This Week: Behind Closed Doors
This Week: Behind Closed Doors
Welcome to This Week from Premier Skills English, a weekly review of football action for learners of English from across the globe. In This Week, Rich and Jack talk about the latest action from the Premier League and have lots of football English for you to learn. Following the suspension of the Premier League, Rich and Jack take a look at some light-hearted stories which are making the news this week.
Transcript
Introduction
Jack: Hello my name’s Jack and welcome to our weekly round-up section called ‘This Week’ on Premier Skills English.
Rich: Hi there. I’m Rich. We’ve got lots of interesting words and phrases to help you talk about football in English.
Jack: We hope you are all staying well whether you are staying home or still going to work.
Rich: With no Premier League football at the moment we’ve changed the format of This Week a little. We’ve looked high and low for three news stories that we want to share with you.
Jack: This week, we’re looking at what clubs and fans might do if clubs need to play future matches behind closed doors.
Rich: We have chosen these stories because they are topical and fun but also so we can focus on some interesting bits of vocabulary that we think are useful to learn.
Jack: And we want you to use and practise these words and phrases by interacting with Premier League fans from around the world in our comments section.
Rich: If you listen to us on Apple Podcasts, you can leave your comments in the review section. We do read all the reviews and would love to hear from you.
Jack: You can find all our latest content on the Premier Skills English homepage or the Premier Skills-British Council Facebook page.
Rich: Don’t forget that we also have our weekly Premier Skills English Podcast that is released every Friday. Every week we help you with some different vocabulary or an aspect of grammar.
Jack: Our latest podcast is called Learning Vocabulary: Connection Problems. In the roleplay, we have a few technical issues with our video call and then we focus on vocabulary linked to making video calls. You can find the full lesson on the Premier Skills English homepage.
Rich: This week, after each headline, we will have a little discussion and look at some vocabulary. The words and phrases we are looking at this week are: behind closed doors, home advantage, resume, stand, screen and atmosphere.
Jack: We also have another fitness challenge and language challenge for you to have a go at.
Headline 1
Jack: Brighton look to pump up the volume at home.
Rich: With the possibility of future matches being played behind closed doors, Brighton & Hove Albion are discussing ideas on how to improve the atmosphere at a near-empty stadium. Ideas under consideration include flags covering empty seats and crowd noise through the stadium speakers to maintain home advantage.
Jack: We still don’t know when matches will be played again but some games taking place without fans at the stadium is definitely a possibility.
Rich: The phrase we use for matches played without fans is behind closed doors. We can use it in different ways - at the moment fans are discussing whether future matches will be played behind closed doors.
Jack: We can also use the phrase as an adjective. We can talk about behind-closed-doors matches or behind-closed-doors friendly matches.
Rich: The phrase can also be used more idiomatically in a general way. We might talk about transfer discussions or government meetings taking place behind closed doors. It means more generally that these discussions are private.
Jack: Brighton’s idea is to improve the atmosphere at empty stadiums but also to maintain home advantage. Brighton want to give their team the best possible chance to win.
Rich: Teams usually win more at home. Nobody really knows why but many think it’s because of familiar surroundings and thousands of fans supporting their team.
Jack: This is known as home advantage - the benefits to a team of playing in their own stadium, on their own pitch.
Rich: Our next headline takes this idea a little further.
Headline 2
Jack: Cardboard fans to attend games in Germany.
Rich: German top division side, Borussia Monchengladbach, have come up with a plan to let fans attend if matches resume behind closed doors. Fans can have a cardboard cut-out of themselves printed out and placed in the stands. Thousands of fans have already taken part in the ‘stay at home - be in the stands’ campaign.
Jack: This idea is funny - it reminds me of when one stand at Highbury - Arsenal’s old stadium, was being renovated. They had a giant mural behind the goal with pictures of fans.
Rich: Not sure if this would give a team better home advantage - I prefer the fake crowd noise. There would be a better atmosphere.
Jack: In the headline, you said if matches resume behind closed doors. We’re hearing this word - resume a lot at the moment.
Rich: Resume means to start again after a break or interruption.
Jack: It’s usually used in quite formal situations. You might hear examples in newspapers such as peace talks are set to resume after three years or contract negotiations are set to resume after the summer break.
