Football Voodoo: Magic, superstition and religion in the beautiful game
Mar 29, 2018

Emma Wood
Core Spirit member since Dec 24, 2020
Reading time 3 min.

Written by Chris Roberts author of Heavy words lightly thrown (Granta 2004) on the history of nursery rhymes, Cross River Traffic (Granta 2005) about London’s Bridges and Lost English (Michael O’Mara 2009) which concerned everyday phrases that have recently left the language. He also edits 21st century penny dreadful One Eye Grey which resets old London folktales in the present day.

Football Voodoo covers those areas where soccer collides with sorcery from players’ superstitions and rituals, use of colour, symbols and invocation right the way up to hiring mediums, witches and shamans to invoke curses in a bid to change the course of a team’s fortunes. This is a world of hexed grounds, unlucky shirts, magic horses and burying cattle under goalposts. A place where managers urinate on corner flags, goalkeepers in the six yard box and dog mascots on defenders. It’s a light hearted and easy to read volume by Chris Roberts who was previously responsible for books on the history of nursery rhymes (Heavy Words Lightly Thrown) London’s bridges (Cross River Traffic) and redundant English words (Lost English).

It may come as no surprise to learn the idea for Chris Roberts’ new football book occurred to him in a pub.

More specifically, and intriguingly, it came from inspiration sparked in a room above a pub in London’s Holborn while listening to a witch explain how she prepared for a ritual.

“I listened to her describe how she focused her mind, donned a sacred kit and kissed a symbol before entering a special marked off space,” recalls Chris.

“For some reason the image of Wayne Rooney kissing the club crest at Goodison Park popped into my mind.”

It’s an image that demonstrates that while the beautiful game may have humble beginnings, even today’s millionaire players follow their own rituals.

The subject is explored in detail in Wrexham-born Chris’s book, Football Voodoo, subtitled Magic, Superstition and Religion in the Beautiful Game.

Wrexham-born Chris said: “It wasn’t written for the World Cup. I had hoped it would have been out for last Christmas, but when that was missed, it seemed ridiculous to let an occasion like the World Cup pass by. I love football and folklore, in particular the tribal aspects of the sport.”

Former Southampton and Sunderland manager Lawrie McMenemy described the perfect football team psychologically as seven road sweepers and four concert violinists.

This is pretty astute, says Chris, when one considers how much comment in football is devoted to confidence and how often winning is really a question of faith or commitment, along with touches of magic.

The book reveals some fascinating superstitions followed by players. Did you know, for example, that the great Ian Rush always soaked new boots, having done so before a match for Liverpool against Luton Town when he went on to score five goals?

The late Bobby Moore always insisted on being the last player to put his shorts on before the team left the dressing room, while Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand pours water down his face seconds before leading his side on to the pitch.

Some players and fans have even more bizarre rituals, with many starting on a Friday night and continuing until the final whistle the following day.

If a player breaks a boot lace, it could mean bad luck and a certain procedure must be gone through before he plays. Many players call this mental preparation; wearing certain clothes, shoes and socks on match days adds to the list.

The tribal actions of supporters also feature in Chris’s book. He mentions an incident at Wrexham’s Racecourse ground in 1970, with Preston North End taking over the food shed and bombarding the home fans with ketchup and hot dogs.

Along with chanting, wearing colours and the rest, it is football’s equivalent of planting a flag and moving on.

Sacred turf and ‘cursed’ grounds get a mention, with Leeds United, Derby County, Gillingham, Manchester City and Birmingham City among clubs who in some cases held religious services in an effort to end a run of bad results.

“This is Anfield”, declares the large sign Liverpool players touch as they leave the tunnel before a game. Legendary manager Bill Shankly recognised that it reminded the team of the club’s place in history and its sense of tradition.

There is plenty in the book about crests and mascots. Wrexham changed from the Robins to the Dragons, while Reading – now known as the Royals – were once the Biscuitmen (which, Chris jokingly points out, had nothing to do with the side going to pieces outside the box).

Players kissing the club badge is often misplaced – when the player moves to another club. But nothing could vex fans more, relates Chris, than when 120,000 Scotland fans at Hampden Park took exception to England’s Alan Ball using a corner flag (bearing the Cross of St Andrew) to blow his nose.

Of course, no football book would be complete without a Shanklyism or Cloughism, and Football Voodoo has both. Shankly told assembled journalists at Anfield: “Take a stroll around my new centre half”, in reference to the massive Ron Yeats. And the ever-modest Cloughie? “I might not say I was the best manager in the business – but I was in the top one!”.

By Reg Herbert/The Leader


Leave your comments / questions for this practitioner

To write a comment please
or
Services
Category filter
Concern filter
Type filter
Sort
 

All categories

Shamanism
$100 USD
coaching session
Shadow Work Healing

All of us carry shadows inside. When the human Shadow is shunned, it tends to undermine and sabotage our lives, contributing to ddictions, low self-esteem, mental illness, chronic illnesses, and various neuroses.

Before we start our session, I will shamanic journey into the Otherworld and connect with your energies, ancestors, spirit guides, or any other beings that are trying to come through the veils to communicate. I will receive visions, sometimes in the form of past lives, soul loss, karmic cycles, and also archetypes that are coming through of the role(s) you may have taken on in this lifetime (or past lifetimes) which have contributed to the experience of trauma, abuse, addictions, victimization and feelings of disempowerment.

