If you’re an avid fan of sport in Scotland, I’m sure you have at one point wondered what games are like in other countries. Having been a football fan for about 14 years, my semester abroad in Canada has given me a great opportunity to sample sports on the other side of the Atlantic. From ice hockey to American football to ‘soccer’, I’ve had the pleasure of seeing it all. So here are my top four differences as a spectator…
THE CHANTS ARE AS BAD AS ADVERTISED
The stereotypes of North American sports chants are unfortunately all true. I’ve heard the classic ‘ref you suck’ so many times that it now haunts me in my sleep. The lack of bad language is actually rather disappointing, as it’s what I’m used to week in week out back home. You would think that the plentiful supply of beer would help loosen fans up, but that just doesn’t seem to work. Someone needs to teach the Canadians how to sing properly, although I can assure you that it won’t be me.
FAMILY FRIENDLY FUN
Unlike most sports in Scotland, Canadian events are very family orientated, with plenty to keep parents and kids occupied. For the younger generation, there are mascots and other fun activities to do around the arena, while inside there are the classic dance cams and other things of that variety. It is a long way from Scotland where kids are dragged to games in the pouring rain with little to no entertainment except for what is in front of them. Perhaps sports back home would be more of a family affair and would boost crowd numbers if there was more to do, and there are lessons to be learned from Canada.
TRANSPORT IS ACTUALLY HELPFUL
Let’s be honest, Scottish public transport really isn’t the best when you’re trying to get to big sporting events, Scotrail being the obvious people to point the finger at. In Canada however, it is a completely different situation. Transport services pride themselves on putting on a good service to help fans get to and from events quickly. Take Ottawa Senators hockey games for instance; it could not be easier to get to and from games. The local bus service has specially dedicated bus services before and after the game that only stop at certain places, meaning you can be back in downtown Ottawa around 30 minutes after the game ends… even though the stadium isn’t even in the city.
NO SHORTAGE OF OPTIONS
For avid sports fans in Scotland, there are not many options of games and events throughout the week, as usually most are held at the weekend. This is a different story in Canada, especially with NHL hockey games. Each team plays over 80 games during a season, meaning they can play up to three times a week. This gives Canadians the ability to go to games every few days, keeping them interested and wanting more. This does have its drawbacks as tickets cost a minimum of $35 per game. However, the whole affair lasts around three hours each night, so you do get good value for money.
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