11 Weird Things Football/Soccer Fans Do - All About Chess And Football

Fans of all mainstream sports are weird, but when it comes to football, the level of enthusiasm is unparalleled.

In this blog, we will explore 11 peculiar behaviors exhibited by football fans and attempt to explain why they engage in them:

1. Acting Like Kids

Football fans may sometimes exhibit childlike behavior, such as acting like babies, when they meet their favorite players.

This behavior can be attributed to several factors, including overwhelming excitement, the fan-player dynamic, childhood nostalgia, loss of inhibition, desire for attention, and social influence.

Overwhelming Excitement: Meeting a favorite football player can be an exhilarating experience for fans, especially those who have idolized them for a long time. The sheer excitement of being in the presence of someone they admire greatly can evoke strong emotions, similar to those experienced by children meeting their heroes.
Fan-Player Dynamic: Fans often perceive football players as larger-than-life figures, akin to superheroes or celebrities. This perception can create a power dynamic where fans feel somewhat inferior or in awe of the players. Acting like babies may be a subconscious way for fans to express their admiration and reverence for their idols.

Childhood Nostalgia: Many football fans develop their passion for the sport and loyalty to specific players during childhood. Meeting a favorite player can bring back nostalgic memories of watching them play as a child, evoking feelings of innocence and wonder associated with childhood.
Loss of Inhibition: In the presence of someone they deeply admire, fans may lose their usual inhibitions and behave in ways that they wouldn’t under normal circumstances. This can manifest as acting childlike or giddy, as fans let go of their adult personas and allow themselves to fully embrace the moment.
Desire for Attention: Meeting a favorite player is often a rare and special occasion for fans, and they may seek attention or validation from the player as a way to affirm their fandom. Acting like babies or expressing extreme enthusiasm can be a way for fans to stand out and leave a lasting impression on the player.

Social Influence: In some cases, fans may mimic the behavior of others in the crowd or emulate what they’ve seen in media portrayals of fan interactions with players. If they perceive that acting like babies is a socially acceptable or expected way to express admiration, they may follow suit without much thought.

2. Fighting

Unfortunately, some fans engage in abusive behavior towards opposition players in stadiums.

This behavior can be attributed to passion and rivalry, group mentality, social norms and expectations, desire to intimidate, expression of frustration, and lack of consequences.

Emotional Investment: Football fandom often involves a deep emotional investment in a team or player. When discussions arise about football, particularly concerning contentious issues or rivalries, emotions can run high. Fans may feel personally attached to their team’s success and be more inclined to defend their opinions passionately, leading to arguments and conflicts with others who hold opposing views.
Identity and Belonging: Supporting a football team can become a significant part of someone’s identity, shaping their sense of belonging to a community of fans. When disagreements arise over football-related topics, individuals may perceive it as a challenge to their identity or loyalty, prompting defensive reactions and confrontations with others who question their allegiance or opinions.
Competitiveness: Football is inherently competitive, both on the field and among fans. Discussions about football can sometimes escalate into competitions of knowledge, where individuals vie to prove their expertise or superiority over others. This competitive spirit can fuel arguments and conflicts, as participants strive to assert their dominance or defend their honor.

Miscommunication and Misunderstanding: Football discussions can be prone to miscommunication and misunderstanding, especially when participants have different levels of knowledge or interpret information differently. Differences in interpretation, language barriers, or cultural differences can lead to disagreements that escalate into conflicts if not addressed with patience and understanding.
Alcohol and Social Settings: Football discussions often take place in social settings such as bars, pubs, or parties, where alcohol consumption is common. Alcohol can lower inhibitions and impair judgment, making individuals more prone to aggressive or confrontational behavior during discussions. Arguments over football topics may escalate more quickly in these settings due to the influence of alcohol.
Group Dynamics: Football discussions within social groups or online communities can be influenced by group dynamics, including peer pressure, conformity, and polarization. Individuals may feel compelled to align with the majority opinion within their group or defend their position against perceived outsiders, leading to conflicts and heated debates.

