SA’s undying Premier League passion

The English Premier League is a privilege. I’ve never really thought about the league, the product or what it means to me as a fan, but a recent interaction with a fan from abroad made me think.

Tourists to SA can’t believe just how much football we get to watch. It’s a long story.

The Premier League has been beamed into homes in SA since the early to mid-90s. And so many fans in SA don’t realise the difference in live match viewing quantities to that of English fans.

The biggest contextual difference is that fans in the UK can attend live games. Of course, they have to deal with little to no live action on their TVs. Whereas the chances of an SA fan to watch at Old Trafford, Anfield or Stamford Bridge is rare and a bucket-list moment. Few will realistically achieve this.

Recently two Arsenal fans — in their 60s — watched their beloved Gunners at the Emirates and they choked up when interviewed about their life-changing day out. A dream come true. But it shows what it means to us all. And the power of social media only serves to reinforce the burning desire to one day watch your hero live.

For many, they grew up cheering for Tony Adams, John Barnes or Eric Cantona, but will end up watching Bukayo Saka, Mo Salah or Bruno Fernandes. It won’t matter — time goes on, heroes retire and new favourites emerge. The support remains fierce and the dream lingers on.

TV has also improved year on year — you can now watch almost every game of the weekend on pay TV. Social media channels fill in the blanks. You are more connected to the team than ever. Despite the cultural differences across our nation, once a soccer-loving fanatic adopts a team — be it from a favourite player or by family allegiances — it’s done. You don’t change. Ever. You live and breathe your club. You love your manager and find yourself making excuses for any slip-ups.

Watching the game on the weekend is non-negotiable. Weddings and family occasions are planned around big games and Cup finals. I’ve seen grown men cry when Manchester United beat Liverpool in a league fixture and even more weep when the Red Devils lose a Cup final.

The passionate Springboks fans have shown how a team can grip a nation. But the Premier League has been doing this in pockets of society for three decades. And it’s not slowing down. Dads are passing down the tradition of supporting a club to kids and it serves to prolong the cycle of dedication to a team based thousands of kilometres away.

Loyal from afar

The rivalries in London are as fierce in Johannesburg and the sweet joys of a win over Manchester United is felt as strongly in Cape Town as it is on Merseyside.

It’s a remarkable phenomenon given the lack of geographical connection between club and fan.

Most will never watch their team live, but that matters not as they consume all the content they can before and after match day.

If the Premier League is Britain’s longest-running drama show, then there’s certainly a case for SA to boast as the home of the most loyal fans.

You only have to walk around city centres in SA to have a look at the replica shirts on display. There’s even Manchester City fans now crawling out of their hiding places. I’ve met several Everton die-hards and even played golf with a South African chap named after a Wolves goalkeeper. My local has at least three West Ham fans and they know their stuff. The long-suffering Spurs’ locals have a spring in their step at the moment when you meet them out and about.

And the Liverpool faithful? They are arguably the most passionate. They praise Jurgen Klopp for finally ending their drought. They miss Steven Gerrard running their midfield and take great pride in looking over United fans as their club continues to struggle.

This weekend, millions of fans will be watching the Springboks against England from their couches. But the number of supporters taking an interest in the results of the Premier League won’t be far behind. Not bad for “just a game of soccer”.

Sport has proven to be a wonderful distraction from life’s hardships and tests. We have more games more often to watch and enjoy and comment on. It’s a social connection and many families are bonded by their mutual adoration of a particular team.

It’s a tradition — think Boxing Day festivities — and we should revel in it. We should take care to nurture the next generation of fans. And never take for granted the joys and thrills it brings us.