Playwright James Graham, creator of the hit play and BBC TV series Dear England, argues politicians often underestimate football’s deeper social importance.
He says that football matters not just every two or four years during major tournaments, but every single week, shaping people’s routines, their communities and even their identities.
Amid the “hollowing out” of British civic life — declining high streets, weakened public spaces and fractured communities — the football stadium is one of the few places left where people still gather physically and collectively, he says.
When people support their club, they are investing in something bigger than themselves: shared rituals, symbols, songs and belonging.
“You have to turn up in person and in proximity with your physical community,” he says.
Graham argues that politicians who understand this are more likely to connect to voters in what he sees as an age of growing disconnection, as people’s lives are increasingly shaped by AI, growth targets and digital life.
On whether Football’s Coming Home, Graham didn’t miss a beat: “Of course.”