Whether they helped bring down Jose Mourinho, led a march against their club owner or pushed back against plans to commercialize their sport, fans have a long history of using their passion for football as a tool for change. These stories remind us that fan protest isn’t a passing fad and can be a powerful force for social change.
Disgruntled West Ham supporters turned out in their thousands to protest the way the club is run ahead of a Premier League match against Crystal Palace. They marched from Stratford train station to London Stadium and held messages calling for owners David Sullivan and Karren Brady to resign. The protest was organised by fellow fans group Hammers United and ended at the directors’ entrance to the ground.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Black fans turned their passion for sports into a potent nonviolent weapon, marching and boycotting games to protest segregated seating policies. They plastered their communities with banners and were supported by Black newspapers that kept fans up to date on boycott information. Eventually, these protests helped change the makeup of professional sports teams and forced cities to confront their racism. Those lessons still resonate today. By focusing on the personality, hobbies and family of a person who is part of a news event, it helps readers connect with them and can help promote positive attitudes toward that person and the cause they support.