Lyon contre Nancy

I had the privilege of attending my first football match last weekend. Lyon was playing against Nancy. I thought I knew what I was in for, but I was in way, way over my head. I watched the previous three matches on the TV screens of various Irish pubs, chose my two favorite players (one based on looks, the other I chose because he scored the most goals that night), and I even learned some rules of the game prior to me attending my first live match! But no one warned me about the chanting.

The constant, baritone shouting of chants made to encourage the home team while psyching out the visitors became just as entertaining to witness as the players fighting for the ball on the field. These men (approx. 33,000 people in attendance), knew every lyric to at least 15 different football chants. The setup involves a 'leader' with a megaphone somewhere in the crowd to start them off, and then for the next minute and a half, the 'Big Gonnes' (what they call the die hard fans out here) are screaming, waving flags around and jumping up and down ON their seats. That's right, I paid for a seat which I later found out was for standing on.
Le Stade Gerland was louder than a Death Boat show. It was amazing! I'm not the world's biggest sports fan, but I most definitely enjoyed myself. By the end of the match, I started singing and jumping on my seat with the best of them.

The final score was 3-1 for Lyon. The stadium and the city was buzzing with victory. Being surrounded by all of that positive energy was pretty invigorating. I wonder how hard would it be to learn the lyrics to 15 French football chants by next weekend?