3. Idealizing Footballers

Footballers are often idolized by fans, who may strive to emulate them and consider them as their ideal.

This can be attributed to factors such as athleticism and skill, success and achievements, charisma and charitable work, fashion and lifestyle, resilience and determination, and team spirit and leadership.

Athleticism and Skill: Footballers are admired for their exceptional athleticism and skill on the field. Their agility, speed, strength, and technical abilities set them apart as elite athletes, inspiring fans to aspire to similar levels of physical prowess and proficiency in their own lives.

Success and Achievements: Footballers achieve fame and recognition for their accomplishments in the sport, including winning prestigious trophies, breaking records, and earning individual accolades. Fans may view their success as a symbol of dedication, hard work, and perseverance, striving to achieve similar levels of success in their own endeavors.
Charisma and Charitable Work: Many footballers possess charisma and charm both on and off the field, engaging fans with their personalities and philanthropic efforts. Fans may be drawn to their charisma and inspired by their charitable work, seeing them as role models who use their platform for positive change and social impact.
Fashion and Lifestyle: Footballers often lead glamorous lifestyles, showcasing luxury cars, designer clothes, and exotic vacations on social media. Fans may be enamored by their glamorous lifestyles and aspire to emulate their fashion sense, grooming habits, and leisure activities.

Resilience and Determination: Footballers face numerous challenges and setbacks throughout their careers, including injuries, criticism, and competition. Fans admire their resilience and determination in overcoming adversity, seeing them as examples of perseverance and grit in the face of obstacles.
Team Spirit and Leadership: Footballers are often praised for their leadership qualities and team spirit, both on and off the field. Fans may admire their ability to inspire teammates, unite diverse groups of individuals toward a common goal, and lead by example through their work ethic and dedication.

4. Spending Ridiculous Money on Football Merchandise

Football fans often spend significant amounts of money on their favorite team’s merchandise.

This can be attributed to a sense of belonging, displaying allegiance, collecting memorabilia, emotional attachment, supporting the club, and fashion and style.

Sense of Belonging: Purchasing team merchandise allows fans to feel a sense of belonging and connection to their favorite football team. Wearing the team’s colors, logo, or jersey can foster a sense of identity and solidarity with fellow supporters, creating a shared bond and camaraderie among fans.
Displaying Allegiance: Team merchandise serves as a visible expression of fan allegiance and loyalty. By proudly displaying team logos or colors on clothing, accessories, and memorabilia, fans publicly declare their support for their favorite team and demonstrate their passion for the sport.

Collecting Memorabilia: For many fans, collecting football team merchandise is a hobby and a way to commemorate memorable moments in the team’s history. From jerseys and scarves to signed memorabilia and limited-edition items, collecting merchandise allows fans to preserve memories and connect with the team’s legacy over time.
Emotional Attachment: Football fandom is often fueled by deep emotional attachments to teams and players. Purchasing team merchandise can evoke feelings of nostalgia, pride, and excitement, serving as tangible reminders of memorable matches, victories, and experiences shared with fellow fans.
Supporting the Club: Buying team merchandise is a way for fans to financially support their favorite football club. Revenue generated from merchandise sales contributes to the club’s finances, helping to fund player salaries, stadium maintenance, youth development programs, and other aspects of club operations.

Fashion and Style: Team merchandise has become increasingly fashionable and trendy, with many brands collaborating with football clubs to create stylish and contemporary designs. Fans may purchase team merchandise not only to show their support for the team but also to incorporate team colors and logos into their everyday fashion and style.

5. Abusing Opposition Players

Unfortunately, some fans engage in abusive behavior towards opposition players in stadiums.

This behavior can be attributed to passion and rivalry, group mentality, social norms and expectations, desire to intimidate, expression of frustration, and lack of consequences.

