Health/Psychology: Social Phobias in Clinical Practice - Advanced Football Mania by T. Stokes

The writer of this article hails from the UK, so when he speaks of football, he's talking about a game played in shorts, with a black and white round ball. We're reminded of the old Andy Griffith standup routine "What It Is Is Football" - but that was a whole 'nother game.

Most alternative clinics have various experts on which to call when needed, and we get to deal with some very odd cases, but my Wednesday booking illustrates a growing phenomena which I would like to share with you.

An ordinary looking guy in his thirties presented himself, shook hands and said he was only there because his wife insisted he come, and she was typically over reacting about nothing. It quickly became apparent this mans marriage was at risk, as he was suffering from Advanced Football Mania, ( A.F.M.) now called by psychologists and counselors, ”Footballism.” He showed me his football tattoos, a shirt he was wearing in his teams colours, and a photo from his wallet of him posing alongside the team.

Any obsession in psychology, be it religious or political, computer addiction, clothes, eating disorders or porn and sport, can rob the personality of the essentials necessary to function acceptably, and to an increasingly critical society these people quickly become outsiders. This increases the energies to the obsession, and a compensatory need to seek refuge and comradeship with fellow sufferers. The mutual elation when the team won a match, the misery and dejection when they lost, had led to many violent pitched battles after matches.

This adult man had his teams wallpaper, bed sheets and pillowcases, his children were named after footballers, and even dressed as miniature footballers, and his work van was painted in the team colours. He became extremely agitated as he said things had reached crisis point with his wife, over missing her mother's funeral, to see his team play.

I asked him to sit down and relax, and just free associate with his thoughts while I took some notes. His past history was very revealing, he had never been able to establish or maintain relationship’s with women, his marriage was a rushed affair, as she was pregnant, and he was more comfortable down the pub with his mates, drinking and singing football songs.

The lure of football, with the lads running round without trousers, trying to get their balls into the net, which unconsciously represents the feminine aspect, the kissing and groping on pitch, dramatically emphasizes the homo-erotic basis to football, and for many the thrill of football gives a sexual high. To many lonely men, football is all. What worries psychologists is the racism involved with supporting one team over another, and all sport is considered racism at some level.

This man's wife had sent him along as a last ditch effort to save the marriage, as this mans obsession, and the huge financial costs of traveling to matches were causing the family some suffering.

Deprogramming, is a form of release from mind control, usually practiced with religious and NWO cults, and consists of a mentally prying free from a central nucleus of inner compulsions. This man had taken on a pseudo-identity, that made him extremely irrational.

The television news is dominated by football, the scores even coming before the casualties in the Falklands, Gulf and Iraq wars, and all newspapers and magazines are full of it. Many men can communicate only with others through football, and are lost or excluded without it. Football is the

new pornography.Several sessions were necessary to release this man and return him to his family. He has attended group therapy and feels liberated. He still enjoys football, but is no longer a slave to it.

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