The 21st Century Globetrotters’ Fans: The Case of Israeli Transnational Football Supporters’ Communities Before and During the Pandemic

Abstract

In the modern era of commercialized, mediated, and global football, there is a decline in the importance of the local aspect of sports fandom. Nowadays, through television broadcasts, the Internet, and especially social networks, a fan continuously follows elite football clubs from around the world, which provide an alternative to local clubs. This has created a growing trend of football fan communities known as “transnational fans”—fans of sports clubs from other countries. Contrary to traditional definitions of fandom, the transnational fans are not close to the home stadium and therefore do not take part in the ceremonial ritual of actively supporting the club from the stands. Because of this, they are not seen as part of the club’s traditional fans. This means that transnational fans are forced to redefine the image of the football fan and to place special emphasis on an active community and loyalty to the team as markers of devotion. Contributing to the study of the psychology of fandom, this article discusses the characteristics of those fans’ communities in Israel and seeks to present an analysis of the construction of their members’ social and personal identity. To this end, an anthropological approach was adopted, which involved attending community gatherings throughout an entire gaming season and also included a series of in-depth interviews with community members. The findings of the study illustrate two main premises: the use of personal and community resources for self-determination, and the community and its place in the modern fan typology. Each theme attempts to redefine the individual’s role in the social setting and present a dynamic image of football fandom as it will take shape in coming decades.

Online sports fans communities: humor, trivial knowledge, and anti-modern tendencies

“…Traditionally, hardcore fans were measured by their attendance in the stands, and those who followed the team on home and away games were considered the most loyal (12). However, given current tendencies in the globalization of sports, particularly football (13), some fans choose alternative ways of demonstrating their dedication (14). While some fans continue to support their team in the traditional way of attending matches, others focus on the consumer aspect of fandom (15).…”

Fanatisme dalam Perspektif Hadis

“…Sepak bola bukan hanya perihal sebelas orang yang bermain di lapangan, akan tetapi para suporter yang berdiri di tribun juga termasuk pemain yang berada di dalamnya (Kennedy & Kennedy, 2010). Bagi mereka bukan pula sekedar menyaksikan, akan tetapi memberikan komentar, seruan suporter kepada tim kesayangan dan seruan intimidasi pada tim lawan pun sebagai implusif perlu mewujudkan tindakan lanjutan (Levental et al, 2023). Di Indonesia apalagi di dunia, sepak bola dan suporter sepak bola adalah kesatuan yang tidak dapat dipecahkan serta sama-sama berkaitan (Malfaid, 2013).…”

Passionate hearts, torn loyalties: navigating the interplay between fandom and romance

“…Various forms of fandom have been identified and categorized by researchers, predicated on the degree of identification fans exhibit toward their team ( Giulianotti, 2002 ; Billings et al, 2018 ; Onwumechili, 2018 ; Van Driel et al, 2019 ; Levental et al, 2022 ). Wann et al (2001) suggest a framework that differentiates highly identified fans from mere sports spectators.…”