Rich: And we’re seeing it a lot connected to football at the moment - when is the premier league going to resume? - nobody knows right now.
Jack: The other word I want to look at from this headline is stand. This is a very easy word when it is a verb - I stand on two legs, but what about a noun connected to football?
Rich: A football stadium traditionally has four stands around the pitch. The stands are where fans sit or stand to watch the game. At Anfield, the stand behind one of the goals is called the Kop - one of the most famous stands in football.
Jack: Stands are often named after where they are in relation to the pitch. Many stadiums have a north stand, a south stand, an east stand and a west stand.
Rich: Let’s take a look at our third and final headline.
Headline 3
Jack: Danish drive-in to deliver games to fans.
Rich: Danish top division club, FC Midtjylland, are hoping to give their fans an interesting way to see their club in action if the team have to play behind closed doors. The club is planning to put up giant screens in the club’s car park and thousands of fans will watch the match in their cars. The drive-in will then be screened live inside the stadium with the atmosphere provided by car horns when a goal is scored!
Jack: I like this idea - a drive-in keeps people at a distance. I’ve been reading about drive-in cinemas and concerts that are starting up in different countries. I’d like to go. It’s unusual but interesting.
Rich: A drive-in match - could it work? We’ll have to wait and see. Let’s look at a bit of language from the headline. I want to look at the word screen. I said that the club are putting up giant screens in the car park.
Jack: A screen is the flat surface that you find at the front of things like televisions, mobile phones and computers. We look at a computer screen or a TV screen.
Rich: I also said the drive-in will be screened inside the stadium. Screen is also a verb and it means to show something on a screen. The football match will be screened in the car park and the car park will be screened in the stadium.
Jack: Let’s look at one final word. That word is atmosphere. All three stories have been about creating an atmosphere in empty stadiums.
Rich: The atmosphere is the mixture of gases that surround our planet but it has another meaning too. The atmosphere of a place is the feeling that it generates. In football stadiums, fans create an atmosphere by singing and cheering together.
Jack: Or car horns in Denmark! On the Premier Skills English website, we’re going to ask you some questions about these stories.
Rich: We’ve looked at three stories and six bits of vocabulary. The words we’ve looked at are: behind closed doors, home advantage, resume, stand, screen and atmosphere.
Jack: Have a listen to the headlines again and see if you understand the vocabulary we’ve looked at.
Headlines (repeat)
Jack: Brighton look to pump up the volume at home.
Rich: With the possibility of future matches being played behind closed doors, Brighton & Hove Albion are discussing ideas on how to improve the atmosphere at a near-empty stadium. Ideas under consideration include flags covering empty seats and crowd noise through the stadium speakers to maintain home advantage.
Jack: Cardboard fans to attend games in Germany.
Rich: German top division side, Borussia Monchengladbach, have come up with a plan to let fans attend if matches resume behind closed doors. Fans can have a cardboard cut-out of themselves printed out and placed in the stands. Thousands of fans have already taken part in the ‘stay at home - be in the stands’ campaign.
Jack: Danish drive-in to deliver games to fans.
Rich: Danish top division club, FC Midtjylland, are hoping to give their fans an interesting way to see their club in action if the team have to play behind closed doors. The club is planning to put up giant screens in the club’s car park and thousands of fans will watch the match in their cars. The drive-in will then be screened live inside the stadium with the atmosphere provided by car horns when a goal is scored!
TASK: Fitness Challenge
Jack: Each week we’re trying to set you a fitness challenge and this week’s challenge comes from Southampton football club.
Rich: Your challenge this week is to help a parent or grandparent that is in your house with you and might not be getting out and doing their regular exercise.
Jack: Or you might want to help a neighbour or someone else you know. If you haven’t been doing as much exercise as you should have been doing recently then give the exercises a go yourself.
Rich: These exercises have been designed so that they are suitable for all but can be developed to challenge even the fittest amongst us, whilst requiring the minimum amount of space and equipment.
Jack: We’ll put a link to the video from the Southampton FC Foundation team on the Premier Skills English website and you can have a go yourselves. Let us know if you give it a go in the comments section.
Language Challenge
Rich: To finish up the show we’ve got a quick language challenge for you which is connected to this week’s vocabulary.
