Rob: Hello and welcome. It’s just me this week. Adam’s on holiday – lucky him. But don’t worry – he’ll be back next time. Now, thank you for writing with your stories about your first job. I loved them. I think they’re the best we’ve had so far. And it’s really interesting to find out more about you. And what an educated lot of people you are too. We’ve got dentists like Lella in Lebanon, and some teachers like Sirjoe and Angesca in Italy. And Ali Reza and TKazerooni in Iran are teachers too. And so many different stories as well. I liked Rasa’s story of using the first money she earned in Lithuania to go and see the sea. And Mac in Hong Kong gave his first salary to his mum. And do you know what, Mac? That’s exactly what I did too. So thanks again for your answers. I hope we hear as many interesting stories this time. Remember, you can write to us at the website: www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish and on Facebook look for Elementary podcasts. Now it’s time to listen to Tess and Ravi. They’re talking about something British, as usual. But this time, it’s not such good news.
Ravi: Hello again from me, Ravi
Tess: And from me, Tess. We’re here again to talk about some of the things you think you know about Britain.
Ravi: Things like ‘drinking tea’ and ‘fish and chips’ – but not everything you think about Britain is nice and positive and today we’re going to talk about something lots of you mentioned – football hooligans.
Tess: You’re a football fan, Ravi. Are you a football hooligan?
Ravi: You know, Tess, people often ask me that – people from other countries I mean.
Tess: You, a hooligan? I don’t think so.
Ravi: I know, I know. But people sometimes think that being a football fan in England means you must be a hooligan – fighting and causing trouble and stuff.
Tess: That’s a bit strange. Why do they think that?
Ravi: Well, there was a problem here – about thirty years ago – in the nineteen seventies and nineteen eighties there was a lot of trouble and fighting and stuff . There were a couple of really bad incidents that were in the news all over the world – that’s why people sometimes think – ‘Ah, English football - hooligans’. But for the last twenty years or so it really isn’t a problem.
Tess: So why do people still think that English football fans are hooligans? {laughs} I really can’t imagine anyone thinking of you as a football hooligan, Ravi.
Ravi: Alright, Tess, you’ve already said that. I guess when you’ve got a bad reputation – like English football fans – it’s difficult to change people’s minds.
Tess: So it isn’t dangerous to go to a football match?
Ravi: Come on, Tess, you know it isn’t. You should go to a game. There are lots of women and children at matches and the new football stadiums are great – comfortable seats, great views, good food – it’s nothing like it was twenty years ago. It’s a family thing these days.
Tess: But most fans at the stadium are men, aren’t they?
Ravi: Yeah, most of the fans are men but about twenty per cent are women.
Tess: How do you know that?
Ravi: I looked it up on the internet. More and more women are going to football matches. I sometimes take my niece.
Tess: Ah, that’s nice. How old is she?
Ravi: She’s nine. She’s really into football – loves it.
Tess: Ah. So there’s never any sort of crowd trouble or anything? Don’t they have a lot of police at football matches?
Ravi: Not really, not these days. I don’t think you can say there’s no trouble at all but not in the stadium – I always feel perfectly safe there. Why don’t you come to a match with me? I’ll try to get tickets for the game next Saturday. What do you say?
Tess: Well … yeah, OK, why not? I don’t know anything about football though.
Ravi: That’s OK.
Tess: And … well, what if people think you’re a hooligan, Ravi?
Ravi: Stop it.
Rob: So, what do you think? Did you think English football fans are hooligans? Like Ravi, I’m a football fan. And people often ask me if all football fans in England are hooligans. And of course, my answer is “They’re not.”
English football seems to be really popular all over the world. My team are Aston Villa and they’re probably not as famous as some other teams in England like Manchester United or Chelsea or Liverpool. How about football teams in your country? Do you support a team? Let us know which one. And tell us about football fans in your country too. What do they do?
And if you don’t like football – and I know a lot of people don’t – write and tell us why not. Remember you can write to us at www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish and on Facebook. Look for Elementary Podcasts.
Before I go, a quick word about some of the things Tess and Ravi talked about when they talked about football. Ravi talked about stadiums – the places where football matches are played. We talk about a football match between two teams. I’m sure you know more football words like score a goal for example. In fact, the British Council has a website all about football and English. It’s called Premier Skills. I’ll give you the address for that. It’s www.britishcouncil.org/premierskills.
