I'm no Sloaney Pony, part 1 of at least 2

Learned some interesting things about soccer/football the other day.

Did you know that football isn't offered as a sport at most of England's public schools? And did you know that what they call public schools here we call private schools in the U.S.? Public (fee-based) schools are much more likely to exclusively play rugby and cricket, whereas football is the sport of choice at State (no fee) schools.

So it turns out that football is a class sport here. The poor play and the rich watch. Sounds a lot like college (American) football and basketball in the U.S. And the NFL and NBA too.

But it hasn't always been that way. Years ago football was a blue-collar sport from a fan perspective as well -- the marginalized played and the marginalized watched. Hooliganism became rampant and eventually government intervened, collaborating with police and the clubs themselves to make games safe and family friendly. Hooligans were banned from the grounds and disciplined harshly. Ticket costs rose accordingly as the English Premier League grew in reputation as a world class league. Today games are attended by families, ticket prices are more expensive than American football tickets (and they play about 10x as many games), and you don't hear much about hooliganism in England. Or so I thought.

A few weeks ago Chelsea and Tottenham played in the FA Cup (an English tournament that involves all teams across all leagues and lasts for several months). After the game, hooligan supporters of both clubs met in front of a bar in Chelsea -- a really chic one, referred to as the Sloaney Pony to those who wouldn't (or can't afford to) pay more than 4 quid for a pint, or who just don't like rich/fashionable/upwardly mobile people and places for other reasons. And they brought homemade weapons (bats, chains, pieces of wood with nails sticking out, hockey sticks) and they fought. In all, 7 people were hospitalized and more than 30 were arrested. The trendy inhabitants of the bar were terrified.

Did anyone else see this coming? The disenfranchised (in this case the club's staunchest supporters) didn't just go away like everyone hoped they would. Sure, some of them have written tell-all books about their lives as hooligans and reformed. But some also came back and started a fight in their former backyard. Chelsea used to be known to have one of the most vicious firms (English slang for gang, specifically with regards to football clubs), now they're probably the most cosmopolitan of all the teams in England.

Tottenham is another London club whose supporters have always had a reason to fight -- their fans are referred to disaffectionately as the Yids (north central London where Tottenham is based was primarily a Jewish neighborhood when the club formed), and opposing fans (even the family-friendly ones of current day) often make hissing noises to imitate the sound of a gas chamber as a cheer.

Sounds like a big mess, I know. More to come in part 2, including the reason I'm an Arsenal fan.

Please if you know anyone who can get me tickets to a game (any game), let me know.