An adaptation of Nick Hornby’s ‘Fever Pitch’ book, this movie explores the emotional highs and lows of what it means to be a football fan, specifically an Arsenal fan, from the perspective of school teacher Paul Ashworth. Joe Lubasa, a fellow Arsenal supporter himself, shares his thoughts.
For me, it was Paul finally realising just how much of an infatuation he had with his boyhood club following the Hillsborough disaster.
It wasn’t hard to see much of myself in parts of the film, particularly Paul’s adult years, though it resonated more with my younger self. You could say that he never really ‘grew up’.
Fever Pitch follows the journey of school teacher Paul Ashworth, his lifelong obsession with Arsenal Football Club, and goes through his emotions as he navigates his life trying to balance his passion for his team as well as the reality of his relationship with his partner Sarah Hughes.
It starts from a young age where he had a seemingly distant relationship with his dad, after he and his mum had separated.
His dad found it difficult to bond with him and his sister.
This all changes when Paul’s dad brings him along to an Arsenal game at Highbury. Paul’s life from there is not the same. He is almost transformed by his environment and borderline obsessed with the club.
It felt like I was living Paul’s life with him.The look of excitement on his face when he saw the Highbury pitch for the first time was synonymous with when I first went to the Emirates stadium.
The feeling of pure shock.
The main plot just explores his dynamic with his partner and work colleague, Sarah, where once bickering teachers just next door fall into an unexpected romance. From there, Sarah finds out she has her work cut out. She is in love with a man who is in love with eleven men kicking a ball on grass.
She tries her best to understand what it is that makes Paul love Arsenal so much but doesn’t quite get it, not until the end of the film at least.
This reminded me of my relationship with my girlfriend. As much as I can appreciate her taking an interest in the club for me, she’ll never truly understand.
It was the Hillsborough disaster that brought me back to real life, but not Paul. After an argument between the couple, it left a sour taste in the air, Sarah not understanding how after what had happened, Paul was so quick to brush it off. He was already thinking ahead to the next game.
Paul didn’t realise how deep he was into the point where he was ready to disregard their safety for the sake of a football match.
In that moment, it made me realise that through my years, as much as I love Arsenal, it’s not the be-all and end-all. Even Paul’s father questioned it even though he was the reason the obsession began.
If it came to it and I had to make a decision between my partner and my club, my partner would take first priority in a heartbeat.
As much as it feels like a tight matchup, it really isn’t. At the end, the movie continues to explore themes that I became familiar with recently – with Arsenal clinching the title at Anfield needing a 2-0 win against Liverpool.
That Liverpool game happened in 1989.
But it reminded me of the recent Manchester City and Bournemouth game. Watching the game through the movie had me on the edge of my seat, just as I was just a couple of weeks ago.
Fever Pitch opened up my eyes to the realities that people go through when supporting their football clubs. Some extreme and some not so. In this case it’s quite comical to watch a fully grown man ramble on and on about football, to the point where I thought to myself, is this was how my girlfriend and others see me?
I like to think that’s not the case. I’m in love with Arsenal, not infatuated. There’s a difference.