One more thing. Listen to this:
Man: More and more women are going to football matches. I sometimes take my niece.
Rob: 'More and more women.' 'More and more people.' Why are there two 'more's? Well, just because. We do this quite often in English. 'Lots and lots of people go to football matches. London is getting bigger and bigger. Prices seem to be going up and up.' It's quite nice, isn't it?
Well, that's it for this week. Remember to write to us via the LearnEnglish website, or Facebook. Adam and I will be back next time and we'll be here with Carolina. And the question is: will she have a new job? Find out next time. Bye!
Comments
yourwelcome
hi dear British Council team.
I listen to the British Council´s elementary podcasts on my mobile, and I realice that the series three episode five does not end the same as in computer. Into my mobile device there is an explanation about why there are two "mores" and so make the task five.
Regards
Hello anaisavecas,
I'm sorry about this, and we thank you for pointing out this discrepancy to us. I'll check with our mobile team and we'll fix this as soon as we can. In the meantime, I suppose the best thing to do would be to just continue.
Thanks again.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Well, I don't really like football. Maybe I am a girl so it is quite boring to me. Al, people of the team try to chase a small ball. I hate watching football match but it would be happier to play one. I don't like watching it but I love playing it. This kind of sports help me a lot, I can work with many people and learn many social skills which are very necessary for me in the future.
I began watch the football game at stadium since 1994, I stopped on 2003 when I saw a lot of violent, especially between two teams of the same city, I decided to watch theme just on TV more quiet more security and I can choose which game football champions I see.
My name is Santiago and i'm from Uruguay. You know the football is our principal sport. It's no so good, but many players are sold to Europe, as Lus Suarez in the Barcelona, Cavani in Paris St Germain, and so.
Many people likes or dream that its guys will be football player because think it will be his future (economical future).
We have some problems with the fans during de football matches. I think its no so secure for the family. The police don't access in the football stadium. And now, it's probably will mot begin the championship for this, maybe. Many teams were lost the category because the problems with the fans, insise and outside the stadiums. Includes deaths.
It's a problem that doesn't have a solution as the moment. We have 3.3 million of people in Uruguay. And in Montevideo we have a lot of teams in 3 categories. Montevideo is the capital.
Our stadium are not confortables; don't have beatiful food, the seats are not so good. I like footbool, my team is Peñarol. It was founded by the englands of the train in 1892. It's the oldest. His first name was the Central Uraguayan Railway Cricket Club (CURCC). In 1915 changed de name.
Regards
Santiago
In support TFC Toulouse Footbal Club in France since I was a very young boy, because it's my city team.
Working and living very far from it, I feel me by the way remaining better in contact with my region.
So every week I follow the news about the french championship, and what happens with the TFC.
I'm interested by the Premier league championship too, and in patrticular I see the scores of Manchester United, Arsenal and this year Leicester !
If I would like the football then I would like to tell you something about this sport.
But unfortunately I don't like this sport, hardly ever I watch a match of football.
Sometimes when my country played with other country then I might to be a supporter. And when is the world championship of football then I'm a properly fan for my country and for the another country. That is the only time when I watch football and it seems to be interesting. Football is a boring sport for me
Hello,
I support Corinthians, a team from São Paulo - Brazil. There is no main reason to be a Corinthians supporter. I chose it when I was a child, because I liked the name 'Corinthians'. In Brazil, children are encouraged to support a team very early. I haven't watched football games recently, because it involves lots and lots of money and gives rise to corruption and related things. Just to have an idea, a big television company here buys the rights to transmit only the football games that are interest to them - in terms of money, of course - and makes difficult to watch other football matches. It is also very expensive to buy football games tickets. Brazil have lots of football fans. Some of them are really passionate about their teams and can do everything to show their passion, like making tattoos of their teams and so on. It's is common to see supporters from different teams joking between them or even fighting, unfortunately. Recently, I have seen some supporters going to street to protest against corruption cases that has happened to schools in São Paulo. It is an unusual tendency in Brazil but quite relevant because they are going beyond the subjects of football and joining others to fight for subjects that are of interest to the population.
Thanks.
Hello there,
I'm from Sri Lanaka, In here football is not that much popular but cricket. I also not interested with football. I feel that it just a boring game for me and i fed up watching ball pass here and there and most of the time i feel its not very competitive game so its a boring game for me.
Pages