Part Of The Club

In football’s early days matches were mostly watched by curious observers but, as crowds increased, “they” became “we” and the fanatic was born

- Paul Brown

The original purpose of a football club can easily be forgotten in the modern era. Clubs were formed for the benefit of their members, in order for them to play football. But not all members could play in every game – perhaps due to numbers, ability, injury or age – so some would just watch. These non-playing members became their club’s first supporters.

Then came the friends and relatives of playing and non-playing members. They attended matches by recommendation or persuasion, and became supporters by association. And then came others, from the local community, not necessarily associated with the club, but curious about the spectacle they had heard of, or literally heard from a distance. Many of these early spectators were young people who had free time, particularly on Saturday afternoons, due to changes in employment legislation.