5 easy ways to support your favourite football team
Any sport would be nothing without a strong fanbase. Luckily, most sports and athletes have many supporters, and the audience is pretty encouraging and supportive most of the time. However, some admirers might be too shy to show their support and boost their athlete’s confidence when needed. Therefore, we’ll discuss ways to support and encourage football players when needed.
Tailgating
This social event might be perfect for extroverts because it involves two things: beverages and barbecuing. Tailgate parties take place in the parking lots from the stadiums where the games start. This is not an opportunity for selling items because everyone brings their own food and beverages and shares them with each other.
This trend comes from American sports since their sports venues provide large parking lots where people meet, eat and have a good time. The most common meals you’ll see at these events include:
- Picnic and grilling staples (hamburgers, hot dogs, steak);
- Cold salads (coleslaw, potato salad);
- Snacks (potato chips, guacamole);
- Alcoholic beverages or soft drinks;
During tailgating, people also love to play games and enjoy their time before the football game. For example, you’ll see people play:
- Lawn games (KanJan, cornhole, ladder golf, Jarts);
- Beer pong, flip cup;
Usually, you’ll also spot people using their car’s sound system hooked up with a television set to watch their favourite game while spending time together.
Learning the traditions
Most football teams have supporters who adopt a set of rules and behaviours that they do at every game. That would include a specific shout or gestures to indicate their support for their team and the disapproval of the enemy team. So, if you’re more of an introverted person, you could just adopt these traditions and show your appreciation.
For example, German football fans are known to be loud and energetic when it comes to encouraging their team while displaying creative flags called “tifos”. On the other hand, British fans don’t choose banners for support or organise choreographies. Meanwhile, US fans are the most dedicated and immersed.
Following and pursuing traditions means the community is strongly united, which can mean a lot for footballers. This is especially important for smaller teams that have barely started their journey or even younger ones. Continuing the tradition and giving it further to other people is what makes the difference between a successful football team and an average one.
Show your team spirit
Showing your team spirit can be done in many ways if you really love and appreciate a team. And players will definitely observe you and others trying to support them, so don’t be shy to display what you feel about them! One of the best and easiest ways to do this is by purchasing merchandise and wearing it during the match. Most football teams have custom T-shirts, caps or other clothing pieces that you can wear. You can even wear something that matches the colour (or the symbol) of the said team. For really involved supporters, you can find anything else with the football team logo on it, from mugs to magnets.
Showing support is easiest done online, though. So, if you have the means and know how to do it, you can create a fan page and build a bigger community. Don’t worry about being the only one passionate about a certain team because footballers always have at least thousands of active fans that follow their favourite players. However, you should be careful when creating or entering such communities because fake news can spread quickly in these situations. Remember not to let yourself be fooled by fake news and giveaways since they can lead to data security incidents and, at some point, data breaches, according to https://www.databreachclaims.org.uk/.
Get creative
Getting creative might be the most fun part of being a supporter. You love your team so much that you’d do anything unusual and new to catch their attention and show appreciation. For example, some people will come up to the games with paint on their faces, custom signs and costumes they made at home. Others find funny ways to show support by painting themselves from head to toe in one colour and then spelling words with the letters of their favourite team on their bare chests. Remember that there’s nothing wrong with doing something out of the box in the stadium as long as it’s safe for everyone around you!
Signs are also an efficient way to show your support. You can have funny signs, simple or decorated, but as long as you make them bigger enough so players can read them, you can make sure someone notices you. It’s also an excellent opportunity to appear on television or become famous and reach your idols easier.
Give money
If you’re not the creative type and just want to show your appreciation to football teams, you can donate money. Although this might not be necessary for bigger teams, since buying their merch is good enough, smaller groups need support to continue their activities. As you may know, equipment and other payments for maintaining the team’s condition can be overwhelming, so next time your favourite beginner team needs some help, you could donate as much as possible, even if it’s only a few pounds! This can make a difference and truly help your team evolve.
You can get memberships to encourage your team to keep playing besides buying season tickets. Supporting football teams is highly beneficial for a nation because it brings people together and can boost a country’s national economy. When a football team is thriving, this might be good for the whole community.
Conclusion
Being a proud supporter of a certain team is the best thing ever because you get to see players evolve and become greater. But for football players to develop, you also need to show your support and appreciation. Sometimes, this can be a simple sign of support you made for them to see and be motivated to give their best. Other times, encouraging a team can be made through a small donation to support their course.
