The segmentation of football supporters based on culture only benefits those who seek to manipulate it, according to Jonathan Liew.

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Leaving before the end is not a good sign. Showing disapproval towards your own players by booing is certainly not appropriate. Wearing or buying a scarf that represents two different teams is also not acceptable, and expressing any positive view towards such a scarf is out of the question. Buying counterfeit merchandise is also frowned upon. Supporting a team from a location where you do not reside and being a fan of more than one team are also seen as unfavorable. Scoring less than 10 out of 15 on a multiple-choice quiz designed to lure clicks is not ideal.

In today’s world, there are several ways to reveal yourself as the most disliked type of football supporter: “not a true fan”. Who qualifies as a football fan? The notion of fandom is typically portrayed as inclusive, but it constantly faces challenges and objections, leading to its validity and importance to be questioned and diminished. The English football community has a wider range of terms to describe counterfeit fans compared to genuine ones: “plastics” and “casuals”, “fakes” and “frauds”, “tourists” and “day-trippers”, “trolls” and “haters”, “fair-weather fans” and “glory-hunters”.

Last week, Ange Postecoglou, the head coach of Tottenham, was unhappy with a term that was used to describe foreign fans as “plastics” during a question about ticket prices. He objected to the term and said that it was disrespectful to characterize these fans in such a negative way. He pointed out that the club has a global fan base and their passion should not be questioned. He also mentioned that it is disrespectful to those fans who are willing to travel long distances at their own expense to support the team.

The exchange highlighted a growing cultural split among the top level of English football. In the past, foreign fans were seen as outsiders, distanced by geography and different in their traditions and backgrounds. They were often criticized for their recent support and sometimes referred to the league as “the EPL”.

There was a noticeable hierarchy of loyalty in this situation, centered around location and attending matches in person. However, the rise of globalized popular teams coupled with the growing power of social media has disrupted these traditional standards. For the top modern clubs, the majority of their supporters reside in other areas and are only connected to them through the internet, with little chance of ever visiting the stadium. Additionally, with the local market reaching its peak and being saturated, this is now where new fans will come from. What consequences arise for a community-based organization when market forces draw it away from its community?

From a business perspective, it describes the profitable international friendly games, tour packages, and chain of large stores. None of these things are inherently negative. You can simply observe a major Premier League match in a foreign bar or witness the large number of Korean fans at Tottenham, who see watching Son Heung-min in person as a special pilgrimage, to appreciate how foreign fans enhance and strengthen the significance of a football club.

Of course, there are also compromises that need to be made and cultural barriers that must be overcome. These challenges often surface in online forums and social media, resulting in frictions that need to be negotiated. One particular division that has emerged in recent years is known as the “Cobhamsexual” divide. This divide primarily exists between Chelsea fans who are based locally and those who are based overseas, specifically regarding the topic of the academy. The Cobhamsexuals express disappointment when players like Mason Mount leave the team, and advocate for young players to receive more playing time under Mauricio Pochettino. They also resist the sale of homegrown talent, such as Conor Gallagher, in order to improve the team’s financial standing. On the other hand, overseas fans often scoff at the Cobhamsexuals’ nostalgic and narrow-minded perspectives, dismissing them as “plastic”, “casual”, or simply not true Chelsea fans. As a result, the Chelsea fanbase may be one of the most divided and constantly agitated in the Premier League.

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There are two simultaneous changes occurring. The first is the gradual reshaping of fan hierarchy based on financial status, which has been developing over the course of several years but is now reaching a critical point due to increasing costs and decreasing living standards. In his usual understanding and scholarly manner, Postecoglou was addressing a non-existent argument. No one is discussing limiting access for foreign fans, who have always been able to purchase tickets. However, by glorifying the dedication of wealthy fans in the midst of rising prices that have angered long-time Spurs supporters, Postecoglou unintentionally provided a justification that could have been written by Daniel Levy and the corporate press office.

One issue is the slow decrease in the popularity of traditional supporters’ clubs as a gathering place and shared ground. Expanding the fanbase also diminishes its strength, weakening the bonds that unite fans, and decreasing their motivation to unite and coordinate. Recent events showed a divide between (primarily local) Manchester United fans vehemently opposing the club’s sale to a Qatari investor and (mainly international) fans in favor of the sale. In the future, how can we expect Chelsea fans to resist a potential Super League when they cannot even agree on the skills of a player like Armando Broja?

These are fundamental questions about the nature and purpose of a football club. How can we reconcile the notion that a football club belongs to everyone with the fact that it is rooted in a specific location and community? Is it possible to find a balance between traditional, ritualistic fandom and the modern trend of waking up at 3am to watch games on a small screen? Can we avoid falling into the trap of categorizing fans as either local, working class individuals or wealthy tourists, or as “true fans” versus “plastics”?

When a fanbase divides across various groups, the main beneficiaries are often those who seek to exploit it.

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Source: theguardian.com