Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Nick Hornby - Fever Pitch
The first book from the author of High Fidelity (which I loved; both movie and book) and About a Boy (which I am keen to get my hands on), this is a story about the neurosis of football fans. It is autobiographical, following Nick’s support for Arsenal and all the pain that goes with it. The world of British football is a foreign one to me and I think that if I was more knowledgeable then I probably would have got more out of it. There were some things that struck home though.
He links various up and downs of Arsenal with his own personal ups and downs. Something that he sees as perfectly reasonable – his support of the team is irrationally personal; as is mine of my football (rugby league, not soccer) team, the Bulldogs. But it is hard not to become like this. The Bulldogs were kicked out of the comp for salary cap breaches on my birthday two years ago. The last time we won the competition (1995) was the same year as an amazing 3-0 win to the Queenslanders in State of Origin. These are the things that you remember. Our come from behind victory against Parramatta in the major semi final of 1997(after they had poached 5 of our players in 96) – and rubbing it in to my uncle and my friend’s mother who are both Eels supporters
He seems to have a unerring memory for matches and scores and players that I envy, but he also gets to see his team play live on a weekly basis, whereas I have to subsist on the occasional TV game and the once a year the Doggies make the trip from Sydney to Brisbane.
I enjoyed this book even though there were large parts of it I skimmed, as he went into discussion of soccer tactics, players, managers etc. He manages to poke fun at himself while explaining in some respects the passion that football fans feel. He gives some insight into the loutish behaviour that is synonymous with English football fans, and gives reasons for the various tragedies that have happened over the years.
I love the irrationality of it all. Why do you feel more attached to your team when they are losing? It is easy to be a fair weather fan, but while it hurts to watch your team lose, it makes the infrequent victories all the more special. People outside the scope of football don’t understand that once you have chosen the team you support you can no more change it than you can change your birth parents. It is just something you are. I am a Bulldogs fan, and always will be. Hornby is an Arsenal fan, and they will probably have to drag him away from Highbury to bury him.
If you are a soccer fan you must read this book. If you are a patriotic football fan of any code you should read this book. If you have no interest in football of any kind, read High Fidelity – it’s great, and then get yourself to a footy game, you’re missing out!!
He links various up and downs of Arsenal with his own personal ups and downs. Something that he sees as perfectly reasonable – his support of the team is irrationally personal; as is mine of my football (rugby league, not soccer) team, the Bulldogs. But it is hard not to become like this. The Bulldogs were kicked out of the comp for salary cap breaches on my birthday two years ago. The last time we won the competition (1995) was the same year as an amazing 3-0 win to the Queenslanders in State of Origin. These are the things that you remember. Our come from behind victory against Parramatta in the major semi final of 1997(after they had poached 5 of our players in 96) – and rubbing it in to my uncle and my friend’s mother who are both Eels supporters
He seems to have a unerring memory for matches and scores and players that I envy, but he also gets to see his team play live on a weekly basis, whereas I have to subsist on the occasional TV game and the once a year the Doggies make the trip from Sydney to Brisbane.
I enjoyed this book even though there were large parts of it I skimmed, as he went into discussion of soccer tactics, players, managers etc. He manages to poke fun at himself while explaining in some respects the passion that football fans feel. He gives some insight into the loutish behaviour that is synonymous with English football fans, and gives reasons for the various tragedies that have happened over the years.
I love the irrationality of it all. Why do you feel more attached to your team when they are losing? It is easy to be a fair weather fan, but while it hurts to watch your team lose, it makes the infrequent victories all the more special. People outside the scope of football don’t understand that once you have chosen the team you support you can no more change it than you can change your birth parents. It is just something you are. I am a Bulldogs fan, and always will be. Hornby is an Arsenal fan, and they will probably have to drag him away from Highbury to bury him.
If you are a soccer fan you must read this book. If you are a patriotic football fan of any code you should read this book. If you have no interest in football of any kind, read High Fidelity – it’s great, and then get yourself to a footy game, you’re missing out!!
