Learn English Through Football Podcast: Silence the crowd


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Nov 15 2024 8 mins  
Learn English Through Football Podcast: Silence the Crowd

In this football language podcast we take a look at the phrase, 'silence the crowd' and how it is used in football. We also look ahead to next weekend's football with our predictions competition. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at [email protected].

Welcome

DF: You're listening to the Learning English Through Football Podcast.

Hi everyone, my name's Damian and I am in London and I am one half of the Learn English Through Football Podcast team. The other half is, of course, Damon, who is based in Tokyo, where I hear there is some lovely autumn weather: bright but chilly. The weather here in London is similar to that in Tokyo. I wonder what's the weather like where you are?

Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Dutch)

Today's Show

DF: Yes, you are listening to Languagecaster.com, and that message was in Dutch. You will hear some more stingers throughout the show - do you know what languages they are? Would you like to add your own language for a future podcast? If so, then let us know how to say 'you are listening to the Learn English Through Football Podcast' in your language and send it on to us at [email protected].

Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Thai)

DF: Right, so this week is an international break which means that there are no domestic club matches taking place but instead we have Nations League and [2026] World Cup qualifiers. We're going to look at a phrase that emerged from one of those Nations League matches and we will also take a look at some predictions from some of the other big international matches.

Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Greek)

Silence the Crowd

http://gty.im/2184821484

DF: We have already mentioned that it is an international break and so I am going to explain a phrase that I heard from the Nations League game between Greece and England: 'to silence the crowd'. When a team plays at home they tend to have advantages such as they don't have to travel too far, they know their surroundings well and of course the crowd or home support is going to be mostly cheering them on. The influence of the home crowd is often an important factor and sometimes they can affect how the away team performs; the home fans often try to intimidate the away team, for example.

In their Nations League game, England travelled to Greece knowing that the home support would be very loud in order to try and put off the England team. But an early goal from England's Ollie Watkins meant the crowd soon became quiet - England quietened the crowd or another phrase that we use is 'silenced the crowd'. In this situation, the atmosphere is not as hostile and the away team are under less pressure.

Sometimes we hear a manager or a player say before an away game (especially at a difficult away ground), that their team will try to 'silence the crowd' early on which means that they can take the sting out of the game; they keep the ball ...