Fever Pitch

by

Nick Hornby

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English Football League Term Analysis

Hornby often refers to the English Football League as simply “the League.” At the time Fever Pitch was written, the English Football League was the highest level of professional football (soccer) in the UK. (It has since been replaced by the Premier League.) The League hosts an annual cup competition.

English Football League Quotes in Fever Pitch

The Fever Pitch quotes below are all either spoken by English Football League or refer to English Football League. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Obsession vs. Fandom Theme Icon
).
Chapter 3 Quotes

I know that on the Sunday, Mother’s Day, I elected to go to church rather than stay at home, where there was a danger that I would watch the highlights of the game on The Big Match and push myself over the edge into a permanent depressive insanity.

Related Characters: Nick Hornby (speaker), Nick’s Dad
Page Number: 27
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Fever Pitch LitChart as a printable PDF.
Fever Pitch PDF

English Football League Term Timeline in Fever Pitch

The timeline below shows where the term English Football League appears in Fever Pitch. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: Don Rogers (Swindon Town v Arsenal at Wembley, 15.3.69)
Obsession vs. Fandom Theme Icon
...and his dad go to Wembley stadium to see Arsenal play Swindon Town in the League Cup. Nick’s dad is sure that Arsenal will win the game since they are generally... (full context)
Chapter 10: How I Won the Double (Arsenal v Newcastle 17.4.71)
Obsession vs. Fandom Theme Icon
Throughout 1971, Arsenal becomes a better team. They win the League Championship and the FA Cup. Though Nick is happy in a way, he feels unentitled... (full context)
Chapter 43: The Munsters and Quentin Crisp (Saffron Waldon v Tiptree, May, 1983)
Sports and Masculinity Theme Icon
When neither of Nick’s teams, United or Arsenal, is playing, he sometimes attends non-League football games. Nicks goes to these games partially because he finds the crowds at non-League... (full context)
Chapter 61: The Match (Coventry v Arsenal, 13.12.87)
Obsession vs. Fandom Theme Icon
Sports, Identity, and Community Theme Icon
...how the introduction of televising games changes football culture. Once games start being televised, the League begins to value networks over fans with tickets. Oftentimes the League changes the game’s date,... (full context)