#football-fandom

#football-fandom

The 61-year-old is in search of something bigger than himself, in both a spiritual and physical sense. Wedged between open bars and long tables of catered food, professional football players young and old mingle with assorted VIPs. We're at the Adobe-sponsored NFL House, a party that on a normal day we would never sniff. But it is not a normal day; it is the day before the Super Bowl. For this weekend, we are not normal people. We are VIPs.

Researchers from Bielefeld University, Germany, found that fans' stress levels are a whopping 41 per cent higher on match days. A supporter's average heart rate jumped from 71 beats per minute on an average day to 79 beats per minute during an important fixture. The effect was even more pronounced for fans in the stadium, where the average heart rate was 23 per cent higher than that of those watching on television. Having a few drinks compounded the effect, with data showing that heart rates were five per cent faster among those who had consumed alcohol.

FC Bayern fans travel from all over the world to support their team at away matches - even if it takes them hundreds of kilometres through snow and cold. We want to get to know those who spare no effort or expense to see their beloved Bayern away from the Allianz Arena a little better: our away fans with their special stories, their love and their passion for FC Bayern.

Many had been introduced to Spurs through Son Heung-min, the beloved South Korean superstar. When Son was appointed captain in 2023 he became the first Asian player to lead a Premier League team, a boost not only for his already significant profile but that of Tottenham. For more than a decade, he brought a flow of Asian fans to Spurs matches.

This neighbour of mine was a retired engineer, a Norfolk boy, and a follower of both first team and academy, home and away. He was just one of thousands with a season ticket at the back of Carrow Road's lower Barclay stand: a Saturday afternoon companion, a stranger at the start of the last season who became a little less strange as the matches went by.

It was Manchester City against Huddersfield Town in 1987. I must have been about nine years old at the time. I always had a big family of City followers, so I was probably always going to be a blue rather than a red, but it was confirmed after this match as we won 10-1! I was with my uncle at the back of the North Stand at Maine Road. It doesn't get much better than that for a first game.

In November 1980, I was 13 and making my way to Firhill from East Kilbride alone, arriving at the game to discover there was no manager in the dugout. It seemed very strange but, as I went on my own and was too shy to speak to anyone while I was there, it wasn't until the next day that I found out via the Sunday Mail that Bertie Auld had resigned and gone to Hibs.

Although we didn't always have the money for the expensive new kits every season (I'm sure you can spot my mismatched camo shorts), we always had something Chelsea to wear. My dad would often dodge the high ticket prices by taking us to watch the women's team play, as well as the under-21s, where you would witness great talent at a fraction of the cost.