Saturday afternoon at a football match

today i went with a good friend Deccy, to see the mighty (not so) Niigata Albirex football team. niigata are in the top division of the J league (well, near the bottom of the top division actually...kinda similar to the mighty (again, not so) sheffield united). man, it was such a weird experience. to start off, you can buy match tickets at the local 7/11 convenience stores, kinda like buying a sheff utd ticket from your local Spa shop. the niigata stadium is called The Big Swan (as its shaped like a swan from the air), its where ireland played cameroon, and england played denmark in the 2002 world cup. it was raining today, actually teeming down, and was freeeeezing!! anyway, japanese football is like nothing else, specifically, japanese fans are like nothing else. how can i describe it? well, for instance, there are loads of women, and old people. in niigata the north stand is crazy, they chant and chant and sing like nothing else, however, they all stop in unison, literally, they will all stop at exactly the same point, its freaky. in japan, the football is secondary, they all have soo much paraphenalia, ponchos, clappers, scarfs, everything. the problem however, is that everything is completely regimented, the chants, the clapping, its like some pre-rehearsed routine, which has nothing at all to do with whats going on on the pitch, they all chant at the same time, and clap when they are supposed to, but there is no spontaneity at all. when the game was on, i was doing the usual shouting and encouraging, but everyone just turned around and looked at me like i was some weirdo! its almost as if they are going through the motions, there is no passion about what is actually happening, its weird, and really hard to describe. in england, its all very natural and real, here, they are like dones/clones and polite ones at that, its just too ...oh i dont know, regimented, almost like they learned what to do and what to sing and chant, but not why. its completely different from english football, or any other football ive witnessed. anyway, japanese football itself is good to watch, they are very good at going forward, but hopeless in defense, i know this as ive played many games here in japan, and after what i saw today, its true. niigata were 2-0 in the 90th minute, and i was a tad disappointed that i didnt see niigata score, at least to see what they did, however, they scored with the last kick of the ball, and again was weird, there seemed to be no real delight, again, just regimented cheering. it was a great great experience today, but very weird. i miss going to see sheffield united, truly i do, i miss the buzz, the singing, the atmosphere. kinda cruel that we get into the premiership for the first time in 14 years and i miss it, even in malaysia you were bombarded by english football on tv. ooh to be in bramall lane with my brother, with a non descript 'meat' pie and a cup of bovril singing 'the chip butty song'....