Why do we go to football?

Curryman

Curryman

Well-known member
I've given this some thought since the debacle of the England game, and come up with a few thoughts, I'm sure others will add to my theories

1. to watch a team I support;
2. to be entertained and enjoy the match;
3 to be part of the crowd;
4. the meet friends;
5 to have a few pints;
6 to come away thinking we won or we did our best.

Any others?
 
To me, I think it's the event. Supporting the team is part of what makes the event. If you're just there as a neutral then it's less of an event because it is, by definition a competitive thing.
I can't seperate the idea of 'being there' and 'supporting' as they're entwined.

It's the fact it's live. The sense of something playing out in front of you. There's something magic, hypnotic about it. It's familiar and on one level predictable about it, but on another level, each game is unique. There's a kind of constrained chaos in a football match, a randomness within the way it unfolds that is really engaging.

The shared experience is equally part of it. I'm not sure sitting in an empty ground watching the game would be any better than watching on ifollow. Being part of a crowd, all focussed on the same thing. Feeling the reactions of thousands of others. It's quite a unique experience. I can't think of many other places I've felt like that. Even at a gig or something, there's not the shared tension of 'what happens next'

I agree about the tribal thing as well. It taps into something deep. The need to be among 'your people' and guard your borders from 'the others from over the hill' or something! I dunno. There's lots in our psychology which is from long ago.
 
Willie Mcgrotty said:
Think it's very much a tribal thing as a fan.
Us vs another tribe.
Click to expand...
Think you are right Willie - it goes back to our neolithic pre-human ancestors living in their caves as hunter gatherers, males hunting some animal down in a co-ordinated pack, painting themselves in mud and grass camouflage and daubing animal dropping on themselves to disguise the human scent.

Meanwhile the females were out shopping at Sherwood ASDA then waiting for the men to get back from Deepdale.
 
Bottle said:
Think you are right Willie - it goes back to our neolithic pre-human ancestors living in their caves as hunter gatherers, males hunting some animal down in a co-ordinated pack, painting themselves in mud and grass camouflage and daubing animal dropping on themselves to disguise the human scent.
Click to expand...
Aren't we supposed to have evolved a bit? 🤣
 
Matesrates said:
To shout at the referee
Abuse away fans
Manage the selection and tactics better than the manager
Click to expand...
Well no.1 definitely applies to me, though I try hard not to.
No.2 depends on who they are.
However no.3 I”ll leave to others in case there is a major fall out with the people nearby me even if they are my mates😉😉
 
Your heart when something hits it straight in the middle which could be your football team,best friend,wife etc nothing else comes close.

Yes I've got hobbies but can't think apart from the above which gives me butterflies.
 
It's definitely no.1 but that was because my Dad took me to Bloomfield Rd before I even understood what was going on and indoctrinated me.
I've carrying on the tradition with my eldest but oddly 2nd son shows no interest.
Even during the NAPM years and the dismal football I never lost the love although it was sorely tested.
Supporting Blackpool is what I do.
 
On a cold wet winters night I sometimes wonder why. But you fear you’ll miss that one game where every emotion is pushed to the limit, coming away with a great result. It doesn’t usually happen that way though.
I go because I enjoy the natter with all the people I bump into & those I’ve arranged to meet before & sometimes after the game. Oh I nearly forgot, the actual match. Which is about the excitement of not fully knowing what will happen & you have to suffer sometimes to appreciate the better ones. You also let of steam & laugh when on field events shut up the opposition fans. Debate the game after & find out if others were watching the same game as you. I’m sure there’s much more like the atmosphere in a crowd for instance & live beats anything on TV & that’s not just football. That’ll do for starters.
 
Good question from the OP because all of a sudden the thing I took for granted was taken away, and now to be honest I'm re-thinking the whole thing.
Its not possible now to just go and enjoy the game because its become so 'political' in respect of tickets,fans engagement and all the other other nonsense that seems to consume supporters.

I used to jump on the old service bus from the Coliseum,ride over to Leeds then come home without having to book tickets etc where on occasions Jimmy Armfield used to give is a lift home.

Seems a lifetime away now and not nearly as much fun nowadays
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top