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Chapter 28
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Fever Pitch, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Obsession vs. Fandom
Sports, Identity, and Community
Escapism
Sports and Masculinity
Summary
Analysis
Nick is annoyed that the Football Association allots many FA Cup Final tickets to people who are not loyal football fans. Nick gets a ticket and attends the game, but he thinks that many people in the stands are not as deserving to be there as he is, since he’s a true Arsenal fan. Most of the people around him at the game are older than him, and they attend just to have something to do that afternoon. They seem to enjoy themselves at the game but are rather distanced from it, whereas Nick is miserable the whole time yet intensely focused on the gameplay. Arsenal loses and Nick is devastated, thinking that no other football fan grieves the loss in the same way he does.
Nick feels that he deserves to attend the Cup Final, illustrating how strongly he believes that he is a part of Arsenal, and also that he has somehow worked or suffered for their success. It’s somewhat ironic that Nick feels more deserving of a ticket than those who actually enjoy the game, while he finds it a miserable experience. This difference is what separates Nick from mere football fans: fans enjoy watching games, while someone like Nick, who’s obsessed, finds them miserable and devastating.
Themes
