Whether it’s helping bring down Jose Mourinho, marching to protest their club owner or expressing solidarity with a fan community that has been attacked by hackers, these stories remind us that fans are not passive media consumers. They have a long history of using their passion for football to fight for change.
Across the world, supporters are protesting decisions made by their clubs that they feel harm their morals. This fan activism enables them to turn their creative energies and imagination into civic action, says media scholar Henry Jenkins.
For instance, in 2021, a group of Tottenham fans called Change for Tottenham marched before their team’s match against Manchester United to call on owner Daniel Levy to sell the club. Levy bought the club in 2001, but since then it has never been a success on the pitch. Instead, it has become a business, with Levy prioritizing hosting major events over building a successful football club.
Other fan protests are more subtle. In the United States, for example, a group of Austin FC fans has been able to compromise with the club’s front office on sharing pro-immigrant messaging at games. They have gotten banners approved to say “Austin Is An Immigrant City” and have distributed “Know Your Rights” cards. They are also boycotting games to highlight the team’s silence on immigration raids in Southern California, where some of the players play. Leslie Jimenez, leader of the Angel City Brigade, a group that sits during LA Galaxy home games to highlight this issue, says there isn’t a day that goes by without her thinking about these raids.