Knowledge gained from being a football fan-No 1

Geography. Anyone else's geographical prowess improved since being a football fan from a young age? I was always fascinated at to where certain places were, all of those exotic names i heard on the classified results...Bury, Port Vale, Halifax...:hehe: I know it sounds a bit sad, but i had a detailed map of the UK when i was a kid and would look up where the football grounds were situated, paying particular attention to the Cities where there were more than one club, trying to fathom how any city could have more than one football club,

Later in life, driving to away games, a great education in my opinion. I still say that if you can drive from Cardiff to selhurst park, through London(no m25) and without a sat nav, you've cracked it :hehe:

Definitely agree with geography.

i got B in O level geography so was and still is my strong point !

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Geography. Anyone else's geographical prowess improved since being a football fan from a young age? I was always fascinated at to where certain places were, all of those exotic names i heard on the classified results...Bury, Port Vale, Halifax...:hehe: I know it sounds a bit sad, but i had a detailed map of the UK when i was a kid and would look up where the football grounds were situated, paying particular attention to the Cities where there were more than one club, trying to fathom how any city could have more than one football club,

Later in life, driving to away games, a great education in my opinion. I still say that if you can drive from Cardiff to selhurst park, through London(no m25) and without a sat nav, you've cracked it :hehe:

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I did that and specially with the more 'exotic' scottish team names. "Queen of the South" "Hamilton Academicals. (That always made me think of a grand hospital and a place full of very clever people. (Sadly not :hehe:)
Some names in England like Accrington Stanley, I'd wonder who Stanley was, and Preston North End. I'd wonder if the south and had a team.
It sounds silly now but sitting at home in front of the coal fire on a saturday evening, when the results started we'd try to guess the score by the way the announcer said the first part, the inflection in his voice. And the scottish results normally meant home made rice pudding wasn't far away.

Agree 100% that it improves your geography.
I have enjoyed looking up where Queen of South play, where Tashkent and Baku are. Helped me no end when doing crosswords.

We used to go to away games in a car. I was the map reader. I used to have a map book with all the routes marked with a highlighter pen. I loved it. And it's the reason I've been to many cities all over the UK. (why else would you go to Scunthorpe?) I always chose the town we'd stop off for a drink and a curry on the way home too. Droitwich was popular.

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Originally Posted by MOZZER2

i got B in O level geography so was and still is my strong point !

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Surely a B means that you sometimes get lost.

got C in everything else

port vale was a tricky one mind !

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Originally Posted by rich munn

Surely a B means that you sometimes get lost.

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:hehe:

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Originally Posted by NYCBlue

We used to go to away games in a car. I was the map reader. I used to have a map book with all the routes marked with a highlighter pen. I loved it. And it's the reason I've been to many cities all over the UK. (why else would you go to Scunthorpe?) I always chose the town we'd stop off for a drink and a curry on the way home too. Droitwich was popular.

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Yup, i really enjoy the travelling, although i'm not a huge fan of driving if that makes any sense. Sat navs have killed the art of map reading, ****ing up and having a massive argument :hehe:

Geography definitely.

Making sweeping judgements on places based solely on spending a few hours eating and drinking there pre game for a few hours. Sometimes this lasts for decades.

I'm also not that bad at guessing accents from having watched City around the country although there are a few places where it gets a bit messed up like around the Nottingham, Derby area. Awful accent.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Yup, i really enjoy the travelling, although i'm not a huge fan of driving if that makes any sense. Sat navs have killed the art of map reading, ****ing up and having a massive argument :hehe:

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I've always enjoyed map reading and for some reason I have found I get lost a lot more with a sat nav than I used to with a map :shrug:

You are right about the away games and new places.
Who the hell would ever go to Mansfield if the city hadn't been playing them?

