Modern Football: The Epitome of British Culture
- Culture Today
- 2025년 12월 30일
- 1분 분량
How modern football is the perfect reflection of British culture and what it means to be a British citizen.
When people say “British culture,” they’re usually referring to something that isn’t actually British. Tea leaves come from China. The concept of fish and chips originated in Spain. St George, the patron Saint of England, was Turkish. But whilst many quintessentially British things aren’t actually British, there is one thing that the Brits will always have: modern football. In 1863, the Football Association (or FA) established the first set of official rules for football in London, changing the idea of “British culture” forever.
Modern football is in no way limited to Britain. In fact, FIFA officially recognises 211 national football associations worldwide. But I would hazard a guess that football doesn’t mean as much to other countries as it does to the Brits. After the 2021/22 season, it was reported that the Premier League contributed £8 billion to the UK economy, showing how large football is to the UK, and how much it impacts Brits’ day-to-day lives.
The majority of people in the UK support a football club of some form, and even those who don’t, when asked what football club they support, would answer with a family member or friend who supports a club, and say they would want that team to win. Football takes up so much of British people’s time. In the same way a classic British conversation would include a comment on the weather, or a polite request to ‘pop the kettle on for a brew,’ almost all Brits are checking up on the current match’s score, even if it’s a game that doesn’t affect their team.
Fans crowded after a match, showing how much their team means to them. 사진출처 : Eleanor Scragg
This is most likely due to the familiarity of the game. Since the founding of the English FootballLeague - the oldest football league in the world - in 1888, football has been a constant in
British people’s lives, and has been a reflection of British culture ever since. Even after the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, football in Britain went ahead, albeit after a few months of lockdown and without any fans in the stadium. This need for some form of football to watch across the UK highlights the importance of football to British people. In a time when every countries’ culture was diminished, and with the people who make British culture stuck inside, the return of football showed how centred on football British culture actually is.
You may have heard of “UK drinking culture,” referring to the large consumption of alcohol in Britain. Whilst this is most likely due to the amount of pubs in Britain - interestingly,
pubs were introduced by the Romans, and so are technically another aspect of British culture that isn’t actually British - drinking and football are considered to go hand-in-hand.
Whether that is a drink - or a ‘bev,’ if you really want to sound like a common Brit - in the
concourse at the match, or socialising in the pub before or after a win, British drinking culture is heavily influenced by football. Football was originally considered a sport for working class communities in Britain, and so this aspect of socialisation shows how football has consistently brought communities together, strengthening British culture by emphasising the working classes who founded the sport.
But that’s not the only way football reflects our growing culture.
The recent wins - and coverage -of the England Women’s team in back to back Euros
emphasises the progression in women’s equality in Britain and an increase in popularity in all women’s sports. Since that first Women’s Euros win in 2022, the number of women playing football in Britain has grown by 56 percent, showing a direct link from football to the everyday lives of British people, and how football greatly affects our changing culture. Similarly, in 2020, following an increase in Black Lives Matter protests, the Premier League launched the “No Room For Racism” campaign, with players often taking the knee to show the importance of standing against racial abuse. This is mirrored by the Scottish football league’s “Show Racism the Red Card” initiative. Football is followed by so many people in Britain, that it can often be used to spread awareness on inequalities. Modern football therefore has a huge impact on British culture and how it changes and evolves, and can even be an influence on British people’s opinions.
Football naturally has a way of bringing people together. To have people support the same team as you and to experience a match with the company of others (especially if your team wins) is a special feeling. For 90 minutes, anything negative that is happening in the real world is ignored, and everyone agrees on everything. That goal given against you? Definitely offside. The referee doesn’t give you a free kick? They support the opposition. Your defender makes a reckless tackle in the box, studs-first, and doesn’t win the ball?
Never a penalty. Nothing else seems to matter when the football is on, and large groups of people, who may not agree on anything else, come together with a shared belief in their team. Take Scotland’s recent 4-2 victory over Denmark in the World Cup Qualifiers, which fast-tracked them to next year’s World Cup for the first time in 28 years. This game was watched live by over 2.7 million people in the UK, and it felt like everyone in Britain came together to cheer on Scotland, even those in Britain that weren’t Scottish. It just shows how much football means to the people of Britain, and if you watch the coverage of the game, you can see how much it means to the Scottish supporters. I have no doubt that when Wales play for a spot in the World Cup in the playoffs next year, the amount of support given to Scotland from the rest of Britain will be given to Wales, too.
‘Large groups of people come together with a shared belief in their team’ 사진출처 : Eleanor Scragg
Britain in recent years has felt very divided. Controversy over Brexit since 2016, recent policies and attitudes towards immigration and far too many Prime Ministers to count has led to British people being in constant disagreement, putting into question the meaning of “British culture,” and what it means to be a British citizen. But football has always felt like something British people will always agree on. Modern football can provide a relief and reprieve to the busy, stressful lives of people in Britain today, and bring all sorts of people together, no matter their political or social backgrounds. Maybe it’s a bit embarrassing that the one thing all British people can agree on is the concept of eleven people kicking a ball around a field, and, compared to the real life struggles of British people today, the importance of football on people’s lives may seem trivial. But, as I mentioned previously, many aspects of "British culture” are not actually British, and in an island currently filled with divide and disagreements, it’s nice to have something that is historically ours, that everyone can find enjoyable and that can bring us together. So, if you’re looking to get adjusted to British customs, I’d recommend choosing a football team to support and sticking with it. You’re going to experience a rollercoaster of emotions, but you’ll be fully immersed in all aspects of British culture.
글 : 객원기자 Eleanor Scragg (KCV colleage 졸업)
