Football fans around the world have had to adapt. Covid-19 has left fans being unable to attend stadiums and having to watch or listen to teams play in empty stadiums on the TV, radio or online instead. Is it the same? Let’s find out.
I spoke to three fans about their virtual matchday experience under Covid.
Edwin Richardson, 27, is a Real Madrid fan living in the Isle of Man:
“Before Covid I’d normally give myself three to four hours beforehand to watch big games against Barcelona. I’d usually get together with a group of friends and we would go to a pub and get a few pints. There is nothing better than being able to watch in a game with an atmosphere.
It’s definitely a lot better than watching at home, especially for the big games. There’s no better feeling when you’ve had a few drinks and you’re watching a game and your team is winning.”
“During Covid, it’s not been the same for me. I don’t really have a routine that I do. I usually just turn the TV on 5-10 minutes before the game starts. I’m usually just browsing on social media, just catching up to what other journalists are saying about the game, not really paying much attention to the game.”
Alfie Kaye is 25, and a Tottenham fan:
“My routine hasn’t changed at all. My whole football experience is watching football with my dad. So even pre-Covid, 99% of the time I was doing just that at home.
“I guess the only thing that has changed slightly is my experience watching football because it’s quite hard to get really excited during Covid. You know when your team score a goal and it’s fake fan noise. It’s not the real thing I always found out that even by watching at home you could get sucked in by the atmosphere on TV within the stadium.
“My routine really has always been to close myself off for the day, an hour before the match I’ll start getting nervous, and then during the game I’m sort of fine.
“I haven’t missed pre-Covid in a football sense because there is nothing to miss. My routine hasn’t changed and I can’t imagine it will change much post-Covid either.
Ethan West, 22, is an Arsenal fan:
“Before Covid I would try and get over to the Emirates as many times as I could. Tickets can be quite expensive these days, so it can be hard. Usually, I’d watch at home with my dad and I would choose to watch big games with my dad at home rather than go to the pub with my mates because it feels a bit more special when you watch it with your dad. He brought me up to support Arsenal.
“Then during Covid, everything kind of changed. I couldn’t go to pubs. You needed to make sure that you paid for Sky and pay for BT. Then you would have to create an atmosphere in your living room. I put a few Arsenal shirts up around the room, stuck a flag off above the TV and made sure that I got few beers from the shop and brought some friends around.
“Also, my routine on a matchday has always been to wake up on the day of the game even if it’s a night game. You’re always thinking about it and looking forward to watching your team play.”
One writer has even railed against the number of games on TV, spread about to fill the schedules. New York Times football correspondent, Rory Smith, says the absence of fans at football stadiums and the rescheduling, with few Saturday 3pm kick-offs in the Premier League, has removed the sense of occasion for many viewers in the pandemic.
Smith says the split schedule “removes football as an event and it turns it into wallpaper. I watch less football because there is no event. It is much harder to keep track of than if it were condensed.”
Hopefully, we can get back to normal again soon – and watch games live or in the pub with live fans in the ground – and after all not everyone can afford to pay monthly TV subscriptions.
For the English leagues book your calendars for May 17 for the fans’ return.
And, this Summer – as part of the “new normal” – England will win the Euros!
