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Turbulent Priests
It sounds like a scene from Father Ted. A football tournament in Rome, which has been supported by the Vatican, is coming under fire because of bad-tempered on-pitch behaviour and rowdy fans in the terraces.
The 18 teams are made up of young seminarians, priests and several lay members working in religious charities. While over 50 nationalities are represented in the tournament, teams and supporters have clustered around national groups. Supporters of a team of North American seminarians have taken to singing doo-wop anthems, while the fans of a team made up of African players have been playing Reggae numbers.
The Guardian reports that the noisiest culprits have been supporters of the Mexican Maria Mater Ecclesiae College team, who bring drums and loudspeakers into the stadium, much to the dismay of residents living beside the ground.
As the newspaper reports, the tournament may have a religious basis, but players are not immune to temptation. Last year's final was blighted by diving, while several red cards have been issued this year.
The holders, Italian priests of the Romano Maggiore Pontifical Seminary, are supported by fans who sing hymns before each match. It is too early to tell if the Almighty has been listening: EURSOC can vouch that prayers for victory are rarely heard - otherwise his team would have topped the table for the past twenty years.
