93rd minute at Old Trafford. We’re down 2-1. I
don’t know how we’re losing to Greece. Game is surely over now. AH! FOUL! Just
outside the box. This is our chance… my chance! 4-man wall is starting to shape
to the left of the goal…keeper looks to be cheating to the open side. I could
put it in nicely in on the right but that would be too easy. Brute force or
finesse? Decisions, decisions. Ah okay, let’s give 79,000 fans something to
cheer about. Let’s give it a smash over the wall, with a curve to swing it to
the left top corner, just under the bar where the keeper should be. Not only
that, but I want to hit it so that the keeper won’t even move. I want him to
witness this as well. Just watch and enjoy! This is going to be simply
sensational!
David Beckham, with absolutely zero time left in the game,
sent England and its fans to the 2002 World Cup finals. Given the moment and
the situation his team was in, his curling free kick has been regarded as one
of the most sensational goals of all time.
In reading Chapter 2 from Gordon Lynch’s Understanding Theology and Popular Culture,
I was struck by the transcendent function of popular culture as it pertains to
the game of soccer. As an avid soccer fan and loyal supporter for both Arsenal
in the English Premier League and Croatia at the national level, I can
definitely relate to soccer, and sports in general, as serving a transcendent
function.
For Lynch, popular culture can be a means by which people
encounter a religious experience. Likewise, this can also be said about soccer
fans and their ‘religious’ loyalty to their respective clubs and national teams.
In this context, I am not referring to general soccer supporters but rather to
the fanatical fans; those who regard their team as serving a religious purpose.
For these fans, their team and their country take precedence over and transcend
family, friends, and self. It is a way of living and thinking that has been ingrained in their minds since they were children. It is their life and their
love. One could argue that players are ‘worshipped’ by their fans and that the
actual game is a ‘communal celebration’, bringing together people with a common
interest, belief, and love. Therefore, a 90-minute soccer match itself, to some
degree, can be regarded as reflecting a Church liturgy. Both fans and
parishioners can temporarily forget about their daily struggles and celebrate,
rejoice, and even worship during the game and liturgy, respectively. Fans
following their club and national teams across the country and across the world
during international events can also be regarded, in some respects, as a kind
of soccer ‘pilgrimage’.
There is, however, a negative consequence specifically
involving sports and its ability to serve a transcendent function. The desire
to regard a sport (such as soccer) or a sports team as a religion has the
potential to render increased violence, as seen with professional soccer in
Europe. The use of flares and other more dangerous weapons before, during, and
after soccer matches by loyal supporters is a cause for concern and has even led to
injury and death.
