Chrisbob74 Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 More Brits lurk here than I thought. Most of us Brits who are Skins fans got on board during Gibbs first tenure so him coming back and leading us to the promised land just makes it sweeter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinC Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 it's AUSTRIAN.just kidding. where is preston? i'm originally from cheltenham. greetings to all fellow UK skins fans. Preston is in Lancashire (North West) about half way between Manchester and Liverpool but a bit North ......sort of..... Been a Skins fan since '82 - I work for a US company so get the States 2/3 times per year and have managed to catch 4 Skins games live. I'm over in the US in a couple of weeks (Frisco) - the week AFTER the SuperBowl (sigh). HTTR Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinFan63 Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Welcome to the family William. Redskins fans are truely a unique bunch. And the Redskins are truely a unique team. And with a combination like that, how can you lose? Hail!:point2sky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skin-em Posted January 3, 2006 Share Posted January 3, 2006 Hey were you and your wife, on that cab ride from hell after the game, in Tampa? We met a couple from england, but we couldn't talk for long, we were all too busy praying, and as soon as the caby made the first stop (not our stop), my wife bailed. Looked like the couple was trying to get out also, but he just shut the door and drove away, we were so scared for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodchopper88 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Ok, another English skins fan here to join the party! I'm from London. I'm a die-hard Man Utd fan - shame about the result tonight, we should have beaten the scum. Anyway, I only got into American football at the end of last season during the playoffs and I had to pick a team. I chose the skins because my cousins in Maryland are die-hard fans. Oh by the way my cousin is the guy who had his car shat on by the Eagles fans lol. I watch the skins whenever they are on TV here (5 times this season) and otherwise I follow the entire game for 3 hours on gamecentre on nfl.com. I have become in the space of a year a huge skins fan and I was already a massive fan in the off-season way way before I could have dreamed of us having a winning season let alone making the playoffs!! I'm just a really loyal and passionate supporter to any team or any person in any sport that I can get excited about. I was literally jumping around my living room screaming in a fit of joy when we scored our TDs against the Eagles. I am so excited about the playoffs! I know what you guys mean though - there is nobody to share my excitement with in this cold miserable country It's a shame that my soccer/football team is owned by the same guy who owns Tampa. I hate Glazer. Hope we take him and his crappy franchise down on Saturday! GO SKINS!!! Love you CP, Santana, Taylor, Cooley, Griffin.......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimReefa Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Great to see all you UK guys...one question, though...what is an "organisation"? :laugh: Seriously though, how much of a following does US football have over there, and which is the most popular team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattGeorge85 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 I hope you get over here to watch a Skins game at FedEx, the atmosphere has been electric against Dallas and NYG. I can only imagine what will happen next year! Skins in the PLAYOFFS.....you better believe it!! Swept Dallas and Philly, even without the playoffs what more can you ask for?!!! :logo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD Riggo Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Crack open a can of ale and a tube of chips .. and watch the Skins demolish everything in their path the next few weeks! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpoppa Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 From here in the bahamas we are pumped!!!! I was there the last time we were in the playoffs at Tampa and can remember how bad I felt after the mess on the field goal attempt, and having to put up with the fans on the way out so this is sweet for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD Riggo Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Great to see all you UK guys...one question, though...what is an "organisation"?:laugh: Seriously though, how much of a following does US football have over there, and which is the most popular team? Yeah. Those guys over there talk funny ! I'm sure they refer to GW's defence! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockANDallstar Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Thank you William :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD Riggo Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Put another shrinmp on the Barbie!! Wrong continent, dood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hail Victory Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Great to hear from you William! What a pleasure it is to know that American football is appreciated by people in Your country. I don't wish to get political, but England is truly the most steadfast friend my country could ask for! I too enjoy football(soccer). The last World Cup was riveting. I look forward to the next.Competition is a world-wide affinity. You have chosen a proud and distinguished franchise to follow. Being a Redskin fan is something that most people who do not follow sports could not understand. Welcome to the Crusade! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsTillIDie Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 "Manchester United" "Arsenal" pshh, what rubbish. "And its Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers FC We're the finest football team The world has ever seen" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sofoskin Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Good to have you with us. hail to the international REDSKINS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baculus Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Great to see fans from all over the world, especially from our cousins who are across the ocean. And all from places, the UK, Australia, the Bahamas, that I wish to someday visit. Welcome, and enjoy the ride. :-) HTTR! