The absence of fans over the past year or so amidst the pandemic has undoubtedly been brutal for the world of sport, with football as an example becoming a mere shadow of itself in the absence of spectators. Without the presence of that "12th Man", part of every single team has been missing. Let's be frank, even the most special of moments aren't quite the same without fans in attendance.
Finally, in England, normality is edging back. Crowds are beginning to flurry back to sporting events, with increased hopes that we may even see full capacities as the Premier League campaign kicks off next month. The figures attending Wembley are only increasing as we rapidly approach the final of the delayed Euro 2020; half capacity crowds are being welcomed to Wimbledon for this year's Championships, whilst Silverstone is set to welcome a full capacity crowd later this month for the British Grand Prix.
So, what is so special about the presence of fans at sporting events?
Let's take Wimbledon for starters, just given my personal experience of The Championships (acting as a government pilot event). Tennis may be a sport that isn't typically synonymous with crowd significance given the dead silence during points, but I can assure that the presence of an audience is wholly meaningful. The positive energy of the fans is most definitely apparent, and their attendance gives something for the players to thrive off. The motivation of the competitors is astronomically increased, with supportive bodies overjoyed to be back watching a showcase of live sport - that acquired determination a key reason why fans are important in every single sport. Nick Kyrgios is a prime example of a sportsman who excels in front of a crowd, with the Aussie even in frequent dialogue with spectators about tactics for pending points - that is something that keeps him going; Nick has admitted that hearing of a crowd's presence encouraged him to venture off his Canberra couch and get back on the court. Similarly, Andy Murray was fuelled by particular figures within a ballistic Centre Court crowd to enable a resurgence to beat German qualifier Oscar Otte. That is the embodiment of an audience's impact.
Anyway, back to football after the slight tangent - absolutely nobody can argue that the Euros haven't proven the integrity of fans to sport. The first instant that springs to mind, venturing abroad, was the atmosphere at the Parken Stadium throughout the group stages. Following the Christain Eriksen disaster, even in the immediate aftermath, the togetherness between not only the Danes but both sets of fans marked a seriously emotional occasion. In the subsequent matches, the Denmark fans continued to thoroughly back an exhausted and rather traumatised team; the side resultantly put on a spirited showing against Belgium (opening the scoring in the early exchanges before falling short to the best ranked team in the world), before annihilating Russia to reach the knockout stages against all the odds.
A few other atmospheres have stood out to me personally. The lack of restrictions in Hungary meant a full capacity Puskas Arena for the nation's opening two matches, with the backing of a full house enabling the underdogs of "The Group of Death" to steal a point from World Champions France on the second matchday. The backing of Dutch fans at the Johan Cruyff Arena throughout the group phases allowed the Netherlands to take maximum points, emphasising the sheer power of home support. Comparably, Italy were flawless in front of their supporters in Rome. My word, it will forever be a spectacle hearing "Il Canto degli Italiani" being roared by both the team and fans pre-match - with Giorgio Chiellini's constant grin of satisfaction and Leonardo Bonucci's war cries.
England - playing at Wembley - only dropped points to Scotland in the groups, beating 2018 World Cup runners up Croatia in front of a rather jubilant crowd in the opening match. Then to the Round of 16 encounter (once again before an English-dominant crowd): England put in a valiant effort to beat Germany at a major tournament for the first time since a certain 1966 World Cup. You have to say, once again, it would be nowhere near as meaningful an occasion without supporters. The spectacle was simply magical from footage I have seen, with the showers of beer reminiscent of scenes from Russia in 2018. Bodies tumbled head over heels as Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane converted for the Three Lions, with a sense of freedom resonating even to the players after endless months of confinement and restriction. Renditions of Sweet Caroline and Three Lions epitomised the positive celebratory atmosphere, which undoubtedly dispersed down to those on the pitch. The excitement unquestionably reverberates, transferring to utter determination for the eleven men out on the field of play.
Particular individuals definitely flourish to the extreme with the support offered by full stands of people, none more so than the aforementioned Sterling. It's glaringly obvious that the backing from the Wembley crowd has propelled Raheem to an even higher level, allowing him to gain and play with complete confidence. Declan Rice is another who appears to be launched into some new dimension with a buzzing crowd behind him, with the adrenaline triggering him to work so hard that he suffered such severe cramp to the extent he was prevented from celebrating Kane's goal against the Germans. The West Ham man was geeing up the already delirious crowd at any given opportunity, sporting an infinite smile amidst the positivity of the nation.
You know the influence of the supporters is bound to be extreme when a reduced-capacity Wembley are uttering record noises. The unbridled elation of fans set free from a year of imprisonment is a sight that should be relished. They make the beautiful game.
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