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Football's new foreign legion

By Jonathan Wilson
Published: Jan 07, 2005

After attracting players from abroad, many European clubs are also drawing in overseas fans, says Jonathan Wilson.

There is Guinness and Kilkenny on tap, pork chops and chips on the menu, and Manchester United memorabilia on the walls. As the many televisions around the room show Roy Keane leading his United team out of the tunnel before the Manchester derby, a group of fans grouped in front of the big screen at one end of the bar strikes up with, "Wooohhhh, woh, woh, wowowowoooohhhhh, Keano, Keano." At that moment, a similar scene is probably being played out in Irish pubs the length and breadth of Britain.