Wednesday, 14 October 2015

To drink or not to drink (Week 11)

To Drink or not to Drink?


The Nou Camp is strictly alcohol free. yes, you read that right. alcoholic drinks are banned from being served or brought into the stadium. But not to fear, to cater for you beer loving fans out there, the Nou Camp serves non-alcoholic beer and thus far they have sold a total of zero. The random drunken shout of support is frowned upon by the fans and supporting crowds, to them these acts ruin the environment of the game.




Here in Australia, the half-time beer and pie is an absolute must. The footballing experience is incomplete without having a round of beers shared around a good group of mates. having a few drinks helps us let go, be more outgoing and vocal in our support of our team. And oh do we love and anxiously wait for that old man who had a bit too much to drink, and is making sure everyone knows how passionate he is about his football team...typical. I would find very difficult to enjoy a game and enthusiastically support my team whilst drinking orange juice.



By looking at these practices more closely, you can appreciate that they are reflective of the respective cultures of the different countries. With Australia day being all about sharing a beer and snag with friends and family, it's no secret that alcohol forms a big part of Australian culture. Banning alcohol at stadiums would make no sense if you try understanding it using Australians' beliefs and way of life. however, alcohol does not play as big of a role in Barcelona's culture. but also, going to the stadium is more of a family activity than as here in Australia, and so alcohol being banned makes complete sense.


This is a perfect example of cultural relativism, which is the idea that a person's acts and beliefs can only be understood in terms of that person's own culture. the importance of alcohol at football games in Australia, can only be understood by a person from Barcelona by considering it in terms of the Australian culture.


However, its also important to note that when traveling, a person should act based on their own moral beliefs but at the same time avoid judging others cultures based on the values and standards of their own.





Wednesday, 7 October 2015

Catalinian Independence (week 10)

What Catalonia's independence means for FC Barcelona



Catalonians would never refer to themselves as Spanish, and for many they are still waiting for the catalonian independence. Many political parties in catalunia support a break away from spain, and wether or not this will happen will have great economic, social and political consequences.


But this will also have big consequences on European football. FC Barcelona currently competes in the Spanish League ( La Liga). however Barcelona wont be able to comepte in la liga if catalonia gains independence. thiss means no more Classcio ( only the biggest game in modern football). this could lead to barcelona not becomming a major force in european football, due to players preferring playing in higher ranked leagues and transferring to other clubs.





For me, this would mean the club that i love will no longer play in major european competetions, so their games would lose the intensity and passion from both the fans and the players perspectives, meaning that watching the games would be less exciting, and not as enjoyable as they used to.


this is a very selfish and narrow minded approach to this issue, catalunian indpendnece means so much more, to the people of barcelona and spain, for them, football is just a 'game' and is not even a consideration in these decisions.