FOOTBALL fans get a bigger rush from the pre-match pint than from the game itself, a study suggests.
Supporters’ interactions with friends were found to be “deeply meaningful” and the most exciting part of matchday.
The findings are from 17 hard-core fans fitted with heart rate monitors ahead of a final.
The participants were tracked for four hours before the game then 90 minutes of action.
A large, prolonged and collective spike came during the time spent with mates before kick-off.
The only time there was a bigger rush was when the Brazilian fans’ team scored in the first half of a game near Rio de Janeiro — but the high did not last as long.
Researcher Professor Dimitris Xygalatas, from the University of Connecticut, said: “What we see is that the pre-game ritual generates more emotion than the game itself.
“There’s just one moment in the entire game when they have more collective emotion, and that’s when they scored a goal.
“Rituals are the kinds of things that, at first glance, don’t make any sense in terms of human behaviour, but are deeply meaningful to people.”
Prof Xygalatas, a fan of Greek football, said the same effect also probably applied to concerts, festivals and religious events.
He added: “Our study supports the idea that sports are about more than just the game.”
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