What Makes a Football Fan?
What makes a football supporter ‘a fan’? Going to the game, wearing a shirt, having your day ruined by the result - or hopefully wearing a smile for a week?
The news reports about the last derby game at Goodison Park - Everton’s home ground for 120 years until they move to a new stadium - got me thinking about this.
February 2025
What separates a casual supporter from a committed fan?
I’ve supported Manchester Utd since 1976 when they lost to Southampton in the FA Cup Final. I was six and living in Lincolnshire but had been introduced to the club by a family babysitter who let me and my brother stay up late to watch United on Match of the Day.
I went to my first game when I was nine - a battling 3–3 draw at Villa Park having been three down - and the die was cast. Seeing the team live was on-off for many years but Saturday (and Sunday) was defined by the United result.
This all came to mind as I listened to commentators saying fans would miss Goodison Park. For me, going to a game is special but it does not make you a fan.
A mate of mine is a Spurs season ticket holder and tells me there’s always so many South Koreans there - often in half and half scarves. Some support Spurs but many are there for Son Heung-Min. And that’s okay. Nothing wrong with that.
But do they feel the gut-wrench of losing a derby or the highs of a last minute equaliser in the same way as I do - or my mate does - when watching a game?
For me this visceral emotional reaction is what defines a fan - it’s not being in the stadium or wearing the shirt that matters. It’s the way it makes you feel.
I'm lucky to go to lots of Man U games, home and away. Seeing the highs and lows in the flesh - but it's the icing on the cake of being a fan. It’s not a non-negotiable requirement of being a fan.
United has so many supporters clubs across the world who gather to watch the game - they’re united by the emotions the club triggers.
It’s this depth of feeling too that connects you to other fans….the ability to strike up a conversation with another fan - for whatever team - anywhere in the world. You recognise a passion, a commitment, a shared torture 😂.
For me that’s what makes a fan. What do you think?