During Covid-19, when crowds of spectators were absent from stadiums they had once roared into life, we realised, or perhaps we had always known, that the essence of sport does not really exist without the fans. Sure, we tried simulating the sound, but we realised quickly that nothing can replace the energy, the spontaneity and the beauty of a crowd, alive to the moment and passionately invested.
We are drawn to fandom for different reasons – community, nationhood, the love of a sport or a desire to be on that field ourselves – and most of us can claim to be a fan of something. Fandom, although embedded with its own complex emotional terrain, is a beautiful state of love for the world around us. It’s an investment in other people doing extraordinary things that somehow stop being theirs alone and feel as if they might also be ours. A goal kicked is ours. A tumble executed is ours. A sharp shot across the ping pong table – ours.
