LIVE your LIFE: CELTIC Football! (August 29)

I love sports. And I love US sports. Games in the US usually consist of lots of food, alcohol, and lots of cheering when things get exciting. I really do enjoy our sports.

But there is nothing like a 'football' game in the UK! I think because it is really their only big sport to watch and support, EVERYONE watches and supports it. It's very cut-and-dry who your team is in Glasgow, and it's all based on religion/where you were raised. I happened to tag along as a Celtic fan. :)

So as I was saying, it's really their only sport. AND IT'S HUGE. The night of a game, there is a city-wide migration to the huge stadium that is nearly sold out. People have to go to bars beforehand if they want to drink, because there is no alcohol served at games. And food is minimal. That means that everyone is in their seats virtually the whole time...cheering, the whole time. THE WHOLE TIME. There was not a second I was at that game that I didn't hear cheering. I think that's the biggest difference I noticed. All eyes were on the game. One guy dribbles around another guy and THE CROWD GOES WILD. I'm talking wilder than our crowds would after a goal or touchdown. WILD. It was amazing. Not a single person wasn't decked out in green and white stripes (except for the tiny, tiny section of Swedish fans squished into one little section). Striped shirts, beanies, and everyone had a scarf. As I mentioned, there was cheering nonstop. They had SO many songs and chants and it was tons of fun. Sometimes I had no idea what was being said so I made up my own words. Other times, the ritual was obvious and I joined as we all stood up to face away from the field, put our arms around each other, and jump up and down and yell until whatever was going on ended. The ENTIRE stadium with their backs turned. It's just one of their things. And it was fun. Then for another song, everyone took off their scarves and held them above their heads, stretched out as they sang. I'm telling you, it was a blast. I have never been at a game where I felt like there was more of a community. And DO NOT even think about saying a word about the teams I support. DO NOT. Just enjoy the pretty pictures. :)