4
May

Trecker’s Travels, Day Three: May Day

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Photo: Jamie Trecker / FOX Soccer

By Jamie Trecker

SALFORD, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

The drums began around 11 this morning. I walked out of the flat I am renting and turned right into a group of policemen. They were keeping one eye on a rag-tag group that had gathered in the courtyard of the Salford Cathedral, next to one of Chapel Street’s better-known pubs.

This is May bank holiday weekend in England, and here in Manchester it is the weekend for May Day protests. May 1 saw protests around the globe – crowds rallied in Athens and Madrid to protest austerity measures and Seattle made news as 18 marchers were arrested after eight policemen were injured. Here, May Day was delayed, but not deferred.

May Day goes unremarked upon in the United States. The traditional start of spring in Europe doesn’t have the same visceral connection to workers in the States as it does here, and, to my chagrin, most European news of late in our press has started and stopped with Amanda Knox. But Manchester has a long history of worker activism and the city has never lost their emotional tie to this holiday.

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8
Feb

Gus Johnson talks to FOX Soccer ahead of his 1st match!

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Gus Johnson will make his FOX Soccer debut this coming Wednesday on our broadcast of Real Madrid vs. Manchester United (LIVE from 2:30 ET). We caught up with Johnson as he was headed out to Madrid from New York City, en route to what is sure to be one of the games of the season.

FOX Soccer: Gus, you’ve made a great name for yourself as a multifaceted commentator on college sports, basketball and football – what attracted you to take the leap to the world’s game?

Gus Johnson: I just think it’s a great opportunity. Soccer is a true world sport, a game that is loved by millions on our planet. I love the passion of it, and it’s a chance for me to stretch and grow. I’m still really trying to understand the soul of this game – it’s an intriguing sport to me, and I’m so drawn to the emotions it gets out of people. When I was in England last year, I was at games and I have to say, I had never seen such passion out of sports fans anywhere. I’ve called basketball and football games in almost every major stadium in America, and I had never seen anything like this – it’s almost more important than religion for them. So, one of my goals is to understand that, and to discover the meaning that this sport has for so many people.

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