Berkley Center

Soccer—or football, as they call it in the United Kingdom—is deeply engrained in the fabric of English culture. Football was born in England, and once you get a taste of the passion the fans have for the sport, this fact comes as no surprise. Brits love football. The level of play, both at the amateur and professional level, is stellar. But what has truly struck me about football in the United Kingdom is not only the highly competitive level at which it is played, but also the socio-cultural flavor the sport has obtained over the decades.

For years, I have been an avid football fan. I am a devoted supporter of the Tottenham Hotspurs (commonly referred to simply as Spurs) and keep a watchful eye on their progress in the English Premier League, even when I am not studying abroad. A couple of weeks ago, I took a trip into North London to watch the Spurs take on Sheffield United at their famed stadium, White Heart Lane. The atmosphere at the Lane was palpable. The Tottenham faithful roared anthems of encouragement toward the field of play, and the Sheffield supporters returned them with deafening chants to counter. You could read the tempo of the game in the faces of most fans without even looking at the pitch. When Tottenham striker Harry Kane slotted away the decisive one-nil goal, I could literally feel the ground rumbling beneath me. I had never met the guy sitting next to me before, but he did not hesitate to throw his arm around my shoulder midst belting out the age-old Spurs victory anthem, “COME ON YOU SPUUUURS, COME ON YOU SPUUUURS!” It was one of the most rowdy and memorable experiences I have had abroad.

I have also watched countless Tottenham games at pubs in Oxford. With people yelling curses at the television screen (and sometimes even at others around them), the atmosphere can often be described as borderline hostile. Nevertheless, there is always a sense of solidarity among supporters of the same team. This camaraderie unites Brits and non-Brits alike, from all walks of life, each time their favorite team takes the field. I love the idea that the man with his arm around me at White Heart Lane could have been from any walk of life in Great Britain; he could have been a local police officer or a North London banker. Social status, race, gender, and ethnicity are all irrelevant variables in British football fandom—rather, it is passion for the game that unites and defines the sport.

My impression is that British fans view football as more than simply a form of entertainment. They take pride in their hometown team. In many cases, they take ownership of their favorite team. A league loss becomes a personal loss; the identity of the fan and the identity of the club almost become one. It is fandom at its most superb level, a thrilling sight to watch and even more euphoric to participate in.

I used to wonder why so many British football clubs names end with the word “United.” Leeds, Rotherham, Sheffield, West Ham, Newcastle, and of course Manchester United. Now the answer seems so obvious.