BORN A SUPPORTER (1)

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R E M O N T A D AR E MR E M O N TO N T A D AA D Asince 2026.the entertainment magFOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISHFOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISHFOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISH 1 ENGLAND - FOOTBALL - CLUBS - BANDWAGON - SUPPORTER - LOYALTY + MORE

R E M O N T A D AR E MR E M O N TO N T A D AA D Asince 2026.the entertainment magBORN A SUPPORTER?BORN A SUPPORTER?BORN A SUPPORTER?BORN A SUPPORTER?BORN A SUPPORTER?BORN A SUPPORTER?BORN A SUPPORTER?ENGLAND - FOOTBALL - CLUBS - BANDWAGON - LOYALTY + MORE BORN ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE ISSUE 2 8–14 SEPTEMBER 2026 ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE ISSUE 2ISSUE 2 8–14 SEPTEMBER 20268–14 SEPTEMBER 2026 ISSUE 2 8–14 SEPTEMBER 2026

TENTSTENTSTENTSCON3 UPFRONT ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 01BEFORE THE CHOICEBEFORE THE CHOICEHow football first enters everyday life before a choice is made.06.WHY?WHY?How attraction turns casual exposure into a personal club choice.07.PROVE ITPROVE ITHow English football communities judge and authenticate genuine supporters.08.STAY WITH THE CLUBSTAY WITH THE CLUBHow loyalty survives when success, trophies, and glory eventually disappear10.GROWING UP WITH ENGLISH FOOTBALLGROWING UP WITH ENGLISH FOOTBALL04.UPFRONTFEATURESWHEN THE CHOICE BECOMES SOMETHING MOREWHEN THE CHOICE BECOMES SOMETHING MORE12.THE LAST WORDABOUT USABOUT US13.

4 REMONTADA ISSUE 01 UPFRONT ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE

FGROWING UP WITH ENGLISH FOOTBALL But how does being around football transform to becoming a supporter? Becoming a supporter in “Merry England” may be less like making a decision, but more like starting off a journey: from accidental exposure, to personal affection and recognition by a specific community, and eventually to an attachment that can last a lifetime. name casually mentioned during a weekend conversation. Football is simply there, quietly entering a child’s world and strengthening the cultural rapport of the English community. or many English children, football has become ingrained in their life long before they can consciously opt for a club. It might begin with the sounds of adults shouting at the television on Super Sunday matches, a football shirt glimpsed on the street or a club 5 UPFRONT ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 01

FFootball surroundsFootball surrounds children beforechildren before they consciously choose tothey consciously choose to become fans.become fans. Football surrounds children before they consciously choose to become fans. ootball is not something a child has to actively seek out to get involved in England. It is already encountered at a shop, football commentary drifting from the radio in a family car, the roar of a pub when walking past, or a match broadcasted there, tacitly intertwined into the background of everyday life. A newspaper headline on a television in the living room - all of these things can familiarise a child with football long before they make up their mind to get involved. This is what makes football an “ambient background” - not a single dramatic experience, but a constant, low-level presence of that “king of sports” in everyday life. Recognising the language of football does not necessitate children to enter a stadium or deliberately follow a league, but is just penetrated through daily rituals. 6 REMONTADA ISSUE 01 FEATURES ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREBEFORE THE CHOICE BEFOREBEFORE THE CHOICE THE CHOICE

through overhearing adult conversations - a debate about a weekend match in the kitchen, or radio commentary playing in the car. Yet, there is an important collective distinction here which is “contact”, not commitment. A child may not understand every tactical argument or historical reference, but the names of clubs, the excitement of victory and even the disappointment of defeat have gradually become part of their cultural surroundings, showing that the presence of football is truly absorbed passively without any interruption of consciousness. Some of these encounters have especially become memorable. On a school playground, children may swap Panini stickers, learning the faces and names of players, and badges of clubs through pocket money purchases at local corner shops. Such a traditional practice, which is likely to die out, has still retained its ordinary form from the day without the innovation of the internet, placing emphasis on the longlasting domination of football in England. At home, “Match of the day”, which is an inherently omnipresent programme on English family TV, may fill the Saturday evening with familiar opening music, highlights or images even for a child who has never chosen to watch football. Football, elsewhere, enters 7 FEATURES ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 01CONTACT IS NOTCONTACT IS NOT COMMITMENT.COMMITMENT. CONTACT IS NOT COMMITMENT.

