Some Upcoming Fun

Those of you might know that soccer is big in the UK. They have multiple divisions and the top division is the Premier league with Russian Oligarchs buying teams and lavishing tons of money on them (and still only getting second place). I’m not sure how it compares to the prices spent on professional sports in the US, but it’s damn close.

Anyhoo, with these crazy prices paid for players and 80,000 seat stadiums, come crazy ticket prices. And yet somehow, the demand is still absurd. The point is, it’s hard to get tickets to these games and, if you have the opportunity, it’ll cost you. Now, I live about 15 minutes from one of the top teams in the Premier League, Arsenal (they’re in 4th in the league at the moment). They recently moved into a gigantic new stadium which is very imposing when you stumble upon it. Now, I had no illusions that I would ever see a Premier league match. But luck threw me a very generous bone. One of the employees from the company I’m migrated got to talking to me and, when he found out I lived in Highbury (home of Arsenal), he commented on how that’s the home of the best team in the world and that he had season tickets. And he said that if he had a match he couldn’t attend, he would happily give me a ticket. I thought that was very generous but, with the season almost over, wasn’t expecting too much.

Well, this week he comes by and says ‘are you free this weekend’? I say sure and he offers me a ticket for the match this Sunday! Pretty cool. Alas, he was supposed to bring the ticket to work today and forgot, so we’re hopgully going to meet up sometime on Sunday and make a ticket exchange. So hopefully I’ll have an Arsenal ticket pretty soon. If so, expect pictures and stories. I plan on head-butting some hooligans (Mom, I swear I won’t). If not, I’ll bitch and moan about not being able to see a football match this season. 🙂

8 Responses to “Some Upcoming Fun”

  1. melissa k. Says:

    1. have fun

    2. i hate you

    3. okay, so maybe i’m just jealous

    4. maybe there’ll be a double-header with some Mexican teams??? hehehe

  2. matt Says:

    Hi Melissa K!

    1. I hope I do
    2. Ah the jealousy is palatable
    3. See #2
    4. As long as I can get drunk and fight with some hooligans, it’ll make up for a lack of a mexican double header 🙂

  3. anne Says:

    Bart: You’re watching PBS?
    Homer: Hey, I’m as surprised as you, but I stumbled across the
    most delicious British sitcom.
    [the title of the show appears on the screen]
    Bart: [reading it] “Do Shut Up”?
    Homer: It’s about a hard-drinking yet loving family of soccer
    hooligans. If they’re not having a go with the birds,
    they’re having a row with the wankers.
    Bart: Cheeky.

  4. Stephanie Says:

    have a super-fun time! not just a fun time, mind you, but super-fun! 🙂

  5. Melissa T. Says:

    Have fun- we are so jealous. Say hi to Thierry Henry for me. Give him a big kiss.

  6. matt Says:

    Mmmmm…Cheeky. that Simpsons reference put a smile on my face.

    I will most definitely have a super-fun time. As long as I get the ticket (gulp!). Here’s hoping the guy comes through for me tomorrow before the match and we can arrange a drop-off. I think he’s a little nervous because it’s not really a ticket, but a smart-card for the holder and he’s got one more game the following week — Arsenal v. Chelsea which is a huge game. So I think he’s afraid I’ll lose it or something (never!)

    Since Henry is out for the season, maybe I’ll be sitting next to him. hee hee.

  7. Melissa T. Says:

    BTW- who is Melissa K? I used to be Melissa K.

  8. matt Says:

    It is you. A digital version of your past self floating around the internets to haunt you (ok, it’s actually my friend Melissa Kohn in Boston).

    Football match was good and my internet at home is allegedly up. When I get home tonight, I’ll bombard the blog with lots of postings! woo hoo!