I was thinking about this the other day. What created the unique bond between a club and its supporters? What made football uniquely tribal?

My dad (born during the war) says when he was young people would go to Arsenal one week, Spurs the next. Same with Orient and West Ham. There was rivalry but the tribalism wasn’t really there.

When I went to school, it was all about supporting a nearby team and being LOYAL. Never change your club. Hate the opposition.

So what happened? I think it may be the removal of maximum wage and the fact that supporters became the route to success. The more fans came through the turnstile, the more successful the club would be. The logical thing to do then would be to demonise those who paid to watch your opponents and demean those who stopped coming to watch.

Now at the top levels, supporters in the ground mean nothing. And at the same time tribalism seems to be reducing. There’s no stigma for a Surrey boy supporting Man City. The fan experience and tribalism today is an echo of when fans were important.