I tried to make this post have a more formal style of introduction, but I’ve realized, especially with the topic of fandom being one that fascinates me immensely, this is not going to be happening.
I find it interesting how the Critchley article talks about fandom, and especially with how it is passed down in families. He mentions how he is a Liverpool fan because that is where his family is from, and that was where his father played for a little bit. One part of this article that I thought was particularly striking was how he mentioned that when his son was born that he essentially forced him to be a fan of Liverpool as well. That part, while coming off in the article as a humorous moment, captures such a major part of fandom to me. That being family identity and influence. Now, I relate to this as my dad did the same thing to me, though it wasn’t with soccer. My dad forced my siblings and I to be fans of the New York Yankees from the moments we were born (sorry to every baseball fan in existence, except for Red Sox fans). Fandom being passed down is such a major part of fandom, and while it was mentioned off-handedly, I think it is such an essential part of the fan experience.
Another thing I find interesting about fandom is how some players are viewed as heroes to some fans, and to other fans those same players are seen as villains. Players like Zinedin Zidane, who was portrayed as a hero in the Critchley article, but in Bleacher Report’s top 25 villains in World Cup history, he was listed as the number 7 villain for headbutting Marco Materazzi. That headbutt is also interesting as Critchley stated that the world “was wishing that he had head-butted Marco Materazzi even harder.” Marco Materazzi is also listed as number 6 in that Bleacher Report article, which shows how many people dislike that guy. Players can be seen by different fandoms as heroes, or as villains, which is another key aspect of the fan experience, in my opinion.
All in all, I think that these two articles really showcase how the fan experience is, with the more personal aspects listed in the Critchley article, to the typical fan list style of article that Bleacher Report published. Fandom is one of the most important aspects, not just to the sport of soccer, but to all sports as a whole.
By Tommy Oneto
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