Jack: We’ve got three sentences and we want you to complete all the gaps with the same word.
Rich: I prefer to sit in the south ______ when I go to the match.
Jack: I _____ up and cheer when we get a corner.
Rich: I can’t _______ time-wasting!
Jack: We want you to write the correct answers on the Premier Skills English website where we have some more questions and activities connected to this week’s show for you.
Rich: Or write your answer on Apple Podcasts if that’s where you listen to us. Just write the answers in the review section and say hi.
Jack: Before we finish we just wanted to say that we hope you found this lesson useful and we hope that all of you stay fit and healthy and we’ll all be back watching Premier League football very soon.
Rich: Bye for now and enjoy your football.
Headlines
Brighton look to pump up the volume at home
With the possibility of future matches being played behind closed doors, Brighton & Hove Albion are discussing ideas on how to improve the atmosphere at a near-empty stadium. Ideas under consideration include flags covering empty seats and crowd noise through the stadium speakers to maintain home advantage.
Headlines
Cardboard fans to attend games in Germany
German top division side, Borussia Monchengladbach, have come up with a plan to let fans attend if matches resume behind closed doors. Fans can have a cardboard cut-out of themselves printed out and placed in the stands. Thousands of fans have already taken part in the ‘stay at home - be in the stands’ campaign.
Headlines
Danish drive-in to deliver games to fans
Danish top division club, FC Midtjylland, are hoping to give their fans an interesting way to see their club in action if the team have to play behind closed doors. The club is planning to put up giant screens in the club’s car park and thousands of fans will watch the match in their cars. The drive-in will then be screened live inside the stadium with the atmosphere provided by car horns when a goal is scored!
Vocabulary Alert
Language in the headlines
We looked at six words and phrases in our headlines that you can learn to improve your English. Take a look at the phrases in bold. Do you understand what they mean?
Plans are being discussed if matches have to be played behind closed doors. The phrase we use for matches played without fans is behind closed doors.
Ideas include crowd noise through the stadium speakers to maintain home advantage. Home advantage are the benefits to a team of playing in their own stadium.
German top division side, Borussia Monchengladbach, have come up with a plan to let fans attend if matches resume behind closed doors. Resume means to start again after a break or interruption.
Fans can have a cardboard cut-out of themselves printed out and placed in the stands. The stands are where fans sit or stand to watch the game.
The club is planning to put up giant screens in the club’s car park. A screen is the flat surface that you find at the front of things like televisions.
The drive-in will then be screened live inside the stadium with the atmosphere provided by car horns when a goal is scored! The atmosphere of a place is the feeling that it generates.
Fun
The Fitness Challenge
This week's fitness challenge comes from the Premier League and Southampton FC's Foundation. This workout is for everyone: young and old.
Can you do the fitness challenge? Let us know in the comments section if you felt energised or exhausted after the session and if you managed to get anyone else to join in with you.
You can find the video here.
Vocabulary
Language Challenge
Jack and Rich set you a language challenge. Here are the three sentences Rich and Jack gave you. Can you complete each sentence with the same word?
I prefer to sit in the south ______ when I go to the match.
I _____ up and cheer when we get a corner.
I can’t _______ time-wasting!
Write the correct answer in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
Discuss
Talk about the headlines
Jack and Rich looked at three stories in the news and some vocabulary that might be new to you. Now it's your turn! Have a look at the questions and write your answers in the comments section below.
- Do you think matches will be played behind closed doors? Do you think this is a good solution in the current crisis?
- Do you think it's important to create an atmosphere at football matches?
- Which club has the best idea? Brighton, Borussia Monchengaldbach or FC Midtjylland?
- Can you do our fitness challenge?
- Can you do our language challenge?
Write your comments and answers in the section below.
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Comentários
02/01/2022
points
Discuss
1. Yes. Very good projects.
2. Creating an atmosphere at football matches is essential part of the game and encourages players.
3. Danish FC Midtjylland's project seems original. Drive-in food service at the drive-in football matches also would be profitable investment-:)
4. Fitness challenge-Very nice and easy exercises that everybody can do it.
5. Language challenge- STAND
Phrases
• One of project under consideration is to give importance to the digital learning.
• Talks behind closed doors that contain something against public always frightened people.
