Among the 32
football teams participating in the FIFA World Cup 2006,
the England football Team is undoubtedly one
of those teams that
attract the greatest public attention. England
football fans, as
always, will get psychologically aroused at games to the highest
extent. They hit the heights when their team wins and reach the depths
of despair when they lose. Fans of the England football team are so
emotionally involved in games that they sometimes behave hysterically;
other times they turn from joys to tears. How can a small football stir
up such huge emotional surges?
The Chinese newspaper Beijing Science and Technology carried an article
from the English newspaper The Guardian which says that the emotional
changes of football fans are all dictated by certain rules of
relationship psychology.
Experiments show that
testosterone levels in male fans rise markedly
after a victory (but drop just as sharply after a defeat). As we know,
testosterone is one of the male hormones, which controls such senses as
competition, confidence, tranquility and pessimism. In a certain sense,
the whole English nation is currently under the influence of
testosterone. Psychologists have asked this question: Why do the fans
devote so much of their energy to something they can\''t control?
One answer is that they can enjoy a sense of “status” through their
connection with their team. When many fans avidly root for a team, they
feel they are united as one and have become members of a group or a
society. If this psychological need for status is strong enough, the
performance of the team will influence the attitudes and feelings of
the fans. In other words, they are influenced by “their own team”. When
they watch a professional match, the fans always feel motivated and
pressured. During a football match the team and the fans temporarily
demonstrate a fierce and unbreakable bond to each other.
Highly-identified fans desire to share their feelings with one another.
They feel drawn to one another, and have a deep attachment to their
team. When watching a football game, their emotions change with the
match. Clapping and chanting are a good way to stave off their
depression and let off their steam, which helps to relax their tension
and strain brought by the fast pace of modern life.
On the other hand, professional football competitions are also
manifestations of values and illusions. If “our”team wins, it is our
victory, which is a confirmation of our identity. Psychologists have
proven that this effect is especially strong in England, because the
English think that the modern sport football belongs to them. That\''s
why England football fans always emphasize the “home coming of
football”.
England as a nation plays a prominent role in terms of competition and
personal skills. In this day and age when imperial expansion and
military aggression are no longer the order of the day, sports
competitions have become a principal medium to demonstrate a nation\''s
ambitions and prowess. Meanwhile, the state of mind of the English
nation shows that behind the great rejoicing after the few hard-won
victories there are more profound reasons.In the English culture which
gives priority to individual development, the players are playing under
a relatively relaxed environment, so they can go all out to score
goals. However, no matter how strong individualism is, there has to be
some kind of linkage --- by which you make explorations and
interactions with those around you, which gives you the feeling of
being in a group. So when Wayne Rooney scored a goal, all the fans
would think that it was not just for the good of the footballer himself
but for everyone else as well. At that moment, the fans and the players
had their hearts joined together.