I have always had a closed mind to football, seeing it as an industry that seemed to have its own world, buying and selling players for £100s of millions, while 700 million people in the world are living in extreme poverty at this day. Furthermore, it is obvious and important to keep in mind that a large part of the industry is still tolerating racism, homophobia and sexism. 

Nevertheless, I realised that football also brings so many positives with it, and so I went to the Fulham vs Newcastle match on the 6th of April to find the answer to why the Premier League has a TV audience of 4.7 billion people. I was told that the Newcastle vs Fulham match was the ‘one’ to watch, so I went with anticipation to see footballers such as Tom Cairney, João Palhinha, and Martin Dúbravka at the game at Craven Cottage. 

What struck me the most was the energy that the supporters had. Despite some clear aggression seen, and a sense of being surrounded by predominantly men, there was definitely evident passion for the match, as if everyone was in it together. Three yellow cards throughout the match brought uproar and tension, although for me it brought a reflex of sympathy for the referee. After a goal from Newcastle, and therefore Fulham slowly losing faith in a draw or even a win, one could feel the animation in the stands start to dilute.  

In this light, I left the match feeling slightly conflicted: is football something that we should continue to glamourise and spend millions on? Is it creating unnecessary anger and violence and therefore wasting the police’s time that could be used more beneficially? Is there a way that we can promote women’s football to the same extent that we promote men’s football? 

Furthermore, Sara Sierra a Year 11 at Wimbledon High School who came to the match as well shared: ‘The match was certainly spirited, with various yellow cards and injuries sparking arguments. It was however really heart-warming so see so many families enjoying themselves and spending time together, as well as the majority of the stadium coming together to shout various chants and cheer on Fulham.’ 

One way you can answer my previous question as to why the Premier League has a TV audience of 4.7 billion people, is the fact that football brings such a strong sense of community and history. Consequently, football brings people together, with ideas about loyalty, passion, and a sense of belonging: this is what I definitely saw at the match.