Forming the Football Appreciation Society

ARU Digital Student Ambassador Amir blogs about the Football Appreciation Society, which brings football fans together to watch games on a big screen on our Cambridge campus.

A big struggle for us football fans has always been where and how to watch our favourite team play. Different competitions are shown on different broadcasting networks and even then, sometimes you might struggle to find the right channel to watch your team play.

Not only is finding the right channel a challenge, it can also be quite expensive, especially when you might need to subscribe to different channels for different games.

Back in November 2021, a group of football enthusiasts from the ARU Cambridge campus who shared this love of the game, and concerns about accessing screenings, created the Football Appreciation Society.

The Football Appreciation Society was made with the intention to unite football fans across the campus and provide them with an enthusiastic environment to watch the big games, regardless of the cup/league. I love being a part of this society and I’ll explain how it all works below!

Prior to the game, the society will put up a poll on their Instagram story, asking members and followers what game they would like to see. Once the poll ends and that’s decided, the society uses one of the big lecture rooms at the University to organise a screening for the game.

Firstly, the society has to get permission from the campus/rooming team to hold the event, and once given the green light, they get to preparation. A large projector screen is set up to screen the whole game while the society provides the members with different snacks and drinks free of charge. You can of course bring your own - this isn’t the cinema now, is it?

The atmosphere during the games is pretty good. Whether you're a fan of one of the teams playing, or just a neutral looking to watch a good game with people around, it is a good environment to be in on a match day.

Not only do you get to watch your team play with friends, but you could also end up making new ones as you cheer your team on. The only warning I might give you is that if your team is on the losing end, make sure you are prepared for some friendly fire, because as an Arsenal fan, I’ve been on the receiving end of a few of them. All in good spirits of course.

The way everything is set up, from the Instagram account to the preparations on a game day, shows that the committee really cares about the sport and wants to ensure that people have a good time.

I don’t think I have any complaints about the society, there’s always a good energy and vibes throughout the game, and unless your team is on the losing end of a 3-1 to Man United, you’ll have a great time.

If you’re not in the actual stadium, it’s the next best place to be on a match day. Trust me.

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Amir studies at ARU in Cambridge. Find out more about Business with Marketing, and other degree courses, at one of our Open Days.