Slavia Prague were the intellectual's team, Dukla the army's. Roma are communist, Lazio fascist, why? What drove Herta Berlin fans to meet at the wall to listen to their team for 28 years? FOOTNOTES Journal-ista Nick Clarke reckons that if you really want to learn about a country, go to the footy

I once met a young English guy in Prostejov in the Czech Republic. Prostejov is a bit of a boring town (to put it mildly) but he'd been there for about 5 months, teaching a bit of English and frequenting far too many late night bars. At his farewell party I suggested that it was a pity he hadn't been anywhere else, never saw much of the mountains or the lakes which surrounded the city. Didn't know nearby Olomouc at all! Over a few beers he told me how much he hated the idea that you ought to do this or that, see this church or visit that museum when you're travelling. He'd been to Prague and crossed the Charles Bridge, of course he had, but he was just one of those travellers for whom the people, rather than the monuments or the culture, were the key to understanding a culture.

Shit, he was right! Didn't I use to say that as well? I didn't leave Lisbon for 2 years I was having such a good time! What had he done in his 5 months? He had made a load of good friends that's what, which is a lot more than the stag night tourists taking photos of the Charles Bridge do. Our departing English friend had got to know the locals by simply going out for a beer. There's no doubt that frequenting a local bar is a good way to get to know people, but I like to combine my pivo with a bit of culture, and when I want to meet the locals, I go to the football.

Let's get one thing straight, there's nothing wrong with liking football! Travel is no longer a middle class pursuit and football is no longer a working class game. In fact, backpackers ought to like football! Football has everything a backpacker wants! Loads of history, politics, culture, drinking and you get to meet the locals.

Some of the best times I've had travelling have involved football! Alex and the lads at his restaurant in Lisbon, with whom we watched games at first, then played with on very hung-over Sundays, went out clubbing with after and basically established a great club of ex-pats and locals. Belem, Brazil, during the World Cup, where I joined a samba band and danced on the bonnets of cars with top-less female fans. Deep in the Amazon watching England lose to the Germans (again!) with some new Brazilian friends (temporarily converted to the English cause) and being sent over fresh beers by some backpacking Germans hiding in the corner. A cup final in Lisbon, set in a fantastic amphitheatre in a wonderful wooded area outside the city, mingling, drinking and running from the gypsies. A freezing night in the stands in Vienna, sharing rum tea with a friendly couple from Linz. Drinking 'Shake Shake' and dancing with my fellow villagers through the bush in Malawi to our rival's dirt pitch next to the lake.

Yeah, football has it all! Looking at the history of the clubs gives you an understanding of the local life, an insight into the workings of the local and national politics and the character of the people. If you arrive alone in a city, where do we normally go? Correct - to a bar! Well, going to a match gives you an excuse to talk to people, something to talk about, and there's always loads of beer available anyway. Find out when an important match is on TV and find a good local bar showing it. I guarantee you will be swept away in the enthusiasm and the passion and may even establish as many long lasting friendships from the experience as I have.

Suggested reading:
The Rough Guide to European Football: A pretty good guide to the history of the clubs (It doesn't have West Bromwich Albion in so obviously doesn't include all the top clubs!). Also contains advice on where to eat and drink nearby.
The Beautiful Game by Chris Taylor: A sort of travelogue through the good, the bad and the ugly of Latin American football.
A Book of Two Halves (Indigo): A collection of football stories from various writers including Irvine Welsh and quite a few female writers.