I’ve not lived in the UK for 10 years now but I still know the entire country like the back of my hand. I travelled it so extensively because of the work I did in the pub business that if you told me any address today to drive to I still think I could get within a quarter of a mile of it from just
about anywhere. I may get a little confused in centra London to be fair but that apart nothing would daunt me

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Geography. Anyone else's geographical prowess improved since being a football fan from a young age? I was always fascinated at to where certain places were, all of those exotic names i heard on the classified results...Bury, Port Vale, Halifax...:hehe: I know it sounds a bit sad, but i had a detailed map of the UK when i was a kid and would look up where the football grounds were situated, paying particular attention to the Cities where there were more than one club, trying to fathom how any city could have more than one football club,

Later in life, driving to away games, a great education in my opinion. I still say that if you can drive from Cardiff to selhurst park, through London(no m25) and without a sat nav, you've cracked it :hehe:

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To be fair, knowing where Port Vale is won't help you with geography :hehe:

Plymouth Argyle , great name for a club

The geography thing, definitely. It’s shocking that many women have no clue where places are located in the UK and the world but on reflection our football knowledge is an advantage. The break up of old Europe presented a new challenge to us with new names being thrown into the mix.

I can remember a primary school teacher of mine being absolutely amazed at my knowledge of UK towns and cities. i was about eleven at the time and it was entirely down to football - I don't think it's a subject I've improved much in during the intervening fifty three years :hehe:.

Traditional industries of particular areas based on club nicknames - shoes in Northampton, hats in Luton, cutlery in Sheffield, glove making in Yeovil etc.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Geography. Anyone else's geographical prowess improved since being a football fan from a young age? I was always fascinated at to where certain places were, all of those exotic names i heard on the classified results...Bury, Port Vale, Halifax...:hehe: I know it sounds a bit sad, but i had a detailed map of the UK when i was a kid and would look up where the football grounds were situated, paying particular attention to the Cities where there were more than one club, trying to fathom how any city could have more than one football club,

Later in life, driving to away games, a great education in my opinion. I still say that if you can drive from Cardiff to selhurst park, through London(no m25) and without a sat nav, you've cracked it :hehe:

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Great post.

Yes geography is definitely something that has been improved dramatically due to so many away trips, especially to the more unfashionable places like Rochdale, Northampton, Walsall, Orient etc. Meeting people from around the UK, they are often amazed that I know so much about their town, landmarks and local beers.

Also, service stations, I have an unhealthy knowledge of different urinals across the country. :hehe::hehe:

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Originally Posted by Enoch Mort

Traditional industries of particular areas based on club nicknames - shoes in Northampton, hats in Luton, cutlery in Sheffield, glove making in Yeovil etc.

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Yup, that's a good observation. What others can people think of along this line?

Stoke - pottery (The Potters)
Crewe - trains (The Railwaymen)
Hereford - cattle (The Bulls)
Macclesfield - silk production (The Silkmen)
Burton Albion - beer brewing (The Brewers)

Luton, and Stockport (the Hatters)
Everton (the Toffees - not quite the same I admit)
Newport County (the Ironsides)
Sheffield United (the Blades - steelmen)
Rotherham (the Millers)
Reading (the Biscuitmen)
Grimsby (the Mariners)
Scunthorpe (the Iron)

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Originally Posted by Rock_Flock_of_Five

Yup, that's a good observation. What others can people think of along this line?

Stoke - pottery (The Potters)
Crewe - trains (The Railwaymen)
Hereford - cattle (The Bulls)
Macclesfield - silk production (The Silkmen)
Burton Albion - beer brewing (The Brewers)

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Reading - biscuitmen (not used so much now)
Wycombe - chairboys for furniture industry

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Geography. Anyone else's geographical prowess improved since being a football fan from a young age? I was always fascinated at to where certain places were, all of those exotic names i heard on the classified results...Bury, Port Vale, Halifax...:hehe: I know it sounds a bit sad, but i had a detailed map of the UK when i was a kid and would look up where the football grounds were situated, paying particular attention to the Cities where there were more than one club, trying to fathom how any city could have more than one football club,

Later in life, driving to away games, a great education in my opinion. I still say that if you can drive from Cardiff to selhurst park, through London(no m25) and without a sat nav, you've cracked it :hehe:

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Interesting that you mentioned Port Vale, which, apart from a football club, doesn't exist on any map.

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Originally Posted by bobh

Interesting that you mentioned Port Vale, which, apart from a football club, doesn't exist on any map.

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The same goes for Raith Rovers (a ground I have visited): Raith is not a place and the team plays in Kirkcaldy.

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

The same goes for Raith Rovers (a ground I have visited): Raith is not a place and the team plays in Kirkcaldy.

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And Grimsby play in Cleethorpes!

