Football's Better with Fans

Devotion and Emotion, Cheers and Beers

Antony Rickson

• Publisher: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• eBook ISBN:
  9781801500234
• Year: 2021

Football stadiums are supposed to be packed with cheering fans. It was that way for more than 100 years until the coronavirus pandemic changed all our lives. Football managed to struggle on at some levels but without crowds - just cardboard cut-outs and fake noise instead. There was even a half measure for a while with a couple of thousand spectators allowed in. A banner at Old Trafford read, 'Football is nothing without fans', but what we discovered is that it isn't nothing, it's just better with fans there. Filled with fascinating stories, anecdotes, opinions and social media comments, Football's Better with Fans explores what it means to be a supporter. It's a light-hearted and highly dippable look at the lives of loyal fans, the fun and games they've enjoyed, their songs, banter, commitment, tattoos and traditions. The book doesn't shy away from tragedies, hooliganism or racism, but mainly it's a joyful celebration of football fandom and how we all survived when we couldn't go to games.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• 1. Super shambles: No one likes us
• 2. Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be
• 3. Empty grounds: It’s all gone quiet over there
• 4. Fans return: What’s it like to see a crowd?
• 5. Nostalgia: Don’t look back in anger
• 6. Starting young: Stairway to heaven
• 7. Families: Back home they’ll be thinking about us
• 8. Fanatics: We’ll support you evermore
• 9. Jokers: Feeling glad all over
• 10. Tragedies: You’ll never walk alone
• 11. Charities: Marching on together
• 12. Social media: You only sing when you’re winning
• 13. Fan power: We’ll keep on fighting until the end
• 14. Players: He’s one of our own
• 15. Non-league: Did you come in a taxi?
• 16. Managers: You’re getting sacked in the morning
• 17. Celebrities: Bring me sunshine
• 18. Protests: I want to be in that number
• 19. Music: Let’s all have a disco
• 20. Fans’ lives: I did it my way
• 21. Literature and arts: Is this is a library?
• 22. Clubs: Keep right on to the end of the road
• 23. Internationals: 30 40, 50 years of hurt
• 24. Mascots: Always look on the bright side of life
• 25. Our stories: We shall not be moved
• 26. Extra time: It’s the final countdown
• Acknowledgements
• Bibliography
• Photos