How the brilliance of local rivalries peps up our soccer scene

Also file under: Why MLS must embrace (and not resist!) local derbies

I have been so extremely lucky to get to travel the world to see soccer, sometimes on my dime, sometimes on the company’s.

I’ve walked the tunnels of majestic stadiums, seen the world’s most decorated teams and personally witnessed the emotion, glory and pageantry of it all.

And yet, one of my favorite soccer memories comes from a place that’s not exactly draped in glory. (Well, I suppose there is some glory if you were born and raised in the row houses of working class south London.)

My friends and I take a yearly trip to England, a long weekend where we squeeze in two or three matches. It’s a fast-paced excursion, pretty much all soccer and pubs – with no time for anything that people might know as jet lag. You just power through it and get back to work Tuesday morning.

We’ve hit most of the big stadiums over the years. But it was my second trip to Selhurst Park, the Spartan home of Crystal Palace, where I learned about the grimy passion of the local derby.

I had been to Selhurst once before, but on a very different type trip, one with my girlfriend. She’s a hardy soul and a global traveler, so I wasn’t too worried. Then again, I had never been to this hardscrabble area before. It is a bit … uh … seedy.

We got seats behind the goal and she was one of maybe three women in our grandstand. But the fans around us were warm and welcoming – abundant salty language aside – and the night was simply brilliant. Our new friends, agog that Yanks knew anything about football, much less about their beloved Selhurst Park, weren’t about to let us leave without coming ‘round to their pub after. Good stuff.

Three years later, Crystal Palace met Charlton in a South London derby when both sides were in England’s top flight. Furthermore, both sides languished near the bottom of the table, so this took on the additional tension and drama of a relegation battle.  I was with five of my soccer buddies. We found a tout who got us great seats about seven rows up near the middle of the field. To be so close and see, feel and hear the EPL pace was spectacular. But here’s the real memory:

We were quite close to the Charlton supporters, who were literally caged off like some wonders of the San Diego zoo. Rows of seats were strategically left open to create a no-man’s land between the rival fans. And the words going back and forth would make a member of the British Royal Navy blush.

When Dennis Rommedahl broke a scoreless tie with a late game-winner for Charlton – oh, Lordy, it was on! Those goofy wankers were climbing the fences and taunting and giving and getting from the goofy wankers on the other side. Stadium officials announced that Charlton fans would “be held for 30 minutes after the match for their own safety.”  Outside the grounds, a bunch of serious faces on horseback, men and women who would surely rather be spending their Sunday evening at home, sat rigid atop their mighty mounts, prepped and ready for anything.

That is a South London derby. Obviously, it’s the same all around the world with these high-profile rivalries: Rangers-Celtic, Milan-Inter, Benfica-Porto, Chivas-Club America, Boca-River Plate and so on.

So, here’s the thing when it comes to these brilliant, if troublesome, rivalries:

Let’s hope MLS does the right thing and reconsiders a rule stipulating that only 150 tickets must be made available to opposing teams.

I would love to see 1,000 tickets set aside in a particular section. Yes, security measures will need to be taken and certain procedures updated, etc. But it will be well worth it … believe me. (Obviously, most MLS matches won’t need anything close to this number. But selected matches certainly will.)

These selected rivalries will crank up the excitement for everyone around the league. I’ve written before and I’ll say it again here: the contentious, passionate Seattle-Vancouver-Portland triangle will take MLS places unseen so far.

Today, the supporters groups at those three places are having their voices heard, asking MLS to help themselves. In a very reasoned and democratic process (it’s Voting Day, after all!) they are banding to persuade MLS to alter its policies.Here’s the link with all the details.

Let’s hope Major League Soccer is listening, and that the conservative arms who still believe soccer is a “family sport” with no place for adult-beverage shenanigans are muted. Let these rivalries thrive! And this is one great way to do it.