Fever Pitch and the rise of middle-class football

Rood

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BBC News - Fever Pitch and the rise of middle-class football

The publication of Nick Hornby's football memoir Fever Pitch 20 years ago is often seen as the point when middle-class interest in football began. How far has the game changed since then?

There is a school of thought that argues that watching top-flight football these days is a middle-class pastime, available only to those who can pay in advance for expensive season tickets.

For those who support that argument, one man's name often appears on the list of reasons the game has moved beyond its traditional working-class roots.

That man is Nick Hornby.

Twenty years ago, Hornby's book Fever Pitch was published to general acclaim.

It is often cited as the first intelligent football book to have mass appeal, telling of one man's lifelong obsession with Arsenal.

Fever Pitch was translated into 26 languages, sold millions of copies and was made into a major film. It is also widely viewed as having broadened the appeal of the game to the middle classes.

The reality is a "bit more complicated", says Hornby. "My feeling is football changed in the 1960s, not when Fever Pitch was published - when England won the World Cup and George Best was like a pop star."

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Interesting article, haven't posted it all as it is long so check the link ...
 
The reality is much simpler, at least in English football. The price hikes necessary to support reduced capacity all seater stadia following the Taylor report was the start of pricing working class lads out of the game.
 
kf said:
The reality is much simpler, at least in English football. The price hikes necessary to support reduced capacity all seater stadia following the Taylor report was the start of pricing working class lads out of the game.
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Well the Taylor report and price rises are part of it, but I think your view is far too simplistic - there are a lot of other factors at work.
The article covers this exact issue:

"The 1980s were defined by poor stadiums, hooliganism and the authorities' football angst - Margaret Thatcher had a low opinion of the game and was considering introducing ID cards for all football supporters," says Phil Dorward of the Premier League.

John Williams, football expert at Leicester University, agrees.

"The game seemed to stumble from crisis to crisis. There was an inverted snobbery around the sport which challenged 'outsiders' to get involved and supporters had few mechanisms to get their voice heard," he says.

The Hillsborough disaster of 1989 and the Taylor Report which followed were seminal moments, according to Williams.

"Taylor ushered in seating and provoked the first major stadium modernisation programme in 30 years. The World Cup finals of 1990 and Gazza's tears were part of a wider cultural shift, eroding the inward tendencies in the English game.

"The other key change was the formation of the Premier League in 1992, marketing the elite cubs as a different, exclusive product.

"Now publicly claiming to be a middle-class football fan was no longer a social faux pas. New, more affluent older supporters were drawn in," says Williams.

The Premier League's Dorward says it is impossible to compare the socio-economic make-up of 90s football crowds with today's since the data doesn't exist.

"In the mid-80s we can say the crowd was white and male and that's about it," he says.

But far from shifting towards being a more middle-class game, Dorward believes that the changes in the match-day experience now means crowds are more diverse than ever.

"Football hasn't gentrified," says Dorward, "but the country has changed and football reflects that.

"We now have women making up 23% of crowds, 11% from black and minority ethnic groups and 13% of Premier League season ticket holders were under 16 last season."

The Premier League's annual survey of 45,000 fans suggests that those attending matches are not employed in elite occupations, with 10% working in manufacturing, 8% in financial services, 8% in construction and 8% in education.

"Football has become more accepting of all sectors of society," says Dorward.

But Williams feels something has been lost with the changes.

"Lots of traditional working-class fans have stopped attending. The market is said to decide ticket prices, but it also excludes many poorer fans."

But Dorward disputes the view that many fans are now priced out.

"Lots of fans buy their tickets on good deals, not the £50 tickets you read about. Wigan Athletic recently had two tickets for £25, the last three home matches at Blackburn last season were £20 together.

"The clubs are alive to the needs of their fans, but many fans are prepared to pay more than 20 years ago for a better, safer experience.

"The £100 Arsenal tickets you read about are the exception," says Dorward.
 
Safety and football being something you feel you can take your kids to on a Saturday/Sunday should be a massive part.

The complete opposite is happening down here, it is no longer a family routine, too many would rather watch in the safety of their homes.
 
kf said:
The reality is much simpler, at least in English football. The price hikes necessary to support reduced capacity all seater stadia following the Taylor report was the start of pricing working class lads out of the game.
Click to expand...

Essentially, yeah. They can witter on about changing demographics, "Gazza's tears" (what the feck?), Fever Pitch etc all they like, but it pretty much boils down to what you say here.
 
NJ1979 said:
Essentially, yeah. They can witter on about changing demographics, "Gazza's tears" (what the feck?), Fever Pitch etc all they like, but it pretty much boils down to what you say here.
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Aye these are symbolic moments rather than catalytic behavioural shifts.
 
Rood said:
Hornby: "My feeling is football changed in the 1960s, not when Fever Pitch was published - when England won the World Cup and George Best was like a pop star."
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Thank you, Captain Bloody Obvious.


From an Amazon review:

Fever Pitch played an influential role in inspiring footie delirium in marketing execs up and down the country who could now bore colleagues at work with romanticised, pretentious tales of "Braving the terraces of Grimsby on a cold, windy night".
Click to expand...
 
I blame the Fast Show



I listened to some of the Nick Hornby interview and when asked if he thought his book was responsible for 'middle class' football he said he thinks it all started in the 60s with "El Beatle" (George Best) and then the Taylor Report was the moment it truly lost its working class roots.
 
Not sure I agree with the George Best/World Cup thing - they both undoubtedly broadened the appeal of football in the UK, but it's pretty difficult to make a case for the game in this country during the 70s and 80s being in any way gentrified or something the middle classes would admit to following.
 
football has always been something that is popular regardless of class

that hasn't changed.....

what has changed is the cost of attending games etc.. which has priced some fans out of attending regularly
 
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