Overview

Football has always been a game of movement-not only on the pitch, but in the lives of the millions who follow it across roads, rails, seas, and skies. Home and Away: The Culture of Football Travel is a sweeping exploration of how journeys to matches-local derbies, cross-country away days, European nights, and World Cup pilgrimages-became one of the sport's most enduring and revealing traditions. Tracing more than a century of supporter mobility, the book uncovers how travel has shaped identities, bonded communities, fuelled rivalries, and transformed football from a neighbourhood pastime into a global cultural force. Drawing on the richly documented history of supporter behaviour across continents, the narrative charts the evolution of fan movement from Victorian railway excursions to the digital age of cheap flights, online forums, and worldwide followings. It captures the rituals of matchday travel, the emotional bonds forged on long journeys, the political and economic forces that influence mobility, and the ways globalisation, technology, and social change continue to reshape the experience. It also examines the less glamorous realities-crowd control, accessibility barriers, rising costs, and environmental debates-offering a balanced portrait of a culture defined as much by resilience as by passion. At its heart, this is a story about connection: how people use football to navigate identity, belonging, and the wider world. Whether it is a minibus heading down a foggy motorway, a convoy of ultras crossing borders, or fans gathering thousands of miles from home for a World Cup match, the journey remains a symbol of loyalty and a source of meaning. Home and Away reveals why, even in an age of digital convenience, supporters continue to travel-and why the road still matters.

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9781970852011

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