Football Fan? Or Football Supporter?
Are you a football supporter or a football fan?
I was working on my site Football Fan Web recently and, because I use the words 'fan' and 'supporter' often, I wondered what the difference is between a football fan and a football supporter?
The terms are often used interchangeably but perhaps they have different meanings and connotations.
Football Fans - Armchair Supporters?
The term "fan" is comes from the word "fanatic". It means an intense passion and devotion fans.
Fans are emotionally invested in the results of games. A fan is someone who loves the game and follows it often with a lot of passion. They revel in the excitement of matches, the skills of players, and the drama of goals. Fans can be found wearing their favourite team's shirt, cheering in the stands, or discussing the latest football news with their friends.
I am not sure about their loyalty though, particularly when their team is going through a bad patch (as every teams does from time to time). Also, perhaps a fan is more likely to be someone who follows the top Premiership teams rather then local sides.
The Football Supporter: A fan, but not in an armchair?
The term "supporter" originates from the idea of providing encouragement and assistance. I think being a supporter means someone who actually goes to games.
Supporters actively contribute to the success of their team, by being involved in fan clubs, charity events, fundraising initiatives, meet-ups at the pub etc. Actions speak louder than words.
The Historical Context: Evolution of Fan and Supporter
The terms "fan" and "supporter" have evolved over time. Initially, "fan" referred to someone who expressed his support for a team, but his was a support mainly from his or her front room.
"Supporter" came to mean someone following their club through thick and thin (and for most supporters of most teams it tends to be mainly 'thin').
Over time, both terms became part of the language of football. While fans continued to celebrate the game, supporters emerged as people doing things in real life, like attending games.
Author: Tony Radford The coolest Englishman on the planet
1 note
·
View note