Jamie Redknapp? Are you from the mars?
Well I have an exam tomorrow so I'll type it up after that. Not sure if I'll pull up some of my old research but I think some of you will find it interesting.I'll read it.
Cheers mateWell I have an exam tomorrow so I'll type it up after that. Not sure if I'll pull up some of my old research but I think some of you will find it interesting.
Here's my post as promised:Cheers mate
Exactly. I think it's more of an internet phenomena in general than something specific to football. We're still finding our way with this new style of discourse, and it's inevitably going to veer towards the extremes as participants try to distinguish themselves. Add to that a mobbish tendency as, like all good hearted people, most of us are supporting United and so are of a like mind.I think fans today in the internet forum era now have a place to express their feelings any time of the day, any mood, any emotion at any one time. Before the internet, fanzines, radio and at games where fans were able to express publicly what they thought. Fanzines were unable to print all letters so many didn't get published and only so many callers got through on the radio.
These days any fan with access to the net can vent at any moment.
Enjoyable read, thanks again mate.Here's my post as promised:
depending on how the day goes, i'll see if i'll have time to write part 2. For me personally, it's a bit more interesting as it comprises of more factors that we dont necessarily see but are all around us. It's made modern day football fandom an absolute paradox imo.Enjoyable read, thanks again mate.
That's not necessarily true. We'd have to look at the history of fandom for different countries to really say it's 'always been like this'. The reason I say this is because from a cross-cultural perspective, it seems that it would have different effects on people since they come from different cultures.Always been like this tbh. As with everything, internet has just made it more noticeable.
In the 60s it wasn't unusual for a United fan to go and watch City play, and vice versa - and not just to cheer on the opposition.Always been like this tbh. As with everything, internet has just made it more noticeable.
I'll look forward to it.depending on how the day goes, i'll see if i'll have time to write part 2.
*rubbing chin* that is very interesting. not sure what part of the world you're in but I think I'll be able to write the second part tonight and I think you'll see some similarities with what you've posted above.I'll look forward to it.
The fan phenomenon does interest me, because the emphasis on the tribal seems to trivialise it. Football links people together as well and not always on club partisan lines. It's a conversation opener, a shared understanding and a safe way of letting off steam. Which last task is also probably part of the reason it sounds like paranoia at times.
One of my favourite football fan psychology experiments was done by Lancaster University, see:
http://www.psych.lancs.ac.uk/people/uploads/MarkLevine20041022T120434.pdf
Summarising its results. If you talk to United fans about United and then stage an accident - the fan is more likely to help someone wearing a United shirt than someone who isn't, though they don't treat a Liverpool shirt wearing fan worse than someone in an unbranded shirt.
If you talk to United fans about being a football fan and then stage an accident - the fan is more likely to help someone wearing a football club shirt than someone who isn't, even if it's a Liverpool shirt.
That would be it for me. I've found it hard to enjoy football at the highest level for a while now. Watching my local team gives me a connection and also pride. I started following Liverpool when I was a lad and the large Irish contingent and success of the 80s helped influence me greatly as a lad but I dont see football at the top level in the same way anymore. Over exposure in every sense. Players being analysed and over analysed along with managers. You no longer get the occassion of a youth team player you've never heard of pop up in the first team and really impress. Watching my local club I find myself more accepting of mistakes by all on the park (even the ref!) and willing lads to do better even though you sometimes feel that they may be restricted from a playing point of view. I think what I'm trying to say is that I dont have an expectation of winning when I watch and a win is a bonus for me, which is why I get the feeling of joy when watching a win but similarly a loss doesnt knock me to the point of depression. It just leads to commiseration and a chat about the game down the local afterwards with the opposition in tow drinking soup provided by dedicated people.I used to go to football regularly in the late 70s & 80s and without the Internet thing it still became really tedious
Then i started watchin non league football regularly at Woking, all the things i first enjoyed about fotball were still there, everybody was happy and it was great
It's worth giving it a go