With all sport on hold as the world continues to battle and overcome the Coronavirus pandemic, I have taken the time to reflect on what makes sport so enjoyable.
For me, nothing demonstrates the enjoyment felt by watching sport more than football. Many factors contribute to the universal love of football, not only the brilliant action and skills on display week-in and week-out but also the drama and passion a football match can create, which are like nothing else.
Football has a lot of similarities to other forms of entertainment like films and television dramas, but what sets football and all sport for that matter apart from these is there are no scripts or second chances to correct mistakes.
Over the years, many football matches have produced drama and unexpected outcomes that leave all football fans on the edge of their seats engrossed in what they are witnessing. In the past year alone, this can be best evidenced by both of the 2019 UEFA Champions League semi-final second legs.
On consecutive nights last year, two of the most dramatic football comebacks happened, and both were as unpredictable and spectacular as the other.
First, we had Liverpool versus Barcelona. Liverpool lost the first leg 3-0 in Spain, and it seemed Barcelona with the world’s greatest player in Lionel Messi were sure to make the final in Madrid, home of their fiercest rivals Real Madrid. What happened next will be remembered by all that witnessed it. Liverpool won the second leg at Anfield, 4-0, and as such progressed to the final 4-3 on aggregate.
The victory was capped off by a piece of inspired and instinctive skill and vision by the Liverpool home-grown youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold, who quickly took a corner kick to find Divock Origi to score the winning goal. A sporting narrative was completed that no-one could have predicted and one that no scriptwriter would dream of creating.
Liverpool do have a history of great European comebacks. Back in 2005, they trailed AC Milan 3-0 at half time in the Champions League final. All seemed lost as the great Milan side had dominated the opening 45 minutes. What then followed was an inspired Liverpool performance to draw the match 3-3 after 90 minutes. They would go on to win the game on penalties.
When it comes to Liverpool in European competitions, we should know to expect the unexpected.
Back to last year’s semi-finals and the very next night after Liverpool triumphed over Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur attempted to overcome a 1-0 deficit away from home against Ajax. Spurs fell 2-0 behind on the night in the Amsterdam Arena and trailed 3-0 on aggregate at half time in the second leg.
Surely away from home against an inspired Ajax side–featuring some of the best young talent in the world like Frenkie De Jong and Matthijs De Ligt–this was too much for the Spurs side. But like the previous night, a miraculous comeback took place. A 2nd half hat-trick from forward Lucas Moura, completed in the 6th minute of injury time gave Spurs a 3-2 victory on the night, and overall victory due to the away goals rule.
For the second night running, football had created drama and scenes that no-one could have expected–and that will be remembered forever by all who witnessed it What this shows in live sport is this: there are no rules to what can happen or when it can happen; and when you think you have seen it all in the very next moment, something is likely to happen that exceeds everything you have previously witnessed.
Another thing that sets sport and, in particular, football apart from the rest of the entertainment industry is the passion it generates amongst supporters and everyone that watches it. In what other forms of entertainment will you see the watching public passionately and emotionally react to a moment with loud and uncontrollable erratic expressions?
These expressions include cheering, shouting and screaming, jumping off the seat, and punching the air in celebration or gesturing in frustration. You will regularly see tears–both of joy and in sadness–at an outcome of a crucial football match.
Football stimulates passion and emotion like no other form of entertainment. The question is: Why is this? For me, it is because supporting a football club is far more than just a hobby or source of entertainment. For me and many others, it comes from family, and from an early age, attending matches with family members.
Football clubs are also a part of the local community, and they play a significant role in helping the community to come together as one and to thrive together. There is an emotional attachment with football for supporters–and even though people will support different teams who compete and operate at very different levels, the feelings are the same all around the world.
As well as being a source of entertainment, it should not be underestimated how much of a role sport plays in everyday life and society. For the vast majority of supporters, football is the number one topic of daily conversation. This can be amongst friends and family, in the workplace, or just generally in other places of socialising.
Whether it is a conversation involving your team, a chat about the latest big match, or a significant talking point, a discussion can easily be held with any football fan. Football brings society together as one; friendships and relationships start and build from the basis of a simple football-related conversation.
Those are just social impacts on a small individual level, but the impact football has on society and life can also be on an immense scale.
Just think back to the 2018 World Cup. Think back to the scenes all around England as the national team progressed to the semi-finals. The big cities came together to watch matches on mass in one location. Local pubs were full of every England match day. People were out together, all enjoying the pure pleasure of watching football.
People could have watched the match at home in their comfort, but by joining others and going out of the experience was enhanced so much more as the emotion and passion people felt was shared with many others. This is why people wherever possible, attend matches all over the country every single week, watching and supporting their team in any circumstances, no matter how far the journey is. People see sport and especially football as an enjoyable social experience and want to repeat and share this as much as possible.
So while sport is rightly low on priorities at the moment, it is also good to remember why sport is essential and why it is missed so much.
Hopefully, we can look forward to a future when it can be enjoyed again. For the time being, though, we must stay safe and keep well. When sport returns, life will start to feel a bit more normal, and everyone can again enjoy the simple things that make life worth living.