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbob74 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Well, as you can see, a few of us Brits have followed this team for over 20 years. With the internet and more games on TV, it's a lot easier to follow but it hasn't always been. I wrote this a while ago, it might explain a few things (some info may seem a little dated, it was written last off season, also, excuse the odd spelling mistake, it comes from a word pad file I had saved and was submitted for editing): What are you doing watching this?Over the past few years of spending time on internet message boards - especially those relating to the Redskins and the world of the NFL in general - one of the most common questions posed to me is "How did you get interested in the Redskins and the NFL?". Well, seeing as I now have this avenue to share my thoughts, I figure I may as well tell (some of) my story as well and at the same time, explain a little about the history of the sport in this country and how interest in it amongst the British public came about. As most of you must be aware, football - or American Football as it is more commonly called here - is pretty much a minority sport. For a sport that has such a massive following and that is a major part of American culture, the awareness of the game over this side of the pond is almost non-exsistent. Until 1983, when the game first got aired on TV in the UK, I have no doubt that hardly anyone in this country was aware of the game. American Football (ok, I'll stop calling it that now!!) first started getting shown here almost out of desperation out of a brand new TV channel to get some exclusive sports to show. A TV station called Channel 4 started in this country back in 1982 and you have to realise, at that time, cable and satellite TV in this country wasn't really around meaning us Brits had the limited choice of 3 channels to watch - two of them controlled by the same company (the BBC) - and they had control of all the major British sports that generate interest in the viewing public, football (er, I mean soccer........if I'm confusing you, don't worry, I may well confuse myself by the end of this article!), cricket, rugby etc. Channel 4 decided that if it couldn't get a piece of those sports, it would give the British public something "different" to watch and so the birth of American Football (ok, that's the last time, I promise) in this country happened. It wasn't wall-to-wall coverage, just some highlights of the previous weeks action in a one hour show, but it quickly generated some interest. The obvious comparisions to rugby were made and for those that took an instant dislike to the game, the sneering comments such as "Why do they wear pads and helmets?", "Why does it take three hours to play a one hour game?" and "Why does it stop and start all the time?" (which, if anyone thinks about it, answers the previous question) were made. Channel 4 started it all for most British American Football fans. But it quickly developed a hardcore audience, many of whom still follow the game religiously today. Myself, I became aware of the game after hearing about it off some friends at school, arounds the 1983/4 season. The first game I ever watched was the Redskins beating the Cowboys (no, that wasn't the last time my 'Skins beat them!! Grrr!!) and John Riggens was the first superstar of the NFL to be known in these parts so they became my team. The Redskins enjoyed a great season in 1983, setting a points scoring record and easily advancing to Super Bowl XVIII before meeting the Los Angeles Raiders and being on the wrong end of a butt whipping (see, I'm learning, I could have called that a arse kicking!) by the Silver and Black. But by then, my allegiance was set and has remained ever since. Over the next couple of years, the interest in the game continued to grow. Many jumped on the bandwagon that was the Chicago Bears of 1986. Talk to any Brit today about football (hurrah, remembered!) and the one player that will come to mind for many is still William "The Refrigerator" Perry, a guy more remembered by true football fans for underachieving talent in a hugh body and robbing the great Walter Payton of a touchdown in Super Bowl XX (I hope you're proud Mike Dikta!). The Niners, Redskins, Raiders and Dolphins all have loyal followings in this country due to their success in the 1980's when interest in football was at it's peak. Well, in the Dolphins case it may have had more to do with Dan Marino and Florida being a favourite holiday spot for Brits. The one other team that got a loyal following back then was every NFL teams favourite kicktoy, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yes, us Brits love a loser! The fanzine produced by the teams fan club in the UK was called "There's always next year". I guess they had to change the name after Super Bowl XXXVII. (Actually, as far as I am aware, the fanzine is now an internet based subscription service). My own interest in football steadily grew over the next few years. What is it that attrached me to football? I honestly think it's a case of a tactically interesting, hard hitting, mano-a-mano game all wrapped up into a bloody good soap opera. Sex, drugs and rock n' roll...........the NFL has it all, and that's just off the field!! As I got more and more hooked, I got to learn about the things like the draft, how player movement happened in the NFL (something that has changed dramatically over the years...........bring back Plan B I say!) and more about the tactical side of the game. Also, as a fan of Rugby League (there are two types of rugby, league and union), I could see some similarities between the games but on the NFL stage, everything is just bigger and better. Arounds 1987, as the Skins progressed towards another Super Bowl appearance, I was looking for ways to watch or listen to games live. The highlights package we got on Channel 4 was shown on a Tuesday and Sunday, showing