Passion and Rivalry: Football fandom is often characterized by passionate support for one’s own team and intense rivalries with opposing teams. In the heat of the moment, especially during high-stakes matches or intense rivalries, some fans may resort to abusive behavior as a way to antagonize opposition players and gain a perceived advantage for their team.
Group Mentality: In stadium environments where large groups of fans are gathered, there can be a sense of anonymity and diffusion of responsibility, leading individuals to behave in ways they might not otherwise. This can create a mob mentality where abusive behavior is normalized or even encouraged within the group.
Social Norms and Expectations: In some football cultures, abusive behavior towards opposition players may be normalized or even celebrated as part of the atmosphere of the game. Fans may feel pressure to conform to these social norms and expectations, especially if they perceive it as a way to demonstrate loyalty to their team.

Desire to Intimidate: Abusive behavior towards opposition players may be driven by a desire to intimidate or unsettle them psychologically. Fans may believe that by verbally abusing opposition players, they can disrupt their concentration, lower their morale, and potentially affect their performance on the field.
Expression of Frustration: Fans may resort to abusive behavior towards opposition players as a way to vent their frustration or disappointment, particularly if their team is losing or if they feel aggrieved by decisions made by referees or opposing players.
Lack of Consequences: In some cases, fans may engage in abusive behavior because they believe there will be no consequences for their actions. They may feel emboldened to behave aggressively in the anonymity of a large crowd, especially if they perceive a lack of enforcement of stadium rules or inadequate security measures.

6. Making Life Difficult for Players who Leave the Club

When players leave their club for city rivals or arch rivals in the league or abroad, they often face backlash from fans of their former team.

This can be attributed to feelings of betrayal of loyalty, rivalry intensity, symbol of disloyalty, provocation and taunting, identity threat, and perceived lack of respect.

Betrayal of Loyalty: Fans may perceive a player’s decision to join a rival team as a betrayal of loyalty, especially if the player had previously expressed commitment to their former club or had a strong emotional connection with the fans. The sense of betrayal can lead to feelings of anger, disappointment, and resentment among supporters.

Rivalry Intensity: Rivalries in football can be intense and deeply ingrained in the culture of the sport. Fans often develop a strong sense of animosity towards rival teams and their players, viewing them as adversaries to be opposed at all costs. When a player switches allegiance to a rival team, it exacerbates tensions and escalates hostilities between fans of the two clubs.
Symbol of Disloyalty: Players who join rival teams may be perceived as mercenaries or mercenaries who prioritize personal gain over loyalty to their former club or its supporters. Fans may view their decision as a reflection of greed, disloyalty, or lack of commitment to the club’s values and traditions, further fueling animosity towards the player.
Provocation and Taunting: Fans may engage in provocative or taunting behavior towards players who join rival teams as a way to express their disdain and assert their superiority as supporters of the opposing club. This can include verbal abuse, hostile chants, displaying derogatory banners or effigies, and other forms of intimidation aimed at unsettling the player.

Identity Threat: Players who switch allegiance to a rival team may threaten the identity and pride of their former club’s supporters. Fans may feel a sense of loss or humiliation when a key player defects to a rival team, viewing it as a symbolic defeat and a blow to their club’s prestige and status in the rivalry.
Perceived Lack of Respect: Fans may interpret a player’s decision to join a rival team as a lack of respect towards their club, its history, and its supporters. The player’s actions may be seen as undermining the club’s legacy and traditions, leading to feelings of indignation and a desire for retribution among fans.

7. Wasting A Lot Of Time On Football

Football fans often spend significant amounts of time watching videos of their favorite players online.

This can be attributed to factors such as entertainment and enjoyment, nostalgia and fond memories, appreciation of skill and talent, analysis and learning, connection with the player, and social sharing and discussion.

Entertainment and Enjoyment: Watching videos of football players allows fans to relive memorable moments, highlights, and performances by their favorite athletes. It provides entertainment and enjoyment, especially during the offseason or when there are no live matches to watch.
Nostalgia and Fond Memories: For many fans, watching videos of their favorite players evokes feelings of nostalgia and fond memories associated with past successes, championships, and iconic moments in the team’s history. It allows fans to reminisce about the glory days and celebrate the achievements of their sporting heroes.