YOU DON’T CHOOSE THIS. THIS JUST HAPPENED.someone’s attention, igniting an attraction long before any deep commitment or authentic identity is forged. Taste precedes identity: a fan is often drawn to a captivating highlight or an individual icon long before they truly understand what it means to belong to a collective heritage.REMONTADA ISSUE 01FEATURESWHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?WHY?SOMETHINGSOMETHING LIKE...ATTRACTION.LIKE...ATTRACTION. SOMETHING LIKE...ATTRACTION.ootball fandom rarely begins with a calculated, logical decision. Out of countless passive touchpoints, a specific club, player, or England team suddenly emerges not because of cold rationalisation, but because of a random, emotional spark. It is the precise moment when an iconic hero, a breathtaking team, or a memorable moment capturesFFFFFENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREHistorically, this initial attraction was often ignited by unforgettable moments on the pitch. A memorable goal, a striking kit, or an extraordinary era could turn casual exposure into a lifelong fascination. The legendary Arsenal “Invincibles” era of 2003– 04 offers a classic case in point, with the spellbinding performances of Thierry Henry capturing the imagination of a generation of supporters. His individual brilliance served as an irresistible entry point into the club. For one generation, that spark might have arrived through television, Match of the Day, newspapers, or a family member watching beside them.Today, the same emotional process can begin through very different encounters. A younger supporter may meet a player first through a short video, a social media post, a YouTube compilation, or even a football video game. The point of entry has become more immediate and personalised, but the attraction itself remains familiar: something stands out, creates an emotional response, and makes the viewer want to see more.

REMONTADA ISSUE 01FEATURESENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREWHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?WHO DO YOU MEET FIRST?This player-led attraction also extends beyond domestic clubs to the England team. A young supporter may encounter the national side not through a pre-existing sense of national identity, but through a player they already follow. During the build- up to the 2026 World Cup, interactive engagement tools like the official England Squad Selector saw 35,389 fans actively draft their own teams, with Bellingham selected by 98.7% of participants and Bukayo Saka by 97.5 %. Where Henry once offered a gateway into Arsenal, players such as Bellingham can now become gateways into England. The journey from an individual player to a team therefore remains recognisable, even as the media surrounding it continues to evolve.That evolution is also changing how supporters participate. Major tournaments are no longer experienced only through watching matches. Short- form videos, creator content, tactical explainers, player-focused posts, and interactive features such as the official England Squad Selector allow younger audiences to engage with the team before, during, and beyond the match itself. The supporter can watch, follow, discuss, select, and share — turning attraction into an increasingly interactive experience. Yet the underlying mechanism remains remarkably consistent. Whether the first spark comes from Thierry Henry on television, a favourite shirt, a family connection, or a Bellingham clip on social media, attraction begins when something suddenly feels personal. The platforms change. The generations change. The ways of encountering football change. But the emotional click remains.BELLINGHAM, SAKA → ENGLAND players now can be gateways to a nation3rd-place match 2026 England vs France Saka: 3 goals Bellingham: 1 goal

