Over the years, it has been in the record that most football fans do crazy things for their various club sides, the worst which is suicide. Questions now become what connection has these fans with the club they support. To answer this question, most social scientists who study the psychology of sports fans said sports fans over time create this emotional connection and bond that, although the club is done, don’t know all of them in person. They still feel this strong connection with the team.
It is likened to the kind of bond people share with their family members, as we feel a sense of connection and belonging to them, so also, these fans also feel the same thing. When the team suffer, the fans suffer with them, and when they win, they all rejoice together. This can be seen in their sense of judgement and reasoning. They tend to support their clubs and provide excuses for their misdeeds.
A theory of sports fandom says that the high level of identification with the team has roots in our ancient history. The theory states that when we belonged to a tribe, the individuals who are the warriors of the tribe are always connected to us and related to us. The survival of the tribe often depended upon their success in defending us.
Now instead of wearing warpaint and carrying spears, our “warriors” are now wearing jerseys and boots carrying a football. But for the football fans is like their warriers are out on the field “fighting” for us and that we are cheering them on.
In spite of the feelings of anger and depression and even the increased chance of heart attack if your team loses a game. Football fans go to the extent of killing themselves when their team is beaten in any major game, but this has not stopped people from still supporting their various clubs. Research has it that the more than a person identifies with a sports team, they are more likely to be psychologically healthy.
Having a sports team improves one’s sense of belonging, shared goodwill, being a part of a community, and feeling a sense of connection with others which help to prevent depression. Being a loyal sports fan is more likely to protect you from being depressed and alienated from the society you belong to. When one’s team loses, they share their pain and sadness with other fans of the club.
Sometimes, an Arsenal fan reportedly committed suicide after his club lost in the UEFA Champions League final against Barcelona. The football fan is not the first to have done that; many other fans have done such things, so people beginto ask if it is such a connection with a club or something else.
Well, to answer that many of the fans who do such, although they love the club most times love is not the sole reason for their actions. Sometimes they bet valuables hoping their team will win, and then ends up losing the bet. Such incidents can make these fans go to the extent of killing themselves.
Also, some borrow and place bets on their teams and when they lose, they not having money to pay back result in suicide. Sometimes back, it was said that a man in Nigeria (Gwarinpa) used money kept in possession of his wife to bet on his team. The team lose the game, making him lose the money. It was recorded that the man killed himself because he could not face his wife. Furthermore, football fans die due to shock from the unfortunate loss of the game.