Getting To Know "Them"

What does being among the thugs mean?

As I started reading Bill Buford's book, Among the Thugs, I began to create an understanding of why people rage over football games. Buford after living for a long time in London, he first encompassed what it was like to encounter a football crowd, and what it was like to be among a football crowd. Unknown to what the "thugs" of the footballs clubs in England were, Buford became interested on them. 

What was written above, was a little summary of what I have read of this book. Now you can finally breathe, it's the moment you've all been waiting for: my own personal take on the book. As I keep reading, I realize that Buford looks at the Manchester thugs (or any other for that matter) as a weird species, and even refers to the thugs as "one of them." Buford, "wanted to meet a football thug," but according to him, "everyone around [him] look like one" (19). Even if he knew they differed from other fans, I realized he didn't really knew why. As the book continued he went to another game, a Manchester one, where he  "finally met one of 'them'". I do not know if thugs differ according to their respective football teams, all I know is that they are hardcore fans. Even though I talk about "them" as I didn't know them, I do, I have been among the thugs. Clearly in a different way, because as I asked before, "What does being among the thugs mean?" As for me being among thugs: was being trapped among a big quantity of fans that didn't let me escape to leave the stadium.. For Buford it might mean a different thing. He probably refers to being "Among the Thugs" as being a part of them, or at least pretending to be.

Here I leave you what thugs in Colombia, (aka: hinchas) would do for their team. For English's, rebellious thugs might just want to smash a window from a train, but "hinchas" from the Millonarios, team from Colombia, go to the extreme of taking weapons to their respective matches.

http://www.caracol.com.co/noticias/deportes/hinchas-de-millonarios-fueron-capturados-en-peru-por-robo-y-posesion-de-armas-antes-del-partido-de-copa-sudamericana/20120802/nota/1734010.aspx

This is what thugs are like: rebellious and loving fans to their respective teams. I can't help but wonder what will Buford do as this book progresses. Will he become one of "them"? Will he prefer Chelsea or Manchester? Sometimes I even wonder if he will become Rooney's best friend.

All this questions will be answered next Tuesday, at 8'0 central in Blogger.
JK, I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore.