"Surely now Elland Road would fall silent. No chance. Like their fans, Leeds refused to go quietly." Henry Winter, Telegraph
Having been brought up in an atmosphere of football since the age of 3, when i attended Elland Road for the first time, i have often found myself craving the exhilaration, excitement and adrenaline rush that comes from belonging to a crowd. Leeds fans have always had the reputation of being a noisy bunch but have never felt the need for drums or vuvuzela's to intimidate the opposition. Aside from the football crowd I also used to get my kicks from going to gigs nearly ever week between the ages of 13 and 17 and still on a fairly frequent level now I am 19. The drive of a crowd, desperate for a favourite song to be played and just becoming entranced by the music, nothing existing outside of that room. I relate this feeling between both music and sport, when watching it live, i can switch off completely and not worry about "the thing that I forgot to do last Thursday", because at that moment, it doesn't matter.
My point here then is that despite placing me in an obsessed tranquil state of jubilation and (being a Leeds fan) often frustration why would i want to snap out of it to listen to Lady Gaga cheering on the boys?
Imagine the scene, Messi has just waltzed through Manchester United's entire midfield and defence and then lays the ball back for Iniesta to smash home a last minute winner in the Champions League final, and the next thing you see are thousands of Barcelona fans stepping side to side in a perfect routine of Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Granted it would be a sight for sore eyes but it is all too co-ordinated and structured rather than the pure chaos that proceeds a last gasp winner or equaliser (See Leeds fans celebrations of Adam Clayton's stoppage time winner against West Ham for how it should be done). So i am talking to the Wigan's and Norwich's of today to say "please don't press play." Americanisation and capitalism is already running our game. In cricket it is fine, Rugby it seems is already to far gone to be saved, but football still has a chance. If not, I fear that before too long this brainwashing advertising will feature in everything. How long will it be before players receive sponsorship money to re-inact Beyonce's new dance routine after a 20 yard screamer, or every player has their own theme tune song to be substituted to. Everyday the game is being taken away from the working classes and commercialisation is pumped through the tannoy, so i ask the sport and music gods to please, please, leave us our wild, jubilant, ecstatic and chaotic scenes of celebration, untouched and pure as they were always intended to be. Let the screams of joy sound into the air without a backing track!
Slainte
Carlisle fans showing how it should be done
