Having watched hundreds of games, written dozens of articles about the sport and sat in a plethora of stadiums to cheer on a vast array of different teams, I consider myself a football fan. It is, without much competition, my favourite sport.
But here, in Canada, football is no longer familiar to me.
As a student from England who is here at UBC on international exchange, the whole concept of calling a sport “football” that does not involve kicking a spherical ball is alien to me.
In North America, from June through February, American football — whether it’s the race for the Super Bowl or the Grey Cup — brings people together. The population assembles to host watch parties, create fantasy leagues and even travel around the country to watch games.
Even at the university level, an event like the homecoming game is a cornerstone of student life. With thousands flocking to Thunderbird Stadium, the campus avidly supports their team, christening the beginning of a new school year with a football game.
To the vast majority of students here at UBC, this is normal. Just not to me.
The UK is currently floundering as a football nation — at least in the North American understanding of “football.” The game struggles to compete for attention and support with dominant sports like what Canadians would call “soccer” and rugby, and with limited pathways for progression, the sport remains strictly amateur at the top level.
Because of this, my experience is very limited. I cannot fathom the rules or begin to understand the intricate elements of the sport that captivates millions.
However, there’s a reason why I’m here in Vancouver. I want to learn about the culture, particularly in a sporting context, of the people in this part of the world. Desperate to immerse myself in this phenomenon, I went along to the Thunderbirds’ homecoming game against the University of Calgary Dinos to finally learn about this sport for myself.
In North America, football games are famous for being a spectacle. Whether it be Kansas City Chiefs fans breaking the world record for the loudest crowd roar at 142.2 decibels, or Seattle Seahawks fans causing multiple earthquakes by jumping around in the stands, teams across the continent are internationally renowned for their ability to generate an atmosphere and maintain support.
The giant yellow banner that has been strewn across Main Mall for weeks made it obvious to me that the Homecoming game would be no different. That feeling continued, as throughout the street party which preluded the game, the sense of anticipation was growing, with students, alumni, family members and UBC supporters alike joining the march to the stadium.
Once seated, the feeling of expectation emanated from the stands, as the Thunderbirds were welcomed onto the field to rapturous applause from the home crowd. The noise continued to grow louder, with drums, vuvuzelas, bells and even buckets being played by the crowd, and celebrations erupted when the T-Birds opened the scoring early on.
There were some aspects of the fan experience that confused me, including the loud music pumped through the speakers between each play with the DJ regularly turning up the volume.
I’m used to the crowd assuming the responsibility of generating an atmosphere for themselves — but judging by the reaction from the stands, I suppose this is the norm in Canada.
In spite of the hold-ups I had about the music, Thunderbird Stadium was bouncing throughout the game. With a last-minute UBC comeback and a field goal miss by the Dinos to hand the T-Birds victory, the tension was heightened inside the stadium. It was easy to get caught up and swept away in the chaos and drama.
While the raucous atmosphere generated by the crowd absolutely enhanced my experience, there were many quirks of the game that were somewhat of a barrier to entry for me.
Overseas, the game has a reputation of having inconsistent pacing — with plenty of stops and starts — taking a long time to complete. The homecoming game definitely lived up to the stereotypes, with regular breaks for timeouts, penalties and a plethora of miscellaneous other stoppages adding to the length of the game.
However, after experiencing it myself, I was able to enjoy the stoppages as part of the spectacle — adding to the charm of the event. Frequent fan interaction from the stadium staff made the breaks fly by, and although it was three hours between kickoff and the final whistle, the match felt much shorter.
Another barrier preventing many, like me, from following football is a simple lack of comprehension of the sport. The rules and terminology are convoluted, meaning at the start of games I regularly just sit there — confused.
This is a feeling I know very well.
I have been in Canada for a month now, and throughout my time here, there have been many points when I have had to sit there, reluctantly accepting confusion.
From the time I had to watch in silence while my class chuckled at a joke because I didn’t understand the reference to a Canadian fast food chain, to being baffled by drivers turning right at a red light, there have been moments when I have felt like an outsider.
It's the little stories that can make you feel like you don’t belong, and there have been times when I almost wished I was back home.
Yet, while it is daunting to be faced with unfamiliar surroundings, perhaps I can learn something from my homecoming experience.
While I initially didn’t understand how the sport worked and what the rules were, slowly but surely, the repetition of the game meant they eventually became self-explanatory.
I may not have been able to flawlessly describe the action in front of me, but I was able to join in with the cheers and celebrations whenever UBC enjoyed success on the field.
As I found myself rising in applause and roaring with the rest of the stands to celebrate the Thunderbirds’ victory, it became clear — I had finally grasped an understanding of the sport that had previously eluded me.
Maybe this is the story of my exchange. A confusing and entertaining experience that, at times, feels wrong, but through the chaos, uncertainty and misunderstanding, becomes something I can learn to embrace.
