It surely seems clear why England is a football country! This is a personal note — a diary entry, to be precise — on my first day in England. Perhaps like every other Bengali, since childhood, England has always been a bucket-list destination — maybe something embedded in our roots, owing to the history of Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) being the capital of British India for so long. Perhaps also because of football. That’s one sport every Bengali cherishes.
Since childhood, the side of English football that felt most intriguing was their football culture. It seems to be in their DNA. You ask any Bengali child — he or she might be involved in co-curricular activities like painting, singing, or dancing, these are in our DNA. Here, in England, perhaps a huge seventy percent of children would say they’re playing football for some academy or club — not a verified statistics though.
It’s their football pyramid that’s most exciting — it goes down to the twentieth tier — and perhaps every club, even down to the bottom, has its own loyal local fanbase.
The first impression while standing in the queue at Birmingham Airport made this belief even clearer. At least three fellow passengers returning home were wearing Non-League club jerseys — two of them had the Vanarama National League North logos — that’s the sixth tier.
I personally would have loved to flaunt a jersey of Uttarpara Football Club, the local team playing in the Calcutta Football League, 3rd or 4th division, but it’s not how the system is designed. If they played their league games in the Uttarpara region, my hometown, it might have attracted some loyal fans, a few local sponsors; the ecosystem we see in the Non League.
While commuting by bus — or “coach”, as they call it here — the direction boards made me smile with excitement. Names like Solihull, Halifax, Oldham. These aren’t places I learned about in my school geography classes, but rather from playing FIFA or reading random Non-League football stories.
For example, Halifax — yes, of course, Jamie Vardy’s club. Solihull Moors — I remembered the name as we passed the area. And who doesn’t know about Oldham Athletic?
But the best experience was walking down the streets in Leeds. Pubs with Leeds United logos and slogans gave a real feel of the football culture. People wear the jersey on a random day — not just on matchdays. They enjoy a pint at the club bar on a Tuesday, maybe for no apparent reason other than to soak in the vibe.
As the cab drove past Hyde Park, the famous Marcelo Bielsa mural was the icing on the cake — making the first day in Leeds extra special. This is a story on the line — a five seconds glance throw the cab window doesn’t capture the mood.
As we gear up for the much-awaited England versus India Test series, and with Headingley Stadium readying for the opening match, I’m equally excited to explore the football culture in Leeds — to talk to a few locals and get their perspective on the sport and the side.
Unlike many other big cities that flaunt several clubs, Leeds is a one-city-one-club kind of place, proudly standing behind Leeds United — who are back in the Premier League from the upcoming season.
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