How to grieve when your football team loses
Sometimes the beautiful game can be brutal – when you’re not winning, that is. Here are our five tips to getting over the pain of your rivals lifting the trophy
Sometimes the beautiful game can be brutal – when you’re not winning, that is. Here are our five tips to getting over the pain of your rivals lifting the trophy
Football pain hurts like no other. An allegiance to 11 men running on a large grass pitch sporting bright colours might sound odd but trust me, it’s part of being human. The triumphs, the drama, the knockbacks, the community… football is spiritual.
I’m an Arsenal fan, so believe me when I say I’ve felt my fair share of pain and on Sunday May 19th, that pain returned in full force. North London was in tears. I was in Finsbury Park and I saw people slowly sipping pints in silence – not a pretty sight – as Manchester City lifted their fourth successive Premier League trophy, winning the league by a measly two points.
Red and white shirts wallowed in misery and anger, as this feeling is exactly what they had felt only last year. Yet again, the force and sword of Manchester City, pricks. That feeling of loss puts you in a state you could say is similar to grieving. You’re in shock, denial, you’re angry, you bargain, depression soaks in, you build yourself to work through it, and finally you accept it (maybe…)
So to all the football fans out there that are going through it, we hear you and we got you. Here are our five healthy ways to grief a major football loss.
This one is crucial. You already know your mates of rival teams are going to be belling your line like your mum when you were 16 and ignored your curfew. They’re going to be sending you memes of your team's failure like clockwork and I mean like clockwork. The group chat is going to flame you like Nando's peri peri chicken on a hot grill and who wants that? I know I don’t. Put that phone on Do Not Disturb, it’s for your own good.
Some pains are worse than others and I promise you, the pain of supporting either Chelsea or Man United trumps anything else. A downfall as dramatic as the ones these two have given us really makes me believe the grass really isn’t greener on the other side, so be (slightly) grateful.
They say that it’s the hope that kills you and, trust me, it is. You hope and hope and hope and hope but one day God blesses you and before you know it you’re crying tears of joy and not ones of grief. Keep your head up, there’s always next season.
Real football fans already know this one but you’d be surprised, this happens. Supporting a football team is like having a kid – despite what happens, that kid is yours. Its successes and failures are a part of your journey and a part of who you are. You wouldn’t stop supporting and loving your son just because he failed his GCSE exams, right?! This one goes out to all the glory hunters, we hate you.
Football is tribal and hate is one hell of an emotion. You think rival fans are applauding you when you succeed? I'll tell you for sure that definitely isn’t the case. They say an eye for an eye makes the world go blind but I’d rather we all be blind than see Man City lift another Premier League title. Start your prayers immediately.
This one is crucial. You already know your mates of rival teams are going to be belling your line like your mum when you were 16 and ignored your curfew. They’re going to be sending you memes of your team's failure like clockwork and I mean like clockwork. The group chat is going to flame you like Nando's peri peri chicken on a hot grill and who wants that? I know I don’t. Put that phone on Do Not Disturb, it’s for your own good.
Some pains are worse than others and I promise you, the pain of supporting either Chelsea or Man United trumps anything else. A downfall as dramatic as the ones these two have given us really makes me believe the grass really isn’t greener on the other side, so be (slightly) grateful.
They say that it’s the hope that kills you and, trust me, it is. You hope and hope and hope and hope but one day God blesses you and before you know it you’re crying tears of joy and not ones of grief. Keep your head up, there’s always next season.
Real football fans already know this one but you’d be surprised, this happens. Supporting a football team is like having a kid – despite what happens, that kid is yours. Its successes and failures are a part of your journey and a part of who you are. You wouldn’t stop supporting and loving your son just because he failed his GCSE exams, right?! This one goes out to all the glory hunters, we hate you.
Football is tribal and hate is one hell of an emotion. You think rival fans are applauding you when you succeed? I'll tell you for sure that definitely isn’t the case. They say an eye for an eye makes the world go blind but I’d rather we all be blind than see Man City lift another Premier League title. Start your prayers immediately.
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