Follows success.Lacks genuine commitment.BANDWAGON FANBANDWAGON FANBANDWAGON FANFollows the winning side.ENGLISH FOOTBALL HAS A LANGUAGE FOR QUESTIONING BELONGING. ENGLISH FOOTBALLENGLISH FOOTBALL HAS A LANGUAGEHAS A LANGUAGE FOR QUESTIONING BELONGING. FOR QUESTIONING BELONGING. GLORY HUNTERGLORY HUNTERGLORY HUNTER PLASTIC FANPLASTIC FANPLASTIC FANREMONTADA ISSUE 01FEATURESENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREPROVE ITPROVE ITPROVE ITWHO REALLY COUNTSWHO REALLY COUNTS AS A SUPPORTER?AS A SUPPORTER? WHO REALLY COUNTS AS A SUPPORTER? WHO REALLY COUNTS AS A SUPPORTER? WHO REALLY COUNTS AS A SUPPORTER?ith most native English football club supporters, choosing to support a club usually embeds into long-term loyalty. Once someone says, “I support them”, the question may follow: why them? Supporting a club can therefore become socially authenticated, especially when there isWWWGeography can work as an informal credential, especially when a club is closely associated with a particular city, town or region,making local support easier to recognise. Yet geography is just one form of social evidence, not definitive proof of genuine fandom. Time, knowledge, long-term commitment and true passion can also validate a supporter’s choice. This creates a grey area in which football’s vocabulary of authenticity begins to emerge. Since 2008, when Manchester City became immersed in “oil money,” the club’s success gradually grew and then sharply accelerated over nearly two decades. That phenomenon led to debate about new supporters. On Bluemoon, the club’s supporter forum,A NEW ERA, A NEW “FOLLOWERS”no obvious local connection to explain the choice. Loyalty is often expected to follow family, geography, or tradition, and deviation from these norms can challenge unwritten rules of belonging.fans have used terms such as “glory hunter,” “bandwagon fan,” and “plastic fan” to complain about seeing more city shirts around Manchester when the club became more successful and described a neighbour who had switched from Man United since City looked like “the next big thing”. Yet other sides of City supporters questioned the idea of judging newer supporters as glory hunters, arguing that they can also become lifelong supporters.

REMONTADA ISSUE 01FEATURESENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREBUT THE DEBATE RAISES A BIGGER QUESTION: WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES A SUPPORTER GENUINE? BUT THE DEBATE RAISES A BIGGER QUESTION: WHAT ACTUALLY BUT THE DEBATE RAISES A BIGGER QUESTION: WHAT ACTUALLY MAKES A SUPPORTER GENUINE?MAKES A SUPPORTER GENUINE?Sir David Beckham serves as a different perspective. Born in Leytonstone, London, Beckham chose to support and dedicate his youth to Manchester United despite having no Manchester root or local upbringing. Thanks to his father, Ted, he was regularly taken to Old Trafford, and Becks later described United as the team he had always wanted to play for. Beckham eventually made his dream a reality, writing his name into the club’s history as one of its most iconic footballers ever.Beckham therefore lacked an obvious geographical credential for supporting a Manchester club. His background was typically a “ Plastic Manc” (a fake Mancunian). Yet he had other forms of evidence: early commitment, repeated experience with the club, knowledge, and years of involvement inside its footballing institution.BORN IN LONDON, BECKHAM BUILT HIS BELONGING AT OLD TRAFFORD - MANCHESTER.GEOGRAPHY CAN EXPLAIN BELONGING. IT CANNOT DEFINE IT. GEOGRAPHY CAN EXPLAIN BELONGING. GEOGRAPHY CAN EXPLAIN BELONGING. IT CANNOT DEFINE IT.IT CANNOT DEFINE IT.

This tiny change in pronouns reveals something even far bigger: football has the power to transform individual experiences into collective ones. Supporters may enter a stadium on their own as strangers, yet end up becoming part of a shared experience. They wear their shirts of the same colours, sing the same chants, react to the same goal and celebrate victory together. A shirt is no longer just clothing or a chant is no longer simply a song, but all together, they create a universal language through which supporters recognise one another as members of a community. Football has therefore become a mutual language of identity and belonging which gives people ways to not only express their personal affection and loyalty but also their regional pride, local patriotism and a sense of national belonging. More importantly, belonging is not merely what people internally feel, but something they overtly perform, as in cheering rituals and behaviours. From one voice to thousands singing as one, football does not simply turn people into spectators. It can transform individual experience into shared identity.ABELONGINGIDENTITY&Football gives peopleFootball gives people a shared language fora shared language for identity, belonging,identity, belonging, and connection.and connection. Football gives people a shared language for identity, belonging, and connection. t first glance, football may seem to be a deeply personal experience when one person watches a match, chooses a club to support, and admires a favourite player. But somewhere between the first whistle to kick off the match and the final celebration, something tacitly changes. The language of football seemingly shifts from “I” to “We” where “I watch football” is no longer said, but replaced by “I support this club”, “Our team” or “We won” whenever their club gains a victory or prevails over an opponent. 12 REMONTADA ISSUE 01 FEATURES ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE

