Submitted by Jonathan Weber on the 2016 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice…
Growing up, one of my biggest dreams was to attend an Arsenal game in London. On January 9th, 2016 I finally got to experience that dream. Arsenal’s stadium is called Emirates Stadium and it is located out of North London. Watching Arsenal every week in America has always been one of my favorite hobbies which is why when the opportunity to study abroad in London came about I was eager to go and finally see what going to a soccer game is like. Arsenal games in the States usually occur on Saturday mornings and it is a challenge to wake up at early times to watch the games, but it is definitely worth it. On television, you can tell that the atmosphere is electric because throughout home games you can hear the many Arsenal chants being sung every single game. The morning of January 9th came around and we were assigned to go on a walking tour to learn about how modern surgery began in London. The tour was very fascinating, but all I could look ahead to was going to Emirates Stadium and finally living out a dream. The tour ended and we immediately took the train to the Arsenal stop which was conveniently called Arsenal. The train was filled with Arsenal fans and people were dressed in jerseys, scarves and hats and the train ride in was full of cheering fans who were just as eager as I was to get to the game. When we arrived at our seats prior to kickoff, the stadium was absolutely electric. Fans were singing Arsenal’s song “and it’s Arsenal, Arsenal FC…. We are the greatest team, the world has ever seen.” I was completely enamored with how electric this stadium was and was excited for the wonderful journey I was about to embark on. The game progressed and fans were loud even after Arsenal fell to a 1-0 disadvantage. Fans were singing consistently throughout the game and after attending each of the major sporting events in the United States this was certainly the best of them all. Arsenal went on to win the game (3-1) and the entire event flew by and this was one of the greatest days of my life. A couple of days later, Arsenal had another game against Liverpool and I decided to wear my Arsenal hat and scarf to class in London. As i was leaving for class, a few Liverpool fans happened to walk by me and yelled “Gunners Suck, Common Liverpool.” The comment was all in good faith and I had a huge laugh. After a while, I thought about what happened and I became perplexed by the situation. Liverpool play their games in Manchester while Arsenal play in London. The experience to me is comparable to if a Boston Red Sox fan came to New York City and started yelling the Yankees suck to a Yankees fan. The passion for soccer here is undeniable and it is definitely one of my favorite parts of Europe so far.
