London 1-0 New York

While I was in New York last Autumn, we managed to organise a weekly London v New York football game in Central Park which was a lot of fun, and represented a real cultural exchange as we informed the New Yorkers that a trip to the pub was an obligatory part of an after-work sports outing! It was very disappointing though just how difficult it was to find anywhere to play in the huge Central Park for a 5-a-side kickabout—there are some proper pitches available for 3 months a year (they’re used for baseball the rest of the time!), but you need to apply for a permit 6 months in advance. We did eventually find a spot where a Ranger grudgingly let us play, but it was more dirt than grass.

In contrast, last night we had annual softball (weird form of rounders) game against another team in Greenwich Park. We just rocked up, laid out our cones, and played—the visiting Americans were shocked that not only could we just do this without a permit, but we had beer too (drinking in a park or street is apparently a heinous crime in the US). The New York office may have been rather more skilful at football than we were, but London is clearly the superior city. 😉