The Football Community

Although I've discussed the difficulty with which one follow the Premier League in the US, there are sometimes aspects of being in the minority which are quite nice.

Following a few Sunday games, I spent my day having drinks with some fellow football fanatics. Represented among us were Man U, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and of course, West Ham. It was great not only getting to know some of these other supporters, but in getting to have a drink with like minded people.

In England, as with much of the world, the scene from our local Premier League bar could never exist - supporters from a variety of sides, drinking together, laughing together, and watching hours of football without incident. Because of the scarcity of opportunities and locales at which to view our game, people who might otherwise brutalize each other act as friends. It's all very heartwarming.

As we stood there discussing different venues where Premier League is shown, I realized that we have an invaluable community here in Austin. All the difficulty we might normally have seeing the sport of our choice is partially alleviated by the fact that we have bonded together in many ways. I'll always laugh at the plight of someones team, especially Chelsea, when they lose, but part of me always likes how we seem to get along.