Athens in Pieces: An Offering to the Soccer Gods

Just saying..... this article would have been a bit different - perhaps even a bit jubilant - after the past weekend's exploits of Liverpool and Mo Salah again Chelsea.

You'll never hear about hooliganism by Manchester City or Manchester United fans! There's a reason why those two sides are among the elite of the English sides, and in the world! Just watch them on the pitch, and their fans in the stands! Mancunian's forever!!!

The Stone was established as a venue to present philosophical thought to a mass audience. Thank goodness we have finished thoroughly discussing all of that and can now devote our attention to sports.

As a Manchester United fan, all I can say is “Come on City”

Hopefully, Tottenham Hotspur can help LFC this weekend with win V City.

A delightful piece... Greece as a locale for celebrating the international phenomenon of being a Liverpool fan. "Malaka" was a common epithet among the Greek guys I knew in college.

Am not a Liverpool supporter by any means at all. My heart broke for Everton in the first Derby this year. And a great memory for me is Joeleon Lescott staring down the Kop after scoring a late equalizer. However, it would be an achievement of note if the Reds can nose out City. The only problem would be the fact the author and his mates would never shut up about it for the next 20 years.

“An commonplace modern ritual” should be modified. May none of us ever walk alone.

Simon - Your column spoke to me. I know exactly what you feel. I'm a Barca fan and go through exactly the same motions, similar superstitions and feeling of joy when we win. Maybe our teams will meet in the SF of the CL this year. #ForcaBarca

And Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0 yesterday with Salah scoring a cracker. Not giving up till the fat lady sings. Also, "before retiring at age 46 to pursue his other passion, watching and talking about soccer." No wonder Greece is in such a mess

Found. a wonderful quote about over-the-top fans on the Guardian live blog of the game yesterday between Liverpool and Chelsea: “In answer to David Dein, just this,” begins Hubert O’Hearn. “Piers Morgan. Now, you were saying something about insufferable fans?” or this: ""I can only assume that no one remembers meeting a United fan during the peak Fergie years. ‘Insufferable’ barely scratches the surface." "Just let me go and get the popcorn." From across the pond, I don't experience these fans. But as long as they don't indulge in violence or any other kind of harm, it's OK with me. OTOH, outsize salaries for sports figures supported by large ticket prices and huge TV contracts are not helping the world comes to terms with income inequality or second-hand addictions. People used to play for fun, and they shouldn't need to be multimillionaires to perform.

Certainly an amazing experience and its good to see the Greeks keep it civil. I went to a QPR match while in London and after they missed an easy goal I heard the most foul mouthed rant I've ever heard in my life. Turn around and its a 12 year old kid, with a pint in hand! In fairness his father was quite upset - not at his language or the drinking, but because he wasn't hiding the pint very well and no one is allowed to drink in their seat during the match.

My Greek father programmed me to support LFC at a young age. Watching games with him in black and white on the BBC was the only thing that brought us together. Liverpool has a grand history as does Athens. Man City's late arrival on the scene was bought and paid for by oil riches. YNWA.

Liverpool is fine and dandy, but tell me this, Simon: Does it represent authentic Being towards death, chatter, or a condition of being with that's closer to the dynamic of mitsein?

Even in 2002 when I moved to New York City, it was hard to find soccer on TV. The only place where they showed the matches was at Nevada Smiths, a bar in the East Village. They had satellite dishes from which they could beam any match in Europe. On any given Saturday you could walk in there at 7am and find yourself surrounded by fans of a team like Marseille all decked out in scarfs, downing pints, intensely focused on the TV. It was special because we all felt we were part of the underground, members of a different church that no one else in the city knew about. Also, it being NYC, it was probably the only place in the world where fans of Barcelona and Real Madrid or Spurs and Arsenal could watch a match together. There was real camaraderie. But I am glad that soccer has now become a part of the U.S. sports fabric. These days I much prefer to watch the matches on a Saturday morning lying in bed, on my iPad, a cup of coffee in hand.

Don't count out Liverpool yet. And after Salah's amazing goal yesterday against Chelsea, forget all his missed goals. Only for someone of the talent of Salah would 19 goals at this point be considered an "off-year." And speaking of Liverpool - Chelsea: just a gorgeous match.

As a Manchester City fan, and no great friend of Liverpool F.C., I am afraid that, for the first time in decades, this may be your year. I will also say that yesterday's Anfield remembrance of the 1989 Hillsborough victims was moving for all of us.

