Whether it’s self-made or forced upon you, the decision about which football team to support is usually taken before you learn to ride a bike or even tie your shoelaces.
At such a young age, you’re clearly oblivious to what you’re signing up for. You’re subjected to an unwritten contract, where blind devotion is exchanged for intermittent moments of joy – and large amounts of heartache and pain.
And best of all… It’s a lifelong pledge of loyalty.
Or is it?
Most would say ‘yes’. And you might be directed to page one, rule one of the official football supporters’ charter – if such a document existed.
It would appear, in a world where someone can divorce and remarry, switch political allegiance, or renounce a religious faith, that ending a relationship with a football club is largely unheard of.
And changing allegiance to another team? That would be considered a mortal sin by the vast majority of football fandom.
But can you really STOP supporting your football team?
I’ve got them tattooed to me.’
Dylan, 18, didn’t choose Oldham Athletic – the club chose him. The Latics are his local team, and his family has followed them for generations. Speaking to BBC Sport, Dylan said he doesn’t think he could ever turn his back on them.
“I wouldn’t ever be able to. I’ve got them tattooed on me. I absolutely love my club. I go home and away, not missing a game since 2024,” he says.
“If I had to stop going to games, I would still follow the results.
“When you get brought up as a football fan, it’s supporting your team no matter the result.
“We’ve been in the Premier League and down as low as the National League. Yes, I prefer the win and the three points, but it’s not about that, it’s about the atmosphere, the people you meet, and just the team in general.”
“Watching a football game can sometimes be a reflection or window into other people’s lives of their hopes and desires,” explains Dr. Richard Simpson, a psychologist at Leeds Trinity University.
“I think there are multiple levels of attachments people develop; they form a love for their team, for their community. It’s not romantic love, but we build emotional bonds, we create memories and experiences.
If we look at social media, for example, people sometimes include their club in their names, so they lead with that. It becomes who they are.”
It also makes perfect sense that fans often see their club as an extension of themselves. The money they spend on matchday tickets or replica shirts contributes, in part, to the stadium rebuild or the transfer fee for a new player.
A natural by-product is that when their chosen club is performing well, they feel an element of success in their own lives. However, the same can be said in reverse.
“You’ve got to stick through the thick and thin. That’s what makes football, football,” Wolves fan Reco tells BBC Sport.
“I’m sure we all know a glory hunter here and there, but it’s not what being a football fan is about. It’s about the highs and the lows. I’ve seen us play down in League One. I’ve seen us play in the Europa League and at Wembley.
“Right now, it’s not going so good, but the journey is what makes being a football fan worthwhile, and it’s what gives you a closer connection to your team and the fan base around you who share that love for your club.”
