In elementary school gym class, I learned to dribble, pass, and shoot a soccer ball. When my children were in preschool, I helped coach their soccer teams, making sure we had enough juice boxes and orange slices for halftime. But like many Americans, my experience with the sport is limited — and I never developed into a fan.
In recent years, however, I’ve gained more exposure to European “football” by watching “Ted Lasso” and “Welcome to Wrexham.” I’ve seen how much passion it engenders — especially in England. So when my son, Tommy, spent the spring semester in London as part of his studies at Northeastern University, we made a plan: to attend our first Premier League game.
Longtime fans promised something unique. “The atmosphere at a Premier League game is superior in every way to professional sports in America,” said Bob Sturm , a Dallas sports radio host who’s taken friends to England to see games for the last 15 years. He argues US games draw disproportionate numbers of casual fans or expense account types.
“In the UK, you’ll find every seat is occupied, nobody is in the aisle or going to get beer [during play], and everybody stays off their phone to watch the match,” Sturm says. “It’s a really communal experience.” Advertisement For a first-timer, however, that experience can seem complicated.
There are customs that will seem alien to people used to visiting Fenway Park or Gillette Stadium, and we worried about feeling like imposter.