ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on how the fans use media to facilitate in-person sociality and, in some cases, reinvigorate a connection to place. It draws on fandom of the highest levels of football – primarily men's professional football in Europe with occasional references to other locations. The book also focuses on the contexts away from the stadium where fans congregate, organize, develop and learn to perform their fandom. It explores the football stadium and all of the communicative acts that happen therein and discusses various viewing contexts such as pubs and fan clubhouses in order to illustrate, yet again, how media is used by fans to create social bonds. The book provides mountains of information for the devout follower, while it also provides the opportunity to create and share content.
