20 Football Towns

In today’s glitzy world of global superstar footballers with lavish lifestyles, glamorous WAGs and celebrity status, it’s easy to forget the grassroots of a sport where loyalty to a hometown club can still be rock solid – and counts for everything.Place matters. The town where we grew up and all the places we’ve lived form reference points in our lives, bringing with them a potent mix of associations. For a football fan, memories of seeing the local team play live are inextricably intertwined with place; particular matches with key events in our lives.Despite the dilution of local communities brought about by the decline of traditional industries and the dispersal of defunct housing estates, football fandom can still pull us together. Why is this? What is the special magic that holds the tribe together? Steve Leach profiles clubs in twenty towns he’s lived in, or visited regularly, identifying the special magic of each team and club.