Football can have a major impact on mental health. It is thought to affect emotions, relationships, identity and self-esteem. In a recent study, one in four fans said football was one of the most important things in their lives. When your team does well, it prompts feelings of happiness, well-being, and collective euphoria. If a team loses a match, however, it does not necessarily have a negative impact on mental health.
It is thought that watching football may be cathartic. Fans step into their team identity by wearing clothes. They can behave in ways that encourage “a cathartic release of tension” through shouting, screaming, gesturing and chanting.
For young men in particular, the opportunity to externalise tension and emotion is important to maintaining health. Young men are at the highest risk of suicide – it is the most common cause of death for young men under the age of 35. This age group is one of the most dominant in football crowds across the world.
Watching and supporting football provides an opportunity for connection and belonging in an age where technology means there is less and less direct physical interaction.
Supporting a football team, watching a live game or gathering to watch a match on television, are all ways of participating in group activity with people who share the same values and interests. This provides a sense of belonging, identification and inclusion within a larger group. It creates a tangible social identity. Identification with the players as people and the club also promote a sense of belonging.
Football builds relationships
Having strong relationships is known to be a key factor in the maintenance of positive mental health. Football plays an important role in the formation and maintenance of social and familial relationships. Over 90% of people who attend matches go with friends, family or colleagues.
Football strengthens bonds between family members, most notably between fathers and sons. Many parents see football as an important part of their relationship with their children. In one study it was found that almost every fan was taken to their first match by their father.
Time set aside to watch football is done so deliberately and becomes an expected routine. It generates conversation and provides an opportunity for parent and child to catch up. It creates and protects “quality time.” This quality time often continues long after children have grown up and so maintains parent/child relationships throughout life.