitting, and I didn’t take it out… mind running on autopilot, yada yada. I seriously need to start taking me meds again! :smiley:

18

“Celly”? That’s a new one.

–ruadh, Celtic Park season ticket holder

19

I thought it was a little odd, but figured it was something I knew little about… so it *was * weird, huh?

It was only her that was screaming it, not any of the other guys she was with. Maybe she thought it was cute? …but it was so loud and so resounding it is burned into my brain forever. The mere mention of the word “Celtic” and I suddenly hear, as if she were behind me: “COME ON, CELLY!” Erg, woman. My unconceived grandchildren can hear you.