• They have come up with a project to rearrange public relaxation areas.
• After divorce they resumed their social relations as a friend.
Notes
• Researches shows that "home advantage" affects match's result only by%15 percent not anymore.
• My team's (BJK) stadium located by the sea in İstanbul therefore we have "sea side stand" additionally-:)
02/01/2022 18:00
Tottenham Hotspur
5550
Discuss
1. Yes. Very good projects.
2. Creating an atmosphere at football matches is essential part of the game and encourages players.
3. Danish FC Midtjylland's project seems original. Drive-in food service at the drive-in football matches also would be profitable investment-:)
4. Fitness challenge-Very nice and easy exercises that everybody can do it.
5. Language challenge- STAND
Phrases
• One of project under consideration is to give importance to the digital learning.
• Talks behind closed doors that contain something against public always frightened people.
• They have come up with a project to rearrange public relaxation areas.
• After divorce they resumed their social relations as a friend.
Notes
• Researches shows that "home advantage" affects match's result only by%15 percent not anymore.
• My team's (BJK) stadium located by the sea in İstanbul therefore we have "sea side stand" additionally-:)
07/05/2020
points
1. I strongly believe that matches will be played behind closed doors. It is not the ideal world, but it is a good solution, provided that players and other workers follow the health procedures. We should not forget that teams depend on TV money to pay their employee's salary, and this money will only come if the matches take place somewhere.
2. It is a very good idea. Actually my team in Brazil, Corinthians, had the very same Brighton's idea in their last official match before the suspension when they played behind closed doors.
3. Both ideas are very clever, but I am going to choose Brighton's.
4/5. I can't stand anymore postponing the day to practise physical activities at home.
07/05/2020 15:12
Tottenham Hotspur
615
1. I strongly believe that matches will be played behind closed doors. It is not the ideal world, but it is a good solution, provided that players and other workers follow the health procedures. We should not forget that teams depend on TV money to pay their employee's salary, and this money will only come if the matches take place somewhere.
2. It is a very good idea. Actually my team in Brazil, Corinthians, had the very same Brighton's idea in their last official match before the suspension when they played behind closed doors.
3. Both ideas are very clever, but I am going to choose Brighton's.
4/5. I can't stand anymore postponing the day to practise physical activities at home.
29/04/2020
points
Hi everyone!
1. Well, I don't think it's a good solution but the best. Of course, football wouldn't be the same without fans. A match would not be the same with no surrounding people cheering and shouting loudly, the atmosphere are people. I think we all agree that a match without that would be boring. On the other hand if matches have to be played behind closed doors would not be profitable for any clubs . I'm sure that football players won't be happy at all playing that way, it means, the vibes they get from fans cannot be irreplaceable. Honestly I think it's more bad than good, it's an ungrateful show from club's chiefs to all the fans. The things are not easy though.
2. The atmosphere created by fans it's the biggest show of love, commitment and belonging's sense for a club. Fans are the 50% of all the scenario that means playing a football match. The colours, the shield, the city, the history, the stadium. All these represent each fan, so this is football.
3. All these three ideas come from heart so, I consider them all good, an exceptional show of affecting towards sport game and the clubs. But I like FC Midtjylland the most since they will be able of making sound and cheering in a way the team will hear it, besides it's a good plan for families, partners, friends, so it sounds wonderful. The idea of being screened live both in/out the stadium is such amazing.
4. Yes, I think it is a good exercise. I recommend that you do too
5. The word is "*****"
29/04/2020 00:40
Arsenal
65
Hi everyone!
1. Well, I don't think it's a good solution but the best. Of course, football wouldn't be the same without fans. A match would not be the same with no surrounding people cheering and shouting loudly, the atmosphere are people. I think we all agree that a match without that would be boring. On the other hand if matches have to be played behind closed doors would not be profitable for any clubs . I'm sure that football players won't be happy at all playing that way, it means, the vibes they get from fans cannot be irreplaceable. Honestly I think it's more bad than good, it's an ungrateful show from club's chiefs to all the fans. The things are not easy though.
2. The atmosphere created by fans it's the biggest show of love, commitment and belonging's sense for a club. Fans are the 50% of all the scenario that means playing a football match. The colours, the shield, the city, the history, the stadium. All these represent each fan, so this is football.
