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50 / 50 Football Match ™/ Text / Alpha, Rita, Daniel and Nicholas / Pics / Coutersy Of Devle 25th January 2008 We at The Cut have often wondered if young men and women view sport differently. So in the first of a regular series we sent four of our team – Alpha, Rita, Daniel and Nicholas – to the recent Coca Cola Championship match between Queens Park Rangers and Barnsley at the West London club’s Loftus Road home. We chose the match because Premiership club prices are often out of the reach of most young people and word has it that a warmer welcome is extended in the lower leagues. Here is what they had to say: Men ™/ Thiers Views On The Match Daniel What was it like going to the stadium? Firstly, it was long… because we didn’t know the way to get there. But just approaching the place, the atmosphere was pretty live and intensified. Have you ever been to a football match? No, this is my first one Did you enjoy it? Any bad experiences? I did enjoy it, the whole atmosphere and the actual playing of the game, especially QPR - they had a lot of good techniques, good passing of the ball and good team work. As for bad experiences, there were the odd couple of kids cussing at each other in the background, but I found it kinda funny. The most annoying thing was the length, like the first half was good - you know when they scored the goals and stuff – but after 90 minutes it started to get a bit boring. What made you want to go to this football match? I’m already a sporty person and I love football. To go to a live football match and can see how they play in the flesh is great and I would like to incorporate what I saw into the way I play. How did it feel attending the game as a young man? I felt privileged to be there and totally accepted because I felt like one of the fans. I was able to take something from the players and this excited me the most. It was a learning experience going there. Nicholas What was it like going to the stadium? As I’m not a QPR fan, experiencing a championship match is something I was really looking forward to. Even though it was dominated by the white supporters, I felt like I was part of the family, and I was a QPR fan for those few hours. Have you ever been to a football match? Yeah, I have: Arsenal, they are the best football team in England! Emirates stadium has the best atmosphere. Did you enjoy it? I thought it was absolutely marvellous, the atmosphere was great. I thought I was welcomed by the fans, I felt like I was part of the team and when they scored I celebrated with them. The only bad thing was that the food was really expensive. What made you want to go to this particular football match? Well firstly, I wanted to see the difference between the premiership and the championship. The championship is a league lower than the premiership, so I wanted to see the difference in those two. Also, I just wanted to see how QPR would play. How did it feel attending the game as young man? At the time I felt mature, but as you know during the match, you can get a bit excited when the team you want to win scores. So I was a bit over excited when the goals went in. Women ™/ Thiers Views On The Match Rita What was it like going to the stadium? It was cold but, as we got out of the train station, the atmosphere was buzzing – from police horses to QPR T-shirt clad football supporters, all heading in one direction. Not being a football fan myself, and a resident of North West London, I didn’t know how to get to the stadium. What made me laugh was after asking several police officers for directions who also didn’t know where the stadium was. I popped into a local shop, and on asking the shop keeper where the famous QPR stadium was, with a mixture of disappointment and shock on his face he said, “Where did you come from, Mars or Newcastle or something?” as though I was meant to know exactly where it was. Have you ever been to a football match besides this one? No, never. Did you enjoy this football match? Why? Yes, I really enjoyed this match, especially because it gave me a real insight into football - from the skills of the players, the atmosphere, and right down to the reasons why millions of people love the game. QPR’s goal in the first fiveminutes of the game was my first real live experience of a match score - the buzz in the stadium coupled with the anxiety was so addictive, I even jumped up in excitement unconsciously and then found myself sitting at the edge of my seat every time I thought they were close to scoring again. Alpha What was it like going to the stadium? It was alright. It was smaller than I expected. I liked the atmosphere, I liked the fans and how they were all united. Have you ever been to a football match? No, this was my first one. Did you enjoy it? Yeah, it was quite funny. All the younger kids in the background were swearing and cussing each other out. But besidesthat, I really liked the atmosphere, especially when QPR scored a goal. Everyone would cheer, and when you’re in thatkind of environment it feels like we’re all one. It was cool. What made you to go to this football match? Because I was invited by Rita, and I thought it would be a good experience. How did it feel attending the game as a young woman? I expected to be the only girl there. I didn’t expect there to be a lot of women. But where we were sitting especially, therewere a lot of women. There were quite a lot of kids as well. 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