Grassroots - 9:31 pm on Jun 16, 2006 (gmt 0)

Football is more than just a "game" or a "sport" which is why I imagine a lot of American's don't and never will get it. You have to have a feeling for football to enjoy it. For me my whole identity, my culture, it all revolves around my local football club which dominates my City and has done since the clubw as formed in 1882. My football team represents me, my city and everything I stand for to the outside world and when we win the feeling of pride and joy just can't be matched. It is very tibal too, especially in the UK, my own country.

I'm afraid football will never be a popular mainstream sport in America because it has no roots in the US much like Baseball for example doesn't have any roots in the UK.

My football club means the world to me. If my club is doing well, economically and socially, so does my City and therefore we as people. If we do bad, then the same goes for my City. Like I said, football is more than a game or a sport.

My club has so much history and tradition and is so interlinked with who we are as people and what we are as a city, it's very special.

Our home - the Cathedral on the hill as it's known as dominates our skyline, and sits on a hill overlooking the city in magnificent splendour. Every week 53,000 people (our capacity) go to the match and being a part of that is also very special, 53,000 people singing, waving scarves, flags and cheering on the players that represent you and your city against the rest of the world, it can't be beaten.

American's don't get it because to get footbal you have to relate to it outside of some notion of sport, competition or entertainment, which are all just byproduct's of football, it's about the individual, their pride, belonging, identity and culture.