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Originally Posted by StraightOuttaCanton

I’ve not lived in the UK for 10 years now but I still know the entire country like the back of my hand. I travelled it so extensively because of the work I did in the pub business that if you told me any address today to drive to I still think I could get within a quarter of a mile of it from just
about anywhere. I may get a little confused in centra London to be fair but that apart nothing would daunt me

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A miss is as good as a mile.

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Originally Posted by bobh

Interesting that you mentioned Port Vale, which, apart from a football club, doesn't exist on any map.

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Port vale FC is definitely on the map!

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Originally Posted by lardy

Reading - biscuitmen (not used so much now)
Wycombe - chairboys for furniture industry

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My favourite is introducing ‘new’ Chelsea fans to The Pensioners nickname :hehe:

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Yup, i really enjoy the travelling, although i'm not a huge fan of driving if that makes any sense. Sat navs have killed the art of map reading, ****ing up and having a massive argument :hehe:

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that sounds familiar the noise in the back (where the f**k you going) one tip i had on the way back from barnet follow the planes to the m4:t:hehe:

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Geography. Anyone else's geographical prowess improved since being a football fan from a young age? I was always fascinated at to where certain places were, all of those exotic names i heard on the classified results...Bury, Port Vale, Halifax...:hehe: I know it sounds a bit sad, but i had a detailed map of the UK when i was a kid and would look up where the football grounds were situated, paying particular attention to the Cities where there were more than one club, trying to fathom how any city could have more than one football club,

Later in life, driving to away games, a great education in my opinion. I still say that if you can drive from Cardiff to selhurst park, through London(no m25) and without a sat nav, you've cracked it :hehe:

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I agree with this Dennis.

I remember watching the football results on Saturday as a child and wondering where half of the places were until my Dad explained, and could never quite understand how London could have so many teams.

And where was Metropolitan Police? Now I know as I have played there!

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Luton, and Stockport (the Hatters)
Everton (the Toffees - not quite the same I admit)
Newport County (the Ironsides)
Sheffield United (the Blades - steelmen)
Rotherham (the Millers)
Reading (the Biscuitmen)
Grimsby (the Mariners)
Scunthorpe (the Iron)

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Fulham (The Cottagers) I’ll get my coat......

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Originally Posted by Bobby Dandruff

I agree with this Dennis.

I remember watching the football results on Saturday as a child and wondering where half of the places were until my Dad explained, and could never quite understand how London could have so many teams.

And where was Metropolitan Police? Now I know as I have played there!

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Played against the Met? If so that's a decent level Bob.

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Originally Posted by Tuerto

Played against the Met? If so that's a decent level Bob.

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I wish Dennis!

I watch their first team play quite regularly but Met Police have very nice facilities (near where I live) and I have played on their pitches not against them. :-)

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Originally Posted by the other bob wilson

Luton, and Stockport (the Hatters)
Everton (the Toffees - not quite the same I admit)
Newport County (the Ironsides)
Sheffield United (the Blades - steelmen)
Rotherham (the Millers)
Reading (the Biscuitmen)
Grimsby (the Mariners)
Scunthorpe (the Iron)

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West Ham are/were The Iron too.
Why are Peterboro the posh?

Maths - especially multiples of 3. Take aways for goal difference- and complicated division as in 1924 League table.

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Originally Posted by Dave Blue

Maths - especially multiples of 3. Take aways for goal difference- and complicated division as in 1924 League table.

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I agree with the geography points, but I learned more maths (arithmetic really) when we skived off school on a Friday afternoon to play pool and darts at the Horse And Jockey.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

I agree with the geography points, but I learned more maths (arithmetic really) when we skived off school on a Friday afternoon to play pool and darts at the Horse And Jockey.

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Incredible what sport can do in terms of learning. I'd have pissed about in a Geography lesson and bunked a Maths lesson, yet give me a dart board or a map with the locations of football stadiums then learning would become pleasure.

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Originally Posted by jon1959

I agree with the geography points, but I learned more maths (arithmetic really) when we skived off school on a Friday afternoon to play pool and darts at the Horse And Jockey.

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I had an uncle who was useless at maths, but you said to him 111, and he'd go T19, S14, D20, miss the T19 and get 19 then T20, D16.