Politics are excited about a return to football and Reform Britain is excited, or furious, depending on who you ask.
In a busy week for the far-right party, leader Nigel Farage sparked a controversial visit to Ipswich Town FC. Despite his previous claims that politics should be taken out of football, Farage seems very keen to plaster pictures of himself in an Ipswich shirt on social media.
At the same time, pro-reform MP Suela Braverman is embroiled in a dispute with the Football Association (FA) over its plans to increase coaching opportunities for people of black, Asian, mixed race or other ethnic backgrounds. The plan has been described by former Conservative Party leader Suella Braverman as “woke nonsense”.
Now, what about reform? Is this beautiful game political football or just football?
The clubs at the center of the storm are desperately trying to prove they are apolitical. Ipswich Town FC said it “does not endorse or endorse any individual or political party” and has “accepted representatives from a wide variety of political parties” over the years.
Still, to stem a wave of criticism from fans, the club reiterated that it is “proud to be an inclusive, diverse and welcoming organization that supports all members of the local and wider community. This commitment remains.” Would that also be considered “woke nonsense”? Reform UK is not yet clear.
Politicians have always dressed up as soccer fans. What’s different now?
If you’re looking at Farage holding up his new shirt with a smug look on his face and thinking, ‘Isn’t that what everyone does?’, you’re not wrong. Politicians love to prove they are just like us. And in the UK at least, that means shouting out your support for the football team every chance you get. Current and former Labor Party leaders Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn are both keen Arsenal fans. Corbyn once went so far as to support a parliamentary motion to officially declare the Gunners the “best football team in the world”.
Of course, there are quite a few politicians whose credentials as soccer fans are even more questionable. Former Prime Minister David Cameron infamously urged people to forget which team they were rooting for and support West Ham, despite previously promoting himself as an Aston Villa fan. When asked about the blunder, the Conservative MP at the time said it was “just one of those things”.
Similarly, former chancellor Rishi Sunak got the crowd involved at a hustings event in Manchester by saying he hoped Southampton, the local club he grew up with, would beat Manchester United that weekend, even though Saints were actually scheduled to play Leicester City. Not to be outdone by the two major parties, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey made sure to take a painfully staged photo of himself celebrating the Lionesses’ victory at the 2023 World Cup.
So far I’m so fed up. But it’s business as usual, right? Why were there protests against Farage?
Well, fans don’t want Ipswich Town to be apolitical. They are asking their beloved club not to support any particular politics. One Ipswich fan summed it up as “a damning look at the so-called (sic) family club allowing the leader of a party that champions division, hatred and bigotry to flaunt our failures as if they were lords of the manor”. Similarly, Ipswich’s LGBTQ+ fan group Rainbow Tractors said they felt “let down” by the club.
Fans are making it clear. Their reactions are not apolitical, but they are very political.
Football fans have always been political
It takes dedication and fierce loyalty to follow a team, not like Rishi Sunak, but to really follow a team. They will have to endure disappointing games and heartbreaking losses. That means we know how to fix the cause.
A striking example of how this energy and passion can become political is the vigorous campaign by Liverpool fans for the introduction of the Hillsborough Act and the long-term boycott of the Sun newspaper in the wake of the appalling response to the Hillsborough disaster.
Similarly, fans were quick to support Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford and pressure the government to take action against food poverty.
Football has never existed in a bubble. It infects and infects every aspect of culture. These exchanges are why England’s national anthem, “Three Lions,” became one of the best-selling singles in British history, and why the Eurodance hit “Freedom from Desire” can now be heard sung at so many football matches. Football is in everything and everything is in football.
In other words, whether clubs and politicians like it or not, politics can be involved in football.