I'm wondering if this "modern ritual" of avidly following sports teams departs from the purity of sports as practiced by the ancient Greeks [such as the original Olympic Games]. If so, what does that signify about our current culture and that of Ancient Greece.

Not an LFC supporter but do have some sympathy for them this year after Salah was intentionally injured in the CL Final last season. Having said that, I remember the year that LFC supporters argued that they were really the Prem champs, even though they had not finished firsts, because they had the best head-to-head record among the then Top 4. Then there was the year that they had the best record in the second half of one season, but did not finish first, and the best record in the first half of the next season, but did not finish first. So, they argued and argued and argued that they had been the best team in England for an entire calender year. In short, to be an LFC fan requires a certain willingness to have a fantasy life. They have not won the Prem for 28 years, BTW.

As a die-hard Liverpoo fan, and having lived in Egypt for several years as an ex-pat, I can say that the power soccer has to bridge language/cultural divides and get people talking who otherwise never would is remarkable. Knowing PL and La Liga teams is generally enough to connect, but its even better if you as the expat take in the local soccer scene too!

I'm an avid follower since 2009. This essay resonated with me as I watch every game no matter where I am in the world. I will often change my vacation plans to find the nearest supporters club. I live in Pasadena but I have been to LA, SF, Seattle, Vegas, Pittsburgh, Boston, Shanghai, London, and several bars in Liverpool. Always welcomed and frequently helped above and beyond (contact Jacques in Shanghai!). YNWA. PS .. was just in Athens during the the 1-1 MC game in January but my train was late so I didn't make it out to wee dram - went to a sports bar just south of acropolis. If I had gone to wee dram we probably would have won..

"...Wee Dram pub. It is a Scottish pub?" No kidding, Sherlock! And of course, recreation seems to be more essential the closer we are to modern "civilized" life. Critchley's account takes me back to days of early Liverpudlian glory. Nice shot, Simon! Another time, we might wonder what makes so many lives so dependent on recreation. Watching fans file towards the stadium on a Saturday, or standing among others in Wales shouting for Ireland--all massive, all healthy. But why does the entertainment industry--and sport is entertainment now--command so much time and money?

I'm a Liverpool supporter since 2002. I really appreciate this essay. It made me think of a special Liverpool supporter who, living Merseyside himself, supported me in developing a closer connection to the club--first, by directing me to the supporters club here in New York City, and later by hosting me on my first trip to Anfield in 2011. Michael Hinden, who passed away a few years back (and whose name I put here because I KNOW that someone else reading this will have known this wonderful person), took a friend and me to the match--a 5-0 thrashing we gave to Birmingham. I'll never forget what one of Michael's companions whispered to me as we walked toward the memorial honoring those who died in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster on our way toward the Anfield turnstiles: "Mate," he said. "Prepare to be reborn."

Having dragged family and friends to five world cups on four continents over 25 years, I can say that one amazing entry point for learning a little bit about local culture is a watch party. This could be a massive, sponsor-driven fan fest on Copacabana Beach, a biergarten on the outskirts of Munich, a sports pub on the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town or in front of a tiny TV in a family restaurant in Hvar Town after being informed there won't be any food service unless Croatia survives PKs against Russia. While it doesn't hurt to support the local side - the game, the national team and one's favorite club are all sources of shared interests and a common language. And it helps avoid conversations about politics - which have become a little awkward for American tourists of late.

I am a hopeless soccer addict and will watch any league in the world minus MLS (that's a rant for another day). Thanks to modern-day tech, I can choose from pretty much any major league and binge to my heart's content (my wife has yet to divorce me!). However, my passion is the Premier League where I am a hapless fan of Wolves, Arsenal, and Everton (though Wolves have been a joy this year!). Any watcher of the PL knows you can't back just one team. You need an elite team (Arsenal, debatable but back on the way up), a mid-level team, and one to root for who will reliably break your heart (that would be you, Swansea and Fulham). The whole human range of emotions but mostly a reliable joy!

European soccer is the greatest soap opera in the world. My greatest morning pleasure is reading the “gossip” section on the BBC soccer site. I went to college basketball games for more than 40 years, but it has become so hypocritically commercial that I gave it up. Oh, for the days of the student athlete. European club team games are way better than World Cup matches. Games like yesterday’s Liverpool/Chelsea match are mesmerizing, even if you are not rooting particularly for either team. It gets under your skin.