Fandom isn’t a side-piece to sport – it is the heartbeat. The colours, the chants, the rituals, the shared wins and collective heartbreaks. In this host episode, Frances and Laura explore how fandom shapes identity, builds community, and why the psychological impact is so real – activating the same centres of the brain linked to love, loss and belonging.

From billion-strong global fanbases to the tiny rituals you only notice if you’re “one of them,” they uncover why fans feel so deeply, why stadiums feel alive even when empty, and how being a supporter becomes part of who we are – a passion often passed down through families for generations.

Blending personal stories with research, they explore everything from Rafael Nadal’s water-bottle-placement disciples, to penalty-shootout stress that mimics cardio, to the psychology that explains why we keep saying we won, even though we were never on the field.

This is fandom as identity, fandom as community, fandom as the world’s largest social movement – and why sport simply doesn’t exist without it.

🎧 In this episode:

• Why fandom is a powerful form of identity and belonging
• Dopamine, oxytocin and the real psychology behind being a fan
• Rituals, merch, superstition and “collective effervescence”
• How fans shape clubs, culture and even decision-making
• The intergenerational nature of fandom (and why 70% follow their parents’ team)
• Why three billion people chanting for the same sport still isn’t enough
• How sport creates connection – even between strangers

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