An English Football League Match: Reading FC v. Mansfield Town
When arriving to the UK I was not expecting to be overwhelmed by their love for sport. Coming from a country (New Zealand) who are relatively involved in many areas of sport I thought I would slot right in. However, when I discovered the Brits love for football, I knew I was in for a treat! In our first few weeks, when Helen sent an email which told us about the local Reading FC vs Mansfield game, it was an easy ‘let’s go’.
On October 4th, my fellow flatmates and I, whom all were also study abroad students made the journey to Select Car Leasing Stadium, each making sure we had a little bit of blue on us to show support. Two bus rides later we had arrived. I was immediately blown away at the size of the stadium; it had such a large capacity. The purple turtle stage was a cute nod to the popular bar, so we stood there and watched local artists for a while. A short trek to our seats later and we were parked up for the next 90 minutes.
The atmosphere at the stadium was amazing to be a part of, and it didn’t take long to see just how passionate the fans were. Reading scored first, which brought a big burst of excitement through the crowd. Mansfield later matched it, making the final score 1–1. Even though I’m not usually a football person, I found myself really enjoying the match and getting caught up in the energy around me.
Once the game had concluded, a quick sausage roll and hot chocolate to warm-up was needed and we headed back to our hall with a wonderful memory of our first football match here in Reading! Overall, it was a fun introduction to British football culture and a great way to spend the afternoon with my flatmates. I look forward to going again!
Up the Ding!
Incoming Student