3. All these three ideas come from heart so, I consider them all good, an exceptional show of affecting towards sport game and the clubs. But I like FC Midtjylland the most since they will be able of making sound and cheering in a way the team will hear it, besides it's a good plan for families, partners, friends, so it sounds wonderful. The idea of being screened live both in/out the stadium is such amazing.
4. Yes, I think it is a good exercise. I recommend that you do too
5. The word is "*****"
29/04/2020
points
Hi Johan,
Thanks for your message. I agree with you, it's a very difficult situation and fans add so much to the game by providing the atmosphere through their support. It will definitely be slightly surreal if matches behind closed doors do happen.
Good work with the language challenge!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
29/04/2020 08:25
Liverpool
594
Hi Johan,
Thanks for your message. I agree with you, it's a very difficult situation and fans add so much to the game by providing the atmosphere through their support. It will definitely be slightly surreal if matches behind closed doors do happen.
Good work with the language challenge!
Rich - The Premier Skills English Team
29/04/2020
points
Hi Rich,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with people worlwide. It's a fantastic work. You can't even imagine how much you're helping others. Your podcasts are so funny and meaningful. Thank you so much, it has been one of the best ways to study English from my town, now from my home.
I hope we can back to see our clubs and enjoy the amazing atmosphere at stadiums again.
29/04/2020 23:46
Arsenal
65
Hi Rich,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with people worlwide. It's a fantastic work. You can't even imagine how much you're helping others. Your podcasts are so funny and meaningful. Thank you so much, it has been one of the best ways to study English from my town, now from my home.
I hope we can back to see our clubs and enjoy the amazing atmosphere at stadiums again.
24/04/2020
points
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
Jack: I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
Rich: I can’t ___have____ time-wasting!
24/04/2020 01:26
Tottenham Hotspur
1
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
Jack: I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
Rich: I can’t ___have____ time-wasting!
22/04/2020
points
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
I can't ***** time-wasting.
22/04/2020 19:01
Arsenal
2337
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
I can't ***** time-wasting.
21/04/2020
points
hi
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
I can’t ***** time-wasting!
i think the most suitable idea is the third (FC Midt.) because it would really help both the teams and the fans.
21/04/2020 22:54
Manchester United
146
hi
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
I can’t ***** time-wasting!
i think the most suitable idea is the third (FC Midt.) because it would really help both the teams and the fans.
21/04/2020
points
1. I don't think Premier League matches will be played behind closed doors but I would imagine that in Algeria there will be some matches behind total closed doors. In England some teams will manage to let some stands half empty in order to make some money that would be very needed these times.
2. It is very livy to afford some atmosphere in stadiums but nothing like fictive one.
3. I would prefer amongst the three ideas the FC Mitjilland's one.
5. The word ***** can fit the three phrases.
21/04/2020 14:55
Manchester City
3988
1. I don't think Premier League matches will be played behind closed doors but I would imagine that in Algeria there will be some matches behind total closed doors. In England some teams will manage to let some stands half empty in order to make some money that would be very needed these times.
2. It is very livy to afford some atmosphere in stadiums but nothing like fictive one.
3. I would prefer amongst the three ideas the FC Mitjilland's one.
5. The word ***** can fit the three phrases.
20/04/2020
points
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
I can’t ***** time-wasting!
1.- Well in my oponion, when the crisis leave us, one option to resume the season, could be matches behond close doors, only the players, of course, with all care about their health.
2.- Yes, is very important, the atmosphere is everything in a match, is the way the fans can support their team, like liverpool´s fans, singing "you´ll neve walk alone".
3.- Well, I think, the best idea is from de Brighton, songs good!
20/04/2020 23:25
Liverpool
817
I prefer to sit in the south ***** when I go to the match.
I ***** up and cheer when we get a corner.
I can’t ***** time-wasting!
1.- Well in my oponion, when the crisis leave us, one option to resume the season, could be matches behond close doors, only the players, of course, with all care about their health.
2.- Yes, is very important, the atmosphere is everything in a match, is the way the fans can support their team, like liverpool´s fans, singing "you´ll neve walk alone".
3.- Well, I think, the best idea is from de Brighton, songs good!