Appreciation of Skill and Talent: Football fans often admire the skill, talent, and athleticism displayed by their favorite players on the field. Watching videos of players allows fans to appreciate their technique, creativity, and mastery of the game, providing inspiration and admiration for their abilities.
Analysis and Learning: Some fans watch videos of football players for analytical purposes, studying their playing style, tactics, and strategies. By analyzing videos of players, fans can gain insights into different aspects of the game, improve their understanding of football, and even learn new techniques to apply in their own matches or training sessions.
Connection with the Player: Watching videos of football players can strengthen the emotional connection between fans and their favorite athletes. It allows fans to feel closer to the player, learn more about their personality, and follow their journey both on and off the field. This sense of connection fosters loyalty and devotion among fans, contributing to a deeper sense of fandom and support for the player and their team.

Social Sharing and Discussion: Football fans often watch videos of players to engage in social sharing and discussion with other fans online. Sharing highlights, discussing player performances, and debating football-related topics are common activities among fans on social media platforms and football forums, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie among supporters.

8. Staying Up Late Night

Asian fans of European football clubs often stay up all night to watch their favorite teams play live.

This can be attributed to time zone differences, dedication and passion, live experience, community and connection, limited broadcast options, and cultural influence.

Time Zone Differences: Many European football matches are scheduled during evening or nighttime hours in Europe, which corresponds to early morning or late-night hours in many Asian countries. As a result, Asian fans may need to stay up late or wake up very early to catch the matches live.
Dedication and Passion: Asian fans of European football clubs often have a deep dedication and passion for their favorite teams. They are willing to sacrifice sleep and adjust their schedules to support their teams and experience the excitement of watching matches as they happen in real-time.
Live Experience: Watching matches live provides a more immersive and exciting experience for fans compared to watching replays or highlights. Being able to witness the action as it unfolds, along with the unpredictability of live sports, adds to the thrill and intensity of the viewing experience.

Community and Connection: Watching matches live allows Asian fans to feel connected to the global community of supporters of their favorite European football clubs. They can engage in real-time discussions, reactions, and celebrations with fellow fans from around the world through social media, online forums, and fan groups.
Limited Broadcast Options: In some cases, live broadcasts of European football matches may be limited in Asian countries, particularly for smaller or less popular teams or leagues. As a result, fans may prioritize watching matches live to avoid missing out on the action and to stay informed about their favorite teams.
Cultural Influence: Football has a strong cultural influence in many Asian countries, and fans may consider watching matches live as an important part of their football fandom. It allows them to stay connected to the sport and participate in the global football community, despite the time zone challenges.

9. Making and Sharing Memes

Creating and sharing memes of rival players and clubs is a common practice among football fans.

This can be attributed to factors such as humor and entertainment, rivalry and banter, social media culture, creative expression, building community, and viral potential.

Humor and Entertainment: Memes are a form of humor and entertainment that allow fans to poke fun at rival players, clubs, and moments in football. They provide a lighthearted way for fans to engage with the sport and express their opinions and emotions in a creative and humorous manner.

Rivalry and Banter: Football rivalries often involve friendly banter and teasing between supporters of opposing teams. Creating and sharing memes of rival players and clubs is a way for fans to engage in this banter and assert their allegiance to their own team while mocking their rivals in a playful manner.
Social Media Culture: Memes are a prominent aspect of modern social media culture, with platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit serving as hubs for meme creation and sharing. Football fans utilize these platforms to create and share memes related to their favorite teams and players, contributing to the larger online football community.
Creative Expression: Memes provide fans with a platform for creative expression and self-expression. Fans can use memes to express their opinions, frustrations, and observations about rival players and clubs in a visually engaging and relatable format.

