Football fans, away with you!
Love of the game sends Jewish supporters across the UK and abroad. Here a chosen few explain why they do it.
WHEN Paul McCartney played his Pipes of Peace, it highlighted the fact that football stops for nothing – not even war.
The legendary Beatle’s first solo number one, aired 40 years ago in December, told the story of a Christmas Day truce during the First World War in 1914, when soldiers from the British army took on their German enemy in a game of football after a ball was thrown out of the trenches.
It is hard to comprehend that those same men, who paused the fighting to have that kick-about, went back to killing each other the very next day, yet it shows the power our national sport holds over us.
Despite the current conflict in Gaza, football continues to be played. Some weeks ago, Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine 3-1 in a Europa Conference League tie after it was moved to Lublin, in Poland.
At the same time, Israeli Champions Maccabi Haifa suffered a narrow defeat in their Europa League clash with Villarreal, a tie that was played in Cyprus.For Maccabi Tel Aviv, it was their first official match since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
A few hundred supporters were in the stands in Poland to support their team and see Maccabi captain Eran Zahavi carry an Israeli flag on to the pitch and the team wear black armbands in tribute to the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October.
Luhansk players walked out draped in Ukrainian flags, in front of a ‘Peace’ banner displayed by UEFA. It was poignant that the game coincided with the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht.
Maccabi Haifa are managed by former Premier League star Robbie Keane, and he guided his team to the top of the League before football was halted by the war.
“It’s good to see everyone, despite obviously difficult conditions,” said Keane after his team was reunited in Poland. “It just shows the togetherness the team has had since I arrived, and it will always accompany us. The mood is very good. This is the essence of a team, what a team is all about, when people really want to play for each other.” Keane posted on Instagram: “Really proud of all our players and staff. A great team spirit and performance.”
These matches are prime examples of the lengths to which supporters will go in order to follow their team.
The passion of Jewish fans in the English Premier League has not been dampened by the tensions that exist for them in the UK following the outbreak of war in Israel, and they continue to travel hundreds of miles to watch their idols.
Football fans can be a strange breed. A recent survey of Arsenal supporters by Seatpick.com revealed that more than half would refuse to date a supporter of a rival team, and more than one in five had missed a partner’s birthday celebrations to attend a match.
We asked fans of Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham to chronicle one of their away trips this season to showcase their dedication to away travel.
Jack Goldenberg, from Hampstead, in north-west London, put 420 miles on the clock to watch Arsenal at Everton. His was a 15-hour day that cost around £100 in tickets, travel and subsistence. Ben Daniel, a Spurs supporter from Finchley, north London, spent a similar amount of time and money on a round trip to see his team play in Burnley.
Jack and Ben came home happy, as their teams tasted victory on the road, but spare a thought for Mark Nathan from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, who was less fortunate as his trip to watch West Ham at Liverpool was one in which the Hammers were beaten.
Here are the details of all three fans’ days out. Maybe this is what legendary former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly meant when he famously said: “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don’t like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.”
Name: Jack Goldenberg
Where do you live? Hampstead
Age: 23
Names of everyone you travelled with: Samson Slater, Remy Marsh, Guy Appel, Zac Marks, Lily Woolf.
Stadium visited: Goodison Park, Everton.
How many away matches do you aim to attend each season? All of them (19 in Premier League).
How far in advance did you plan this trip? A month.
How much was your ticket? £32.50.
How many miles did you travel in this round trip? 420 miles.
What mode of transport did you use? My trusty red VW Polo.
What time did you leave home and what time did you get back home? I left home at 8.30am and got back at 11.30pm.
How much did you spend on the whole day? Around £100.
Are you an observant Jew and, if so, how difficult does that make travelling to away games? I come from a traditional Jewish family who are members of an Orthodox shul. I am not religious, only observing the main holy days albeit this game was second day Rosh Hashanah!
What was one highlight from the day? Leonardo
Name: Ben Daniel
Where do you live: Finchley
Age: 34
Names and ages of everyone you travelled with: N/A – supporters’ coach
Stadium visited: Turf Moor, Burnley.
How many away matches do you aim to attend each season? As many as I can. I usually get to around 70 to 80 percent of the away games.
How far in advance did you plan this trip? In the week leading up to the game.
How much was your ticket? £30
How many miles did you travel in this round trip? 460 miles.
What mode of transport did you use? Coach
What time did you leave home and what time did you get back home? Coach departed at 8am and returned at around 11.30pm.
How much did you spend on the whole day? Around £100.
Are you an observant Jew and, if so, how difficult does that make travelling to away games? I come from a family of observant Jews, but I do not keep Shabbat.
What was one highlight from the day? The journey up there was a highlight, with Spurs songs being sung all the way up as well as during the game as Spurs put on a great performance with five goals.
What was one lowlight from the day? The amount of time it took to get back with the traffic.
Why do you do it? I’ve loved this club from a very young age. Not only the club but, going to games, there is a social aspect where you meet up with friends you don’t really see outside of football. The camaraderie in the stands is always great with a sense of belonging, very much a family feel. I also run a YouTube channel called WeAreTottenhamTV, so these trips help me gather material
What is your happiest memory of an away trip? I would
probably say the trip to Ajax in 2019, when Spurs qualified for the
Champions League final through a last-minute goal from Lucas Moura. It’s probably the most emotional I’ve ever been while following Spurs.
What is your worst memory of an away trip? There have been many! I would say any time we lose to Arsenal or West Ham is particularly depressing.
What does your partner (if you have one) think about you
doing it? Well, I met my partner at Spurs, so I think she gets it.
Name: Mark Nathan
Where do you live? Borehamwood
Age: 50
Names and ages of everyone you travelled with: Daughter Ella, 20, son Jamie, 18, friend Dany Caro, 50.
Stadium visited: Turf Moor, Anfield.
How many away matches do you aim to attend each season? All of them, as long as we are in the UK.
How far in advance did you plan this trip? 3-4 weeks.
How much was your ticket? £30
How many miles did you travel in this round trip?
400 miles.
What mode of transport did you use? My car.
What time did you leave home and what time did you get back home? We left home at 8am and got back home at 9.15pm.
How much did you spend on the whole day?
Around £200.
Are you an observant Jew and, if so, how difficult does that make travelling to away games? We are more traditional rather than being observant, so there were no issues.
What was one highlight from the day? When we equalised, it wound up the home fans who were sitting close to us.
What was one lowlight from the day? The traffic getting out of Liverpool.
Why do you do it? Because of the passion I have for my team. The atmosphere at away matches is more tribal, there is more singing and there is the hope of those elusive three points. You never know what will happen on the day and there is no better feeling than a last-minute winner. We travel in the hope that we are there to witness it.
What is your happiest memory of an away trip?
Last season’s trip to Lyon for a European quarter-final, which we won 3-0.
What is your worst memory of an away trip?
There are many, but probably losing 7-1 at Manchester United.
What does your partner (if you have one) think about you doing it?
She is fine with it and is a football fan herself.
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