Courtney, Emily and Camila: LOVEdon's in the Air



LOVEdon’s in the Air
Song of the day: Happy Birthday to you

The Capilano University 2015 London Field School had an amazing final day, soaking up the culture of Britain. Today was a special day for many reasons; first because it was the last full day in London, second, it was Valentines Day, ❤ and finally, it was one of our leaders 21st birthday! We started the day at Hampton Court Palace, where King Henry XIII and many other Kings and Queens have resided. Later, we enjoyed an authentic British fish & chips lunch before heading to a professional Football game, (otherwise known as soccer). This football game was a huge highlight and demonstrated the major cultural differences between two countries that otherwise seem very similar.

As we neared the stadium we heard a roar of the crowd chanting; we were still blocks away and could not even see the stadium… but it was easy to find it by the noise! Once inside, we were immersed by the game and atmosphere within the arena. Charlton fans showed their enthusiasm by reciting several different chants together in unison and would seem to start out of the blue. The teams playing were Charlton vs. Brentford, two rival teams from the London area. These teams had unbelievably enthusiastic fans, far more than you would find at local hockey games in North America.



Support was displayed for the rival team as well. Apparently, it is not uncommon for teams to travel as far as seven hours by train to attend a match. This of course, is not seen as often in Canada, though probably due to the comparative distance between competing cities in Canada, but also because of Britain’s historical pride in team sports.  This patriotism also leads to another major difference in British football versus North American sports, in that the British sequester the away fans from the home fans to avoid riots and fighting, which used to be very common.  Apparently it used to be so bad between teams that families would stay in the arena for 45 minutes after the game ended, just to ensure that the area outside was free of fights between fans.

However, there was clearly some drama still as part way through the match we noticed a disturbance in the Brentford section and a sudden streaming in of security guards and police and then a streaming out of fans. We can only speculate as to the nature of the disturbance but we feel it was something juicy!

Overall the game was a huge success, with Charlton (the team we were encouraged to cheer for) winning three to nil and jubilant chants from the crowd. What a great last event!



Following the match we had one last group get together and dinner at Guilford Arms Pub in Greenwich, where we celebrated the official end of the Cap U LFS 2015. We enjoyed a three-course meal, great friends, and an abundance of laughter. We will miss all of each other greatly; as well as this beautiful and culturally diverse city, but look forward to seeing our friends and family back home soon.

Tally ho and until next year J

Courtney Buffie is a 4th year Bachelors of Tourism Management Student, Emily Solomon is a 3rd year Bachelors of Business Administration Student & Camila Stankevicius Bueno is a 2nd year Bachelors of Business Administration Student

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