How Smartphones At UK Football Grounds Are Killing The Matchday Atmosphere

The football season is upon us and with it come the hopes, dreams and expectations of millions of supporters across the UK. Nothing quite beats the feeling of waking up on the opening day of a new campaign knowing you’re about to go through it all again.

Long-honoured traditions like meeting at your favourite pre-match pub and eating a half-time pie will be honoured. There are, however, certain fan behaviours that have crept into the modern game that I’m not looking forward to witnessing again this season.

One such behaviour is the incessant use of mobile phones inside football stadiums. It occurs even when the match is ongoing. Below I explain why I believe smartphones at UK football grounds are killing the atmosphere.

Not Paying Attention To The Action

There have been many occasions when I’ve been sat in my seat at the match, with the game in full flow and noticed people around me are more interested in what’s happening on their phones than the action on the pitch.

From checking their fantasy football team and online bets to simply replying to messages on WhatsApp, they certainly aren’t fully behind their team. Keeping tabs on other games that could affect your own side is, to some extent, acceptable, but should still not be applauded.

For me, football is escapism. For 90 minutes I think about the match, and all that comes with it, and nothing else. This means being completely immersed in my surroundings, joining in with the chants and being absorbed within the whole occasion. I see phones as a needless distraction.

Filming Instead of Singing

Possibly worse than all of the above are the fans who film large parts, sometimes all, of the match on their phones. They’re on a par with the people who are never off their phones at concerts. They will also film themselves giving their opinion on what is happening as events unfold on the pitch.

Members of the now-rampant football YouTube fraternity are often to blame for this. Matches are recorded for clicks and likes. Often, OTT reactions are filmed mid-game in an attempt to raise their online profile.

If you’re a true supporter, the only reason you should be going to the match is to get behind your team. Fair enough, if you’d like to film a podcast or review after the game, be my guest, but there’s no place for this self-absorbent nonsense inside the stadium.  

Not Celebrating In The Moment

There is nothing quite like celebrating your team scoring a goal. In fact, one of my favourite pastimes is watching footage of goals scored by my team, Newcastle United, and witnessing what is now referred to as ‘limbs’ as supporters go wild with elation.

Goal celebrations have often seen me hugging complete strangers and, on occasions, ending up several rows in front of where I was originally standing. This is exactly what it should be like as you completely get lost in the moment.

It now saddens me to see fans instantly reach for their phones when their team scores a goal. You see players celebrating in front of a sea of smartphones. This is the perfect opportunity to live entirely in the present, and many supporters now waste it by watching through a tiny screen.

Final Thoughts

I know smartphones at football matches are definitely something the Against Modern Football (AMF) movement frowns upon. Tourists or ‘day trippers’ as they’re also known will often get the blame for using their phones inside stadiums, but regular match-going fans can be just as guilty. Unfortunately, with digital passes replacing traditional paper tech, as mentioned in this piece about everyday tech, you are forced to take your phone to the match. My advice would be, next time you’re at a football match, keep your phone in your pocket and just try to enjoy the experience.