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Welcome to The Tap-Inn. We serve simple, witty, twice-weekly explainers to help you understand soccer, the world’s most popular sport. No assumed knowledge, no PhD-level tactics, no nonsense.

—Joe, your Irish bartender (no, really)

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Sound Like A Regular

“Ultras”

/ˈʊltrəz/

phrase · soccer

Definition:
Organized hardcore supporter groups who run the singing, the flags, the drums and the giant banner displays behind one goal. They stand for all ninety minutes, win or lose.
Origin:
Italy, late 1960s. AC Milan's Fossa dei Leoni is usually credited as the first group of its kind. "Ultra" comes from the Latin for "beyond," which tells you how far they take it.

Used in a sentence

“That wall of noise from one end all game? That's the ultras. They painted the banner, bought the drums and got there two hours and 7 pints before kickoff.”

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Games At The Bar

WHAT PL TEAM MATCHES YOUR PERSONALITY?

Find Your Premier League Club

New to the Premier League? Take our quick quiz and discover which team matches your personality, values, and style!

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WHAT KIND OF FAN ARE YOU?

Want to get into soccer? Start here.

Answer ten questions about how the game works and we'll tell you what kind of fan you already are — and how to fill in the bits you don't know yet!

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2
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10,000+
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THINK YOU KNOW THE LANGUAGE OF SOCCER?

Understand soccer? Let’s find out.

Ten things we’ve overheard at the bar. Ten chances to prove you know what they mean. Plus: get your own personalised soccer 'style of play' at the end!

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2
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How to read the numbers in common soccer formations and what they reveal about a team's intentions.

03Competitions

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England's second domestic knockout competition, why it keeps changing names, and why clubs care more than they admit.