Seagulls Over Burwash Article – November 2023
Rituals, Superstitions and Songs
In recent articles I have rambled on about variety of football related topics, some of which are quite ‘heavy’, such as unethical football finance, exorbitant wages, systemic misogyny, discriminatory abuse, to name but a few. All of these are serious subjects and I am sure many a sociologist would interpret these issues as symptomatic reflections of modern society. However, the vast majority of football fans follow their clubs purely for the fun of it and it is the lighter, frivolous side of the sport that is so appealing and enables the ninety minutes of the match (plus the hour of Match of the Day if we win) to be a period of escapism from ‘real life’ and provides a valuable valve to relieve the pressures of everyday concerns. So, for this month’s missive, I will concentrate solely on the sillier, the bizarre, and the fun side of following a football team.
As all sane, level-headed people know, in reality, the football supporter who attends matches or follows games on the television or radio cannot physically affect the outcome of the contest. However, in the deluded mind of the fan, there is a psychokinetic link between the individual supporter and the action on the pitch. As a result, rituals and superstitions impinge on the behaviour of even the most rational sports fan. The most common such ritual is the donning of a ‘lucky’ item of clothing. I guarantee that there is no sports fan who hasn’t, at some time, possessed a lucky hat, a lucky shirt, lucky socks or even lucky pants. Once the item is deemed ‘lucky’, usually following an unexpectedly good result, attending a match without it is unthinkable and the misplacement or loss of the item causes acute distress to the fan as they ‘know’ it will be their fault when the team loses. I, having a logical, scientific background, would like to say I am the exception to the rule, however, that is not the case. I once had a lucky scarf…….. that had to be worn by my dog. For a joke, I put an Albion scarf on my pointer before a match and, consequently (or coincidently), Brighton won 4-0. Therefore, the poor mutt had to wear the scarf each time the Seagulls played for the rest of the season. The ritual was only abandoned when Brighton were beaten by Crystal Palace in the Championship play-off. Obviously the scarf’s magic had worn off! Other rituals observed by superstitious fans include travelling the same route to the game, drinking in the same pub, having the same pie, even using the same toilets before the game. Any deviation from these routines will bring bad luck to their team.
It is not just the supporters that are prone to superstitions. There are many reports of players following ridiculous rituals and assigning ‘lucky’ status to various inanimate objects. From a Brighton and Hove Albion perspective, the most famous of these was the case of Fozzy’s Beard. In 1983, Brighton’s captain, Steve Foster, was a towering, clean shaven, defender. Prior to the FA Cup 4th round tie against Manchester City, Foster didn’t shave. Brighton won 4-0 and, in the illogical mind of a sportsman, Foster’s whiskers were, therefore, lucky. As a result, he refused to shave until the FA Cup run ended. The magic of Fozzy’s beard continued as Liverpool, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday were put to the sword and the Albion duly reached the Cup Final. Foster was suspended for the Final against Manchester United but, even from the touchline, the power of his beard ensured that the team got a draw. Both Foster and his facial hairs were available for the subsequent replay. Quite what happened prior to the replay remains shrouded in mystery but many suspect whisker-related foul play and sabotage. Did a Delilah surreptitiously trim his chin in a Samsonesque manner during the night? Who knows, but the influence of the beard failed spectacularly as Brighton crashed to a 4-0 defeat. The beard was seen no more.
There are many other examples of player’s and coach’s superstitions. Jamie Vardy, for example, used to drink half a bottle of port the night before every game and two Red Bulls prior to kick off. Not a great preparation you might think but, that season, he scored 24 Premier League goal and Leicester City caused one of the biggest sporting upsets ever by winning the title. Another Leicester City legend, Gary Lineker, would not shoot during pre-match warm-ups because he didn’t want to ‘waste his goals’. That also seemed to work as he scored 330 goals during his career. Another of the greatest modern-day goal scorers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, used to practice ‘abstinence in the bedroom’ prior to matches as he preferred to save his passion for the pitch. Quite what his wife thought about it I have no idea but the level of his performances on the grass have remained impressively high. During the Euro 2008 tournament, French coach Raymond Domenech, put his faith in the stars in the sky rather than those on the pitch. He used astrology to help decide who should be in his team. Sadly for the likes of Robert Pires, he didn’t trust Scorpios and wouldn’t pick them. Suffice to say, the stars of both types let him down and France finished bottom of their group and crashed out of the competition at the first hurdle. There are also numerous examples of toilet-related pre-match rituals that players adhere to rigidly but, as this is a Church-based magazine, I will not go into such unsavoury details!
The most enjoyable aspect of attending football matches is the atmosphere created by thousands of fellow supporters singing (and I use that term loosely) club anthems and chants. These ‘songs’ are handed down from generation to generation but also evolve and adapt to be contemporary and topical. Indeed, British folk singer Martin Carthy, was quoted as saying football chants are “the one surviving embodiment of an organic living folk tradition.” The best chants are witty and humorous without being offensive. A good example of a quick-witted response to a live action situation occurred in the recent 2-2 draw with Liverpool. During the week prior to the match, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, had complained about poor VAR decisions that, he believed, led to his team’s defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. He claimed that the fair thing to do would be to have the result annulled and the game replayed. During the second half against Brighton, Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dyke appeared to handle the ball in the penalty area yet the referee waved play on and no penalty was awarded. Within seconds, 30,000 Brighton supporters were chanting ironically “we want a replay…..!!”
So, despite the darker side of football politics and any societal problems associated with sport, the matchday experience should be fun. It should involve crazy rituals, ridiculous superstitions, humour and the thrill of being in a choir tens of thousands strong. If we win, we celebrate. If we lose, we’ll be back next week to try again. At the end of the day, it’s only a game.
For further information on joining Seagulls Over Burwash and details of forthcoming events, meetings or coach travel, please visit our website at www.seagullsoverburwash.co.uk or email me at simon.forster@seagullsoverburwash.co.uk. Alternatively, please feel free to contact our esteemed and cherished Chairman, Mr Teskey O’Neil, on 01435 884344 or tesbar80@btinternet.com.
Simon Forster