How We Go Columbia: English soccer, Columbia style at Cock ’N’ Bull Pub
A group of 10 to 20 Arsenal fans stand each weekend in front a TV over a fireplace at the Cock ’N’ Bull Pub, 326 S. Edisto Ave., holding glasses of beer tightly and waiting for the next goal or close call. We wear red and white (home) or yellow (away) jerseys, but they all have the same crest above the heart that features a cannon, the inspiration for the team’s Gunners nickname.
The fans of the 129-year-old north London soccer team have found each other through a new chapter of the Arsenal’s American supporters group formed by a pair of University of South Carolina students. We usually meet on weekend mornings because of the time difference for the matches in Europe.
We’re joined at the Cock ’N’ Bull by fans of other English and Spanish league teams who have come to watch their games. The banter, even among fans of rival teams, is friendly as we talk over the latest news about our clubs and favorite players. It’s like a face-to-face online soccer chatroom for Columbia-area soccer fans.
The Columbia Gunners, as our group is called, can be loud. We sing team songs (“One-nil to the Arsenal”) and grumble about missed scoring chances or bad passes. You can imagine what we’re like when the Gunners get a goal. Passions run deep, like with any team you love.
We spend two hours as if we’re sitting inside Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium across the Atlantic from a spot two miles north of USC’s Williams-Brice Stadium. It’s our version of a football road trip without leaving the Capital City.
Andrew Shain became an Arsenal fan a decade ago after reading Nick Hornby’s autobiography “Fever Pitch,” about his lifelong love for the storied English soccer team. Last year, The State political reporter joined college students, young professionals and a few older fans like himself to form a local supporters group that meets weekly at a Columbia bar to watch Arsenal games.
This story was originally published July 23, 2015 at 1:50 PM with the headline "How We Go Columbia: English soccer, Columbia style at Cock ’N’ Bull Pub."