The Modern Religion

          Today, i will be talking about how football is significant in the United Kingdom, and how the British culture has influenced my perspective of the sport. Do you have any sports you are passionate for?

Britain and football

          In Myanmar, boys and men mostly play football and the game stops at full-time whistle. However, in the UK, it is a completely different case where football is as influential(and controversial) as religions, and off-field drama is ever present. Men and women, young or old, and even children love the game, and this doesn't stop on the pitch or TV games. They would sing songs of the old to celebrate their teams (below is a video i recorded during the Celtic's famous treble treble for a taste)! People would travel thousands of miles from the Great Britain to great distances like Azerbaijan to watch their local club play. Monday morning talks usually concerns the games played during the weekend and banters among colleagues are ever humorous and I believe this game keeps different people closer. 

Fan culture

         Burmese people(including me) wouldn't spend a nickel to watch their local clubs play for apparent reasons. In the UK, people would pay ludicrous amounts of money to watch their favorite football teams play in weekends.  Sometimes, rivalries between clubs can sometimes go to extreme extents where players go into clashes on the pitch and fans outside. As a student in Glasgow, it's common sense to avoid wearing royal blue shirts, or green-and-white stripes during the weekends especially when the Old Firm Derby is on. This is because it is not unusual to read local news of group fights, homicides, etc., between Ranger and Celtic fans, and you just don't want to be sandwiched between them. This is not only common in Scotland, but also in England where some of the world football's biggest rivalries exists.

Fan fights, England

On cloud nine

Emirates Stadium, London

          As obvious as it can get, many friends who know me can only tell that I am a die-hard football fan. One of the main reasons i decided to study in UK is to visit the football club I have supported since 9 years old(parents don't know yet). On the day i did, I wept for joy on the first sight of the Emirates football stadium of Arsenal football club in North London. Although i was the newest person in the area, for some reason, it felt just like home. To this day, I can still feel the evening breeze around the stadium and picture people jogging around it. No doubt, one of the best day of my life.

       So this blog talks about how important football is in the UK, and how British people are crazy about it. Are there any sports more famous than football in your area?