Premier League: The Most Important Player, The 12th Man

The Fans are and will always be the most important driving force in any Sport. Premier League is no different with a long list of dedicated fans trudging to their home ground to drive their team to victory.

ai???Once a week the fan flees his house for the stadium. Banners wave and the air resounds with noisemakers, fire crackers and drums; it rains streamers and confetti. The city disappears, its routine forgotten. All that exists is the temple. In this sacred place, the only religion without atheists puts its divinities on display. Although the fan can contemplate the miracle more comfortably on TV, he prefers to make the pilgrimage to this spot where he can see his angels in flesh doing battle with the demons of the dayai??? ai??i?? Eduardo Galeano, Soccer in Sun and Shadow; The Fan

This above paragraph is but one of the most apt description of a fan of the sport. One who is so vital to every team, without whose presence there will be no team and eventually no sport. The fan or the Fanatic is one who would define loyalty and defend his team even if evidence exists to prove otherwise. Teams have constantly cherished and honoured their presence. With a range or red devils, hordes of Gooners and a crowd of Liverpool fans singing ai???You Never Walk Aloneai???, there is always going to be a debate as to who are the better fans. However it is a known fact that this is a question that can never be answered for each will claim their own reasons to being the best. Letai??i??s take a look at some of the few interesting fan stories in the Premier League History.

1. Norman Windram ai??i?? You often hear of generations of fathers and sons supporting football teams from their childhood well into their adulthood and boasting of their familyai??i??s loyalty to their football club. Norman Windram on the other hand is a different kind of fan, a super fan. Having supported his club across many generations. He is considered the oldest fan supporting Manchester United and claims to have watched over 1800 games in continuity including every home game from 1926 to 2002. Having watched his first game at the age of 4, his dedication to the team has rightfully earned him the title of oldest and most loyal Fan of the club.
2. The Day Harry Redknapp played a fan for West Ham ai??i?? this would probably be a dream come true for any fan. To play alongside some of the heroes you supported all along would definitely be an experience any fan would pay to get. Steven Davies, who had the opportunity to play for West Ham, would have never expected his day to turnout better than he had planned. Harry Redknapp the then manager of West Ham United was running out of players (due to injuries) in his pre-season friendly against Oxford. After hearing the young Steven rant out at poor decisions and poor play by the players, Harry turned and asked him if he plays as well as he talks. The manager went on to guide the fan to his first ever premier league pre-season game, a memory every fan would recall and only wish it were to happen to them.
3. The Arsenal Fan who outran the bus ai??i?? What do you do when something you love is going away from you. You follow it to the ends of the earth. That is exactly what one enthusiastic Arsenal fan in Vietnam did. With many chasing the bus, this particular Vietnamese Gooner ran alongside the bus for a good 15 minutes covering almost 5 km, and was only surprised to see the Arsenal players chanting ai???Sign him up, Sign him up.ai??? Amazed by his dedication to the club the players stopped the bus, invited him inside and signed his shirt and offered to take pictures with him. Striker Olivier Giroud even recorded the who run on his phone and stated he was impressed by the fanai??i??s fitness.
4. The Everton Fan Who handcuffed himself to the post ai??i?? There have always been streakers and pitch invaders in games, but none as memorable as Everton Fan John Foley, protesting his daughters unfair dismissal from low cost airline Ryanair, the father in Evertons victorious game against Manchester City, ran onto the pitch and handcuffed himself to the goal post and managed to hald proceedings for a good 5 minutes.
5. Fans involved in the first Wembley Final ai??i?? The Wembley Stadium has always been home to the FA Cup final. Since 1923. On the first final played there between West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers, welcomed over 300,000 fans for the game, with majority of them overflowing to the sides and eventually onto the pitch. The crowdai??i??s influence on the game was so much that the second goal by Bolton was ruled out by the referee who swore the ball rebounded of a fan rather than the post.

Every Premier League team knows the importance of Home games. It isnai??i??t the comfort of the ground nor the familiarity of the pitch but the presence of a home crowd that matters the most. With the utmost dedication and witty sing-alongs, Premier League fans are truly one exceptional set from all around the world who drive the League and the Game to the level of fame it has achieved. Therefore drape your colours, sing your song and follow your religion where the only requirement to be a part, is sheer passion for the game.

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