When a foreigner like me enters a far away country to learn and write about the sport, I couldn’t really be coming to a more suitable place. I’ve only been here 3 weeks but already I feel totally wrapped up in the passion of Mexican football. But I suppose it is to be expected – my only previous encounters of American football having been in Costa Rica, where a national park ranger station has all the very basic facilities, without forgetting the beautifully tended football pitch. And, not forgetting, the new ‘David Beckham League’ in the USA, but that, as we know is a different culture altogether.
I am from Newcastle, in the northeast of England, so naturally football is a large slice of my life. In comparison to the big cities like London or Guadalajara, my city only has one club, so all the inhabitants are big supporters of Newcastle United. So far in Mexico I’ve met fans of many different clubs; Chivas, Tecos, Atlas, Pachuca, Necaxa, Americas to name but a few, all of whom trying to persuade me that their team has the best players, the best fans, and that the other teams are inferior. Indeed, I am living in a divided household, half the reds of Chivas and the other half the yellows of America. That is the glory of football, that you can have a heated discussion with different people who do not share your opinions.
Last night, for example, I had an argument with a fan from Chelsea. For those of you who are not familiar with the English leagues, Chelsea is a London club who arguably have the best team in England, if not the world. However, a major factor in their surge to success was the take over of their owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. He has injected millions of dollars into buying new players so that Chelsea could have the best team. My argument is – how fair is this? Can we limit spending? And does that mean Chelsea is a ‘big club’? For me, temporary success and money aren’t the most important factors. Things like history, fans and stadiums are more important. She did not agree with me, but that is football. Football is all about opinions, and that’s why we love it. I hope that by living here I can form some of my own opinions about Mexican football, and I can’t wait to do so.
Nicky Bremner
