On a cold and windy Tuesday night, we all joined the Amber Army. Everyone went to go see Cambridge United Football Club play. Their colors are amber and black, and their supporters are called the Amber Army. Even though we’ve only lived in Cambridge for a few months, we jumped right into the action just as if we’ve always lived been here.
It was a fantastic experience to get to go to an English sporting event. First of all, I love football (or soccer, if you prefer). I was a manager for the girls’ soccer team in high school, and took stats for all of their games, which means that I understand what’s going on, and I enjoy it. Second of all, I am a big sports fan, and have missed the sports in the United States. It was nice to get to go to a sporting event again and cheer on a team.
In football, there are different levels of play. The ranking system is comparable to that of baseball. In baseball, there are the Major Leagues, AAA leagues, AA leagues, and so on. In England, there are different levels. Cambridge United is a Level Four team, which is lower down on the scale. That meant that the stadium was smaller, the game was much more low key, and we got to sit one row up from the field. The smaller scale definitely made the game much more intimate because we were so close to all the action, and so tightly packed with all of the other spectators.
The football culture in England is like a cult. Football is the new religion of England. Everyone goes to games, and everyone is a fan. The English take their football very seriously. The fans are way more vocal than they are in the United States. They chant cheers constantly, sometimes even chanting back and forth with the opposing team’s fans. There was a drum that was drumming out a beat from time to time, and at one point, I think people were singing. None of us knew any of the chants, but we quickly picked it up. Cambridge United ended up losing the game 2-1, but I would say that the overall experience was a success.
Tomorrow, we all head off to Spain and Italy for our second break! We’re headed to Barcelona, Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. When we get back, I’m sure I’ll have lots to say about the things that we did!
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