It’s true that New Zealand is rugby mad, we are world famous it; but I believe New Zealand’s passion for rugby is nothing compared to Britain’s fanatical obsession over football. Anyone you ask, from children, to little old ladies have a team of choice who they support passionately; blood is literally spilled between supporters of opposing teams regularly, tickets to Premiership games cost at least £100, and they still sell out entire stadiums seating tens of thousands. An Arsenal season ticket will cost you in the vicinity of £2,000, and that’s just for the home games.
Admittedly, I do enjoy a match of football, but don’t really have a ‘team’, so much. If pushed I’ll say I support Chelsea, because it seems to me, if I have to pick a team, why not pick one that’s good and it looks like they might win something? Inevitably though, this response usually gets a scornful reception, apparently it seems, simply supporting the winning team is not the English way of choosing an allegiance.
On occasion, when I do watch a match, I generally like to do so down the pub with a Guinness in hand, and have never felt compelled to part with a couple of hundred pounds to see a match in the flesh; however my newest flatmate managed to borrow two season passes for the Arsenal vs Blackburn the other week.
The seats were amazing, we were in row four, in front of the press boxes, and almost close enough to touch the grass. The game itself, a nil all draw, was great to watch, although, of course, a few goals would have made it a lot more exciting!
