As the NFL is approaching the end of another season, we felt it was a brilliant time to provide some insight on our “football” experience here in Scotland. For starters and as most of you know, soccer is called Football here. In fact, there has been only one occasion where we have seen kids practicing American football, and we think that was on the grounds of an American School! Since our move, we have attended two matches of our hometown Aberdeen Dons. The first was against Kilmarnock, a smaller city team, and the other was against the Hearts, a better-known Scottish team from Edinburgh. Aberdeen plays within the Scottish Premier League and generally doesn’t mingle with the English Premier league. That being said, it needs to be mentioned that Aberdeen just beat Celtic yesterday (4-2) which was quite an upset.
In the event that you catch a football match on the tele, or make it to a game when you visit, we want to make sure you are prepared for what to expect.
1) Although English is spoken here, several words are different in the football world. The following list includes the American English word followed by the U.K English word
Field = Pitch
Schedule = Fixtures
Equipment = Kits
Receiving a yellow/red card = Getting booked
2) If you are attending a match, it is important to wear the appropriate colors or team scarf. The picture below shows us decked out to support our Aberdeen Dons. If you are not adequately showing your home support, you may not be able to enter pubs before / after the match and you may get yelled at on the streets!
3) Once you arrive at the stadium, take note of a few basic rules and expectations of crowd behavior.
3) Upon entering, should you fail to convince the ticket agents and security that you are a home supporter, you will be forced to sit in the visitor section pictured below. Note the high security fence that separates you from other spectators as well as the police every three feet to monitor your behavior.
4) Lastly, expect to be on your feet and chanting for the majority of the game. We found that there is a chant for absolutely everything and that most are not PG rated. Apparently, chants that use profanity directed at the opposing team are accepted and encouraged. Parents and wee-ones don’t seem to be bothered or surprised. We do have a couple recorded, but will not be including them on the blog!
The home stadium of the Aberdeen Dons is Pittordrie. It is located right on the ocean and has an open view to the city skyline.
Cheers!
In the event that you catch a football match on the tele, or make it to a game when you visit, we want to make sure you are prepared for what to expect.
1) Although English is spoken here, several words are different in the football world. The following list includes the American English word followed by the U.K English word
Field = Pitch
Schedule = Fixtures
Equipment = Kits
Receiving a yellow/red card = Getting booked
2) If you are attending a match, it is important to wear the appropriate colors or team scarf. The picture below shows us decked out to support our Aberdeen Dons. If you are not adequately showing your home support, you may not be able to enter pubs before / after the match and you may get yelled at on the streets!
3) Once you arrive at the stadium, take note of a few basic rules and expectations of crowd behavior.
3) Upon entering, should you fail to convince the ticket agents and security that you are a home supporter, you will be forced to sit in the visitor section pictured below. Note the high security fence that separates you from other spectators as well as the police every three feet to monitor your behavior.
4) Lastly, expect to be on your feet and chanting for the majority of the game. We found that there is a chant for absolutely everything and that most are not PG rated. Apparently, chants that use profanity directed at the opposing team are accepted and encouraged. Parents and wee-ones don’t seem to be bothered or surprised. We do have a couple recorded, but will not be including them on the blog!
The home stadium of the Aberdeen Dons is Pittordrie. It is located right on the ocean and has an open view to the city skyline.
Cheers!
