Special People – the Football Fan
I couldn’t help but overhear a conversation among four football fans while taking a train to last night’s Watford v Leeds United match. I was going to point out that they are a unique breed, but each club has tens of thousands of loyal supporters who would travel to the ends of the earth to support their club.
My train group consisted of two Norwegians, an Englishman living abroad, and another supporter from London. The Norwegians, who were both Leeds United supporters, were asked how often they see their beloved Whites. Both replied that they only managed to get across 16 or 17 times in a season!!
The next question arose: how did they both manage to evade the consequences? What did their partners think about it? One of the Norwegians remarked, “Ah, that’s easy. I brought my partner along, and now she understands!” Excellent, we’ve recruited another fan!
The other Norwegian replied, “I always say the trip is special because it’s Gunnar’s, Henrik’s, Anders’s, or whoever’s birthday. When she gets cross, I remind her that it’s their 50th, and we want to celebrate by watching Leeds United. Gunnar’s been 50 for about the last ten years now!”
The Englishman living abroad responded, “It’s difficult because I have to fly in from Europe. I have meetings all over the place, but it’s just luck that every time I have a meeting in the UK, there happens to be a Leeds United game on!” Now that’s an efficient PA with a Leeds United fixture list close at hand.
Football fan loyalty transcends wins and losses; it is rooted in a profound emotional bond with the club and a shared identity with fellow supporters. For many, being a fan is not merely about the game—it’s about belonging to a community, a family, where the connection to the team and its history becomes an integral part of who they are. The four travellers on my train were united as one.
So, to all of you who are loyal to your team, I salute you—you make the game very special for everyone involved. Thank you.
#Fandom #Community #FootballFan #FootballFamily
Brilliant Tony. You speak great sense and your comments on LUFC are perfect. Top gent.