demonstrating how a club symbol can extend meaning within the wider community. This relationship works both ways. A city gives a club its history, stories and sense of place; in return, the club can become one of the strongest symbols through which that city is recognised. Club identity and local identity therefore grow together. And once that sense of belonging takes root, it can travel beyond one supporter and into the lives of entire families.I ninety minutes of football: it can be a meeting point for a community, a keeper of memories and a symbol of local pride. That is why when a supporter says, “This is my club,” they may also be expressing a deeper feeling: “This is my place.”CLUB IDENTITY A CLUB BECOMES MORE THAN A TEAMA CLUB BECOMES MORE THAN A TEAM WHEN IT REPRESENTS HOME.WHEN IT REPRESENTS HOME. A CLUB BECOMES MORE THAN A TEAM WHEN IT REPRESENTS HOME. n English football, a club is rarely separated from the place it calls home. The stadium is more than a venue forLOCAL ROOTS 13 FEATURES ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 01 Few things capture this connection better than wearing the shirt. A football jersey is not simply a piece of sportswear. Its colours, badge and design can represent identity, recognition and commitment, while also connecting supporters to the history and character of a particular community. For many fans, putting on the shirt means carrying a piece of home with them. Liverpool offers a striking example. The red shirt, Anfield, the Liver Bird have become recognisable symbols not only of the club its own but also its connection to the city. Above all, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” further expresses ideas of solidarity and belonging that reach beyond the stadium,&

THE GAME MAY LAST NINETY MINUTES THE CULTURE AROUND IT DOES NOTFrom a shirt, a player, a great goal to just a moment remembered from childhood, choosing a club can begin with those little things. What follows is a process of experiencing success and disappointment, being questioned of authenticity, and reaching moments when stopping might seem easier than staying with what they loved from the very start. That is what makes supporting a club begins to mean something more in English football culture.A choice gives football support a story. A story becomes allegiance. And allegiance, with enough time, becomes part of football culture itself. → NEXT: EP. 3 — HOW IS FOOTBALL EXPERIENCED? 14 REMONTADA ISSUE 01 THE LAST WORD ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE

R E M O N T A D AR E MR E M O N TO N T A D AA D Asince 2026.the entertainment magThis E-zine is developed as a 6-issue series, which explores English football beyond the pitch, showing it as a vivid cultural phenomenon deeply tied to identity, community, and social memory. Through the lens of British Cultural Studies, this series examines this sport as a “culture of belonging” that has the ability to connect individuals or even unite people across generations, regions, and local roots. Across these 6 issues, it also critically reflects on the modern landscape of English football, tracing how a kind of entertainment can turn intense passion into hostility, and how global commercialisation and modern media are creating a different appearance of football. Through a multi-layered point of view, the E-zine captures not only the enduring spirit that keeps this game continuing but also the dark sides behind its entertainment. LÊ GIA HUY 2457010073 ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTUREABOUT USABOUT USABOUT US NGUYỄN VIẾT VINH 2457010239 VŨ ĐÌNH HƯNG 2457010066 LÊ ĐỨC BÌNH 2457010029 15 Ideas / Concept Content Writer Content Editor Content Writer Translation Content Writer Research Content Writer ProofreadingREMONTADA AI CONTRIBUTIONS CONTENT: Topic analysis · Episode/Issue arrangement LANGUAGE: Translation · Grammar checking · English editing RESEARCH: Keyword exploration · Source identification · Fact-checking VISUALS: Image restoration (restoring, enhancing & upscaling) All AI-assisted results were reviewed, edited and selectively incorporated by our team. The group takes responsibility for the final content, sources and design. THE LAST WORD ENGLISH FOOTBALL CULTURE REMONTADA ISSUE 01 REFERENCES Middeke, M., Müller, T., Wald, C., & Zapf, H. (Eds.). (2012). English and American Studies: Theory and Practice. J.B. Metzler. Ch. 5.1–5.2, pp. 359–363. Hobsbawm, E. J. (1990). Nations and Nationalism Since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality. Cambridge University Press. Back, L., Crabbe, T., & Solomos, J. (2001). “‘Lions and Black Skins’: Race, Nation and Local Patriotism in Football.” In ‘Race’, Sport and British Society, pp. 83–102.

R E M O N T A D AR E MR E M O N TO N T A D AA D Asince 2026.the entertainment mag16