Excellent new Netflix series explores the origins of English football

Submitted by yossarians tree on March 26th, 2020 at 2:42 PM

The English Game is produced and written by Julian Fellowes, who will be familiar to those fans of Downton Abbey (I'm a huge fan). Extremely relevant to Mgoblog readers because it concerns the origins of professionalism in British football in the 1800s. Up to that point it was considered garish for a "gentleman" to violate the amateur spirit. They were only to play merely for the love of the game. Not surprisingly the country-wide FA Cup was always won by the teams from gentlemen's sporting clubs because though the working class did love the game and played it well they were also busy 60 to 80 hours a week, you know, working.

I'm about halfway through and I find it very well-written, produced, and played. Be aware that this is really a drama about the people involved and there is very little actual football being played.

Special Agent Utah

March 26th, 2020 at 2:59 PM ^

Pretty amazing that a league rooted in such gentlemanly principles has gone on to produce some of the most violent fans in all of sports.  

Mgthefrenchy

March 27th, 2020 at 12:48 AM ^

Hooligans are not "really" English anymore. They used to be ... 25 years ago.

Lazio and Roma being probably more intense than the English now.

Only Millwall  is up to the old days. West Ham is intense but they would be bottom 10 in Europe to me....

I think, I would ranked it like that:
Polish (Wisla Kra'),
Turkish (Galatasaray on the top),
Croatia (Dinamo Zagreb)
Czech (Sparta!),
Serbian (Red Star Belgrade)
Russian of course ... (Mainly National team).
Then Millwall
And Then Lazio

After those, I would put Germany (Herta), Netherland (Feyenord), and another English team would be West Ham as well as Roma.

PSG used to be super intense before the US owner ship and the Qatar ownership. They also used to be extremely racist... (And still some what racist) but now, they are just very nice and soft (Not too bad considering they were involved in murders at/around soccer games :( ).
For France you would probably have to look at St Etienne, but it is soft novaday.

Outside of Europe you can find some intense ones, like Columbia (They assassinated a player!), or Argentina (River plate), Peru (Deportes - Probably some of the craziest), also Egyptian (Al-Ahly... Oh boy)...

El Savador playing Honduras can be crazy too.

throw it deep

March 26th, 2020 at 4:55 PM ^

Be aware that this is really a drama about the people involved and there is very little actual football being played.

I already got my fill of sports dramas that don't show any sports watching All American on Netflix. What a terrible show. 

CRISPed in the DIAG

March 26th, 2020 at 5:25 PM ^

You kind of have to get past the historical inaccuracies - especially at the end. But I like watching British people do British things, whether they're solving crimes, baking cakes or strolling around their gardens.