Building Community: Sharing memes of rival players and clubs fosters a sense of community among fans of the same team. It creates a shared language and inside jokes that fans can relate to, strengthening their bond and solidarity as supporters of a common cause.
Viral Potential: Memes have the potential to go viral and reach a wide audience beyond the immediate fan base. Creating and sharing memes of rival players and clubs allows fans to contribute to the larger conversation around football and potentially gain recognition and engagement from a broader audience.

10. Not Appreciating Opposition

Not appreciating the accomplishments of rival players and clubs is a common behavior among some football fans.

This can be attributed to factors such as rivalry, bias and partisanship, identity and loyalty, emotional investment, social norms and expectations, and confirmation bias.

Rivalry: Football rivalries often create a sense of animosity and competition between supporters of opposing teams. Fans may find it difficult to acknowledge the accomplishments of rival players and clubs due to the intense rivalry and desire to see their own team succeed at the expense of their rivals.
Bias and Partisanship: Fans are inherently biased towards their own team and players, which can cloud their judgment and perception of rival players and clubs. They may downplay or dismiss the achievements of rival players and clubs in favor of emphasizing the successes of their own team, reflecting a sense of partisanship and tribalism.

Identity and Loyalty: Supporting a football team often becomes deeply intertwined with personal identity and loyalty. Fans may feel a strong allegiance to their own team and its players, viewing rival players and clubs as adversaries to be opposed rather than respected. This sense of loyalty can lead to a reluctance to acknowledge the achievements of rival players and clubs.
Emotional Investment: Football fandom is fueled by strong emotions, including passion, pride, and allegiance. Fans invest emotionally in their own team’s successes and failures, which can make it challenging to appreciate the accomplishments of rival players and clubs. Emotional investment in one’s own team can create a bias that makes it difficult to give credit to rivals.
Social Norms and Expectations: In some football cultures, there may be social norms and expectations that discourage fans from acknowledging the accomplishments of rival players and clubs. Peer pressure, group dynamics, and tribal loyalties within fan communities can reinforce this behavior and discourage dissenting opinions.

Confirmation Bias: Fans may selectively interpret information and events in a way that confirms their pre-existing beliefs and biases. This confirmation bias can lead fans to downplay or ignore the achievements of rival players and clubs while amplifying their own team’s successes, reinforcing existing attitudes and perceptions.

11. Getting Out of Control

The emotional reaction of crying, shouting, and breaking things when their team loses is a common behavior among some passionate football fans.

This can be attributed to factors such as investment of emotions, high stakes and pressure, identification with the team, release of built-up tension, sense of powerlessness, and social and cultural norms.

Investment of Emotions: Football fandom often involves a significant emotional investment in the success of one’s favorite team. Fans develop strong attachments to their team, players, and the outcome of matches, which can lead to intense emotional reactions when the team fails to meet expectations or suffers a loss.
High Stakes and Pressure: Football matches can carry high stakes, especially in important competitions, derbies, or rivalry matches. The pressure to win, coupled with the fear of losing to a rival team, can heighten emotions and make losses feel particularly devastating for fans.
Identification with the Team: Many fans identify strongly with their favorite football team, viewing its successes and failures as reflections of their own identity and self-worth. A loss can feel like a personal defeat for fans, leading to feelings of frustration, disappointment, and even a sense of existential crisis for some individuals.

Release of Built-Up Tension: Supporting a football team can be an emotional rollercoaster, with highs and lows depending on the team’s performance. A loss can trigger a release of built-up tension and frustration, leading to outbursts of crying, shouting, and even destructive behavior as fans struggle to cope with their emotions.
Sense of Powerlessness: Fans have no control over the outcome of football matches, yet they invest significant time, energy, and passion into supporting their team. A loss can evoke feelings of powerlessness and helplessness among fans, exacerbating their emotional response and leading to impulsive or irrational behavior.
Social and Cultural Norms: In some football cultures, expressing intense emotions, including crying, shouting, and breaking things, is normalized or even celebrated as a sign of loyalty and passion for the team. Peer pressure and social expectations within fan communities can reinforce these behaviors and make them more acceptable in certain contexts.