[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t has now been revealed that Arsenal Football Club players have certain rituals they carry out individually and as a team before they start playing any match. Wandering how this is related to motoring, a survey that produced the revelation was carried out by Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of Findlay, Ohio, USA.
Pre-match rituals are a big part of football for players and supporters alike. Cooper Tire Europe, the first ‘Official Tyre of Arsenal Football Club’, decided to delve into this fascinating realm of pre-match rituals, asking players and fans, how they get MatchReady?
As the tension builds in the minutes leading up to kick-off, the players are getting ready and so are the fans. In a recent survey commissioned by Cooper Tire Europe, 78% of Arsenal fans were found to have a specific pre-match ritual, and more than half (55%) of respondents claimed to be superstitious.
Cooper began its research with none other than Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck and Laurent Koscielny.
Midfielder Chamberlain revealed that he always hops onto the pitch and puts his left shin pad and boot on before his right, admitting, “I don’t know why, but I’ve just always done that.”
Arsenal forward Welbeck doesn’t really have a superstition but, like many players, listens to music before a game to get in the zone. Defender Koscielny psyches himself up by slapping his face – this gets the Frenchman ready for the challenge as shown in Cooper’s MatchReady fan film: http://bit.ly/19Kg0yX
Arsenal fan rituals that emerged from the survey included:
(a) Always going through the same turnstile at the Emirates
(b) Putting on ‘game day’ socks
(c) Saying the same thing out loud with every kick-off
(d) Clapping until 17 seconds into the game
(e) Eating the same pre-match meal
(f) Listening to a special playlist
(g) Walking the dog to calm the nerves
Survey was completed among a sample of 54 Arsenal fans early this year(2015).
About Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd.
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe Ltd, a subsidiary of the Cooper Tire & Rubber Company of Findlay, Ohio, USA, has more than a century’s experience at the leading edge of tyre technology. Cooper produces a full range of tyres for passenger car and 4×4 applications under the Cooper and Avon brand names, together with Avon motorcycle tyres