clips and news from the previous week and as my interest got deeper, this wasn't enough. A friend of mind (a Raiders fan for his sins) informed me of something called AFRTS, the Armed Forces Radio and Television Network. At the time, this was a godsend..............live footballvia a radio!! Ok, you didn't get to choose which games you could listen to but my friend assured me that they offered live score updates and information. Hell, I'll take that I thought to myself. AFRTS, positively my favourite radio station...........I just loved those service annoucements He provided me with the details and I started to tune in. Not as easy as it sounded. AFRTS could be received on a radio in this country due to the signal in Frankfurt for American troops based in Germany but it was a weak signal and for some strange reason (that I still don't really know) it could only be received after dark. That wasn't too bad as NFL games in the UK start in the early evening due to the time difference, but that wasn't the only catch! The signal came and went and was based in between a Welsh radio station and a Spainish Sports station! Have you ever heard the Welsh dialect? It sounds like the speaker has had his or her tongue rolled up in the "y" section of the dictionary! Every second letter seems to be "y" and every word has at least 45 letters in it (I have that very famous Welsh train station name tattoed on my penis.................................................................Rhyl....!!). Add in a Spainsh guy screaming "Goooooooooooaaaaaaaal" or "Ole" every few seconds and it could make for some "interesting" listening! Games involved a commentary such as: "First and Ten for the Redskins at the Giants 25 yard line...................Williams sends Monk in motion........play action.................Goooooooooooaaaaal................Ole..............Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch..............2nd and 3 from the Giants 17................Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch...................Rogers gets the hand off.....................Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch........................tackled at the 13................ole, ole, ole" It was always worse when it came to critical downs or goal line situations. You could guarantee that the signal would fade and you would be trying to detect the slightest sound on your headphones of good or bad news. Then, by the time the signal had come back you had to wait for an update and try and catch up with the game and by the time you did, off went the precious signal again into a mass of Spanish Welsh. I love football..........er, soccer, but if I could have banned it in Spain in the 1980's and 90's, I would of! Still, those were good days, I had some of my best memories of following football and the Redskins listening to my mums old batter hi-fi in my bedroom, staying up until the late hours if the Skins were on Sunday or Monday Night Football because you knew they were certain to get aired. As it is, with the development of satellite TV and more choice of channels, the game receives much better coverage in this country now. Although it will probably never be accepted as a "major" sport in this country, it's loyal hardcore base offer Sky and Channel 5 (Channel 4, who started it all, bailed out of the game when it got it's hands on some of the more popular British sports such as cricket), the two main channels who cover the sport here now, a safe set of ratings at times when they don't have much else to show. We get two live Sunday games off Sky, then, once the baseball season is finished, we get Sunday Night Football off Channel 5 (they are committed to showing baseball on Sundays until the season finishes) and they also show all the Monday Night games live. Once we get to the play-offs, we now get every single game live. There is also a channel called NASN (North American Sports Network) that shows pre season games and some ESPN shows such as NFL Live, NFL Primetime and some of the more off-beat stuff such as PTI and Around The Horn. It's not DirecTV or NFL Network, or whatever it is you folks get, but it's not bad, especially when your eardrums received a regular beating of Welsh hymms and Spainish football for years previous. Lets also not forget the great invention of Al Gore for making the lives of a British football fan a lot easier..........the internet. Radio commentary and live updates as well as access to regular news, views and reviews on a fans respective team and the NFL in general are all readily available thanks to the world wide web. Compaired to the godsend that was AFRTS the internet is 1,000 steps high on the scale.................I think I might put Big Al forward for a Knighthood for services to the British NFL fan! Arise Sir Al! So, as it is, a combination of a desperate TV executive back in 1982, some friends in the school playground and Al Gore have lead to me being here and talking about the world of football and the NFL to all of you. I can feel the love for Al Gore growing as you read this.............ok, probably not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimReefa Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Wow...thanks Chrisbob. That was a fantastic read! :applause: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlinginSammy HOF '63 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Jolly good, matey!! Put another shrinmp on the Barbie!! Wrong country :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mania Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Cheers and Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanishomelette Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 The accent just doesn't come through on posts I'm afraid. :laugh: Glad you're getting to see playoff run continue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbob74 Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Lol at that sig! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootman Posted January 4, 2006 Share Posted January 4, 2006 Good to have another UK Skins fan on board! Been a rocky road but back where we belong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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