Obsession

Once Nick Hornby becomes interested in football, it quickly becomes an all-consuming obsession and intensifies as he gets older. Nick attends games faithfully and always follows news of the team, even between seasons. His obsession with football helps him fit in at school as a child and allows him to bond with other boys his age. Football also allows him to spend time with a father who is absent most of the time. Even when he attends games alone, Nick seems to find a sort of family in the other fans, especially since his own extended family is sparse. Football becomes the one constant in his life, something he can always turn to no matter how the rest of his life is going. Watching football matches also allows him to get out his angst and aggression, something he does not feel he can do in his daily life...