Fans Who Love Their Team Too Much
As one extreme Manchester United fan turned his living room into a mini Wembley Stadium after failing to get tickets to see his team win the 2008-9 Carling Cup final, we have to ask ourselves whether it’s possible to love your team too much.
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We are all used to seeing extreme fans with painted faces and bizarre outfits, but as these mostly light-hearted examples show, sometimes sports fans take their love of the game just that little bit too far.
In 2008, an extreme sports fan abseiled down the church tower to his own wedding. His bride arrived by canoe.
One American football fan faked a broken leg for six weeks in order to get out of going to his girlfriend’s sorority formal so that he could watch game seven of the Yankees-Red Sox American League Championship series in 2003. He wore a fake cast and used crutches and a wheelchair. When he was caught out he claimed that it had all been worth it!
Over one third of European internet users are sports fans and regularly visit sports sites, spending over 13 hours online each week – 10% more than the average user. Sports fans are twice as likely as average users to be using the internet at the same time as watching the TV. They just can’t get enough information on their team’s performance!
Image via Wikipedia
A medical survey among football supporters in north-east England in 2003 revealed an alarming rise in incidences of heart attacks and strokes following a loss by the local team. The most extreme was in Sunderland where a loss at home was followed by a staggering 63% rise in deaths in the hours following the match.
Just about every sport has had its fair share of streakers – people who think nothing of baring all for a few moments of chilly glory before they are hastily covered up and bundled off the field. One iconic image is that of the streaker at a 1974 Five Nations Rugby match being escorted off the pitch while a British policeman helpfully holds his helmet over the offending area!
Image via Wikipedia
Ice hockey fans have their fair share of strange traditions. In 1996, a Florida Panthers’ player was getting ready for a big game when he saw a rat run through the dressing room. He killed it with his stick and went on to score two goals. The fans started throwing so many plastic rats onto the ice when the Panthers scored that the NHL had to ban the tradition because games were being delayed for so long! For nearly 50 years, hockey fans in Detroit have been celebrating a big win by throwing an octopus onto the ice for reasons that are too complex to go into here!
Thankfully, there is always someone there to redress the balance of the sports-mad fan. When one ardent Newcastle supporter turned her pub into a shrine for her favourite football club, police ordered her to take down a scarf that they felt was insulting to rival Sunderland fans and likely to cause offence. They also fined her £400!
In a similar move, English police banned the wearing of England football shirts in pubs in Chichester during the 2002 World Cup Finals for fear that drunken, rowdy, shirt-wearing fans would get into fights and cause trouble. Clearly drunken, rowdy, semi-naked fans are considered preferable!
The world of the extreme fan truly is a strange, strange place!
By the same author: Arrested and Charged: Footballers in Trouble
14 Comments
Delightful read! I loved your sense of humor sprinkled throughout, yet you were able to capture the ludicrous seriousness of the fans. Nicely done, Alina.
I can relate to being so hooked on a team. I am a Michigan Univerity graduate and I became so connected to our football team that for many ears I would cry (men don’t cry) if when we lost a game and was ready to fight any opponent fans if they heckled us. I have since mellowed out but I still hurt when we lose.
Great article, at least the Man Utd fan will be happy today …
Great article! I don’t follow any sports, so I think the whole phenomena is insane!
I’m a born ‘n’ bred Man Utd fan myself, although I admit I’ve never gone so far as to turn my living room into a replica stadium!
if it makes them happy.. why not, as long as they don`t harm others..
I love soccer or as they call it in Germany Fussball. I watched the world cup on my honeymoon. Germany was playing in 1990 and my wife is from Berlin.
Fun piece. I’d streak to get on TV!!
Thanks,
Clay
I love you humor. It was a nice mix to a great write. A lot of insightful commentary. I spent some time in England, and they do take their soccer seriously…Excellent job!
Interesting. Thanks for sharing
a very interesting subject matter neatly done. Though basketball is the #1 sports in my country, I always watch football, and I go for Real Madrid..
Excellent article, Alina. This appears to be a fairly recent phenomenon. It certainly wasn’t like this when I was a youth. Perhaps sport is classed as a religion now!
nicely done! great article!
Great write up, as a Red fan myself I recognised some of the enthusiastic insanities, although I’ve never actually streaked myself, it’s too cold in the UK.
Enjoyed the humour too!