Nehaveigur

The first time I went to a hockey game – Anaheim Ducks versus LA Kings – I was surprised. Ice hockey is a violent sport, with frequent skirmishes among the players, and this game was no different. The atmosphere was different among the spectators. Fans of both teams sat next to each other, and there was no hostility beyond friendly teasing. We were able to buy beer, yet no-one was drunk. This wasn’t what I was used to from soccer games in England. There is no comparable phenomenon, and no comparably hard-edged culture, in the US. Here is an interview with Bill Buford, who lived with soccer hooligans in England in the 1980s.