It's just like watching Brazil

Ok I'm sorry - this another football posting. But the experience of watching Santos play at home to Palmeiras was pretty special for someone use to the insipidity of English football fans.
An inkling of what was to come came as we stood in a bar next to the ground watching Massa win the Brazilian GP. As Hamilton slipped from his required 5th, to 6th place on the penultimate lap, the roar was deafening. No-one seemed to notice in the pandemonium that greeted Massa taking the flag, that the tenacious Hamilton had clawed his way back to 5th at the last corner - me included, as I slipped away before anyone noticed I was a Brit.
In the ground your ticket guides you to your section - but once in, you sit where you can. Suggestions about 'getting a programme' excited a certain amount of mirth from my companions...
Getting a seat at the back of the section is fine, so long as you don't mind not seeing the ball every time it's more than 10 feet above the ground, so low is the tier above. Both ends are standing and open to the elements - and both are incredibly vocal. The green Palmeiras section at one end gave a very good account of themselves. But compared to the wall of sound immediately to our right, all their efforts were barely audible. The home end was extraordinary in its 90 minute performance of singing and clapping, with a variety of chants and the continual fast samba beat of drums, keeping the whole crowd revved up to fever pitch - take note Hornby. What team could not play for such fans? The so-called Baggy Bounce is also in evidence, but this being Brazil, it's a co-ordinated bounce which, viewed from afar looks like gusts of wind crossing a wheat field. The atmosphere is so excited and exciting as a result, that you cannot help but be moved to jumping and shouting yourself, even if you are a neutral and haven't got a clue what to shout.
The referee takes huge abuse, and walks off flanked by the linos, and 3 riot police holding shields above their heads to protect the ref from stuff being thrown at him. One thing they do which is a REALLY good idea, and I don't know why we don't do it here, is that the ref carries some sort of paint can with bio-degradable spray, which he sparys at the spot where a free kick is to be taken from. He then paces 10 yards, and sprays a line for the defenders to stand behind. Easy.
With the game tied up after 75 minutes at one apiece, the announcer announced the crowd. 14 odd thousand. 14 ODD THOUSAND?? You're joking - they sounded like 60,000, I swear it. I thought to myself, as I watched a tropical storm cross the ground and open ends, and diminish the noise not one jot, that EVERY Premiership season ticket holder should be forced to watch this, first hand, to see how really to support your team - especially Wigan and Blackburn supporters, who are particularly woeful in this respect. This IS Fever Pitch Mr H - the Highbury Library it most certainly isn't.
For the record Palmeiras grabbed a late winner - not that their supporters will have seen it, due to the smoke drifting over the ground from the home fans' guttering flares. Come to think of it, I'm not sure the Santos defence did either.
And watch out for the Palmeiras left-back, Leandro. Very classy.