In England, "prawn sandwich brigade" is a derogatory term for people who attend
association football matches primarily to enjoy
luxury boxes and corporate hospitality, rather than support a team or enjoy the sport.
The term originated from a media comment by
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
captain
Roy Keane
Roy Maurice Keane (born 10 August 1971) is an Irish football pundit, coach and former professional player. He is the joint most successful Irish footballer of all time, having won 19 major trophies in his club career, 17 of which came during ...
, who felt certain sections of the crowd had not been vocal enough in their support, and at times too quick to criticise minor mistakes, during the
Champions League game against
Dynamo Kyiv in November 2000:
The term is often attributed to a direct Keane quote; in fact, the term originated in the print media in reaction to Keane's comments.
The 2009 film ''
The Damned United'' depicts
Brian Clough castigating the directors of
Derby County for luxuriating in corporate hospitality suites with "prawn sandwiches" but "failing to understand" the game of football. The scene is set in 1973, but Clough's tirade in the film was probably inspired by Keane's comments of 2000.
References
{{footy-stub
Association football terminology
Pejorative terms for people
2000s neologisms
Quotations from sports