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Short Introduction
Football, soccer, association football – call it what you will, it is a game that holds the UK and the world captive. From small-time competitions to the upper echelons of the competitive leagues, hundreds of football players try their hand at making it to the big time (and big money) every year. And then there are the fans – obsessed, passionate, aggressive, and incredibly competitive, most will defend their team and their players to the very end. It is an industry which turns over millions of pounds each year, and which enjoys TV, internet and radio audience numbers that are unparalleled. It is little wonder that the UK is considered to be one of the most football-obsessed nations in the world!
From the lowest level of the Football League to the heights of the English Premier League, from the beginners fresh out of day-care to the veterans who've watched and played the game for decades, football is beloved to an unwavering degree of loyalty and passion within the UK. Even those who are not regular football watchers or who do not support a particular team could probably tell you their opinion on the likelihood of Manchester United winning the Champions' League, or Derby being relegated to the Championship. Far from being a sport which only the fans are aware of, football is a national institution that gets more than it's fair share of press coverage. It's hard not to be drawn into the excited atmosphere of a big game or a must-win match – and perhaps this is why so many people all over the UK and the world are self-confessed football fanatics.