During our session, I will let you know what I saw during my journey and we will discuss what parts are available for healing in the form of habits, false belief structures, and archetypes being brought to the surface. With your permission, I will perform a shamanic healing ritual afterwards for your healing in those aspects.

This is not a one stop fix, but a journey into your own unique story. If you would like follow up sessions, I recommend giving yourself at least 2 weeks or longer to integrate what you have learned and the feelings that might come up. This is meant to be a step in helping you find your lost pieces and may come out as many different ways; from finding a renewed passion for life, finding the strength to let go of co dependant relationships, finally move on and away from toxic people in your life, learning how to implement proper boundaries, kindling a creative urge to express yourself in a new way, a new outlook on life and finding purpose again, finding value in yourself and attracting abundance into your life, and many other ways it may uniquely manifest for you and your special journey in life.

Whichever way it shows up, may you be blessed in all ways to find your true self and heal, living authentically and loving yourself; living with peace, joy and love.

***Disclaimer: I am not a licensed physician or a mental health provider. The contents of our website are for informational purposes only. This website is not for emergency or crisis help. The content, including our directories, is not intended to provide mental health advice, counselling or treatment. You should always seek the immediate or timely advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. ***

Xyla Grey
Shamanism
$70 USD
healing session
Your Hidden Talents Guidance and Healing Session

I delve into your Akashic Records and receive guidance and messages to help you reveal what hidden talents you have, that you may not be aware of, but you have spent lifetimes cultivating and practicing. I help you rediscover them and heal any blocks that may be in the way of you reawakening them in yourself for full expression in this life.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed physician or mental health provider. My services are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical/mental health advice, diagnosis and/or treatment.

Olga Aydınoğlu
Shamanism
$50 USD
healing session
Home Space Clearing

I look into the energy of your home space and perform clearing of energy, entities, leftover emotional memory and residue that does not belong there.

The benefits of such a clearing are the following:

  • Feeling more fresh and free in your home space
  • Not being pulled down by the emotions someone else had previously felt there, even if that was you
  • Allows you to occupy your own space energetically
  • Being free of any spirits or entities that do not belong in your space
  • Your plants and pets will thank you fot it :)

During the session, I will let you know what I found in your home space and I will be doing the clearing energy work as well. This may require you to become aware of and let go of the relevant issues as well.

You do not need to prepare in any way. You will not need to do anything during the session either. The only things required of you is your desire for a clean home space and willingness to let go of past strugles and issues.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed physician or mental health provider. My services are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical/mental health advice, diagnosis and/or treatment.

Olga Aydınoğlu
Shamanism
$450 USD
consultation
GEOPATHIC STRESS

Geopathic Stress
Geopathic stress is the distortion of Geo-electromagnetic energies in the earth’s field of underground water courses, mineral deposits; faults and underground cavities. These distorted or negative energies may radiate through your house or work place, affecting the health of the occupants in different ways. The problem arises when people spend long periods of time working or sleeping in these lines or zones of ‘Geopathic stress’ (GS). The healing of land and houses is essential for good health and wellbeing

Symptoms of Geopathic stress

While Geopathic stress does not cause illnesses directly, it may weaken the immune system which in turn weakens the body, making it slower to heal and more susceptible to illnesses such as cancer.

Sleeping in a Geopathic zone is particularly stressful. If you sleep on a spiral, where two Leylines of the negative energy cross, for example, two underground rivers, not alone may it affect your sleep patterns by causing broken or restless sleep or nightmares, you may wake up in the morning feeling more tired than when you went to bed. This is because the adrenal gland works overtime to compensate for the distorted earth radiation. The brain also cannot relax into a deep sleep to repair and regenerate the body due to the high content of adrenaline in the blood. Over time, the fact that you sleep in this energy overnight, may lead to energy imbalance or long term illness.

Any of the following are believed to result from exposure to Geopathic stress:

Behavioral problems, e.g. Aggression, hyperactivity
Emotional instability
Sleeping disorders and restlessness
Cancer, M.E. And M.S.
Aches and pains, e.g. Headaches
Back problems
Infertility and cot deaths
Asthma and allergies
Depression
Stress and nervousness
Lack of concentration or memory loss
Nausea
Disorientation
Exhaustion, fatigue or loss of strength
Absenteeism at work due to sickness
Not responding to medical treatment

Physical indicators of Geopathic stress

Animals that gravitate to lines or zones of GS include: cats, owls, slugs, snails, insects such as ants, bacteria, viruses, wasps and bees. Most mammals avoid areas of Geopathic stress. Horses and cows stabled over GS may become sick or prone to injuries. In Ireland in the days of old, people used to put cattle into the fields to see where they would sleep knowing that they would not sleep in areas of negative energy. This is then where the buildings were placed, in the good old days before planning permission!

Areas of non-productive fruit trees, gaps in hedges, twisted growth, patches in lawns and trees where lightening has struck can indicate areas of GS.

Animals and very young children can feel instinctively if a place is healthy or not i.e. If there are lines or zones of Geopathic stress within it. If children are oriented differently from when they were tucked in, or don’t want to sleep in their beds it is wise to check for lines of the GS.

Can the level of Geopathic stress be measured?

Through the art of dowsing, Dr. Gustav Freiherr von Pohl, the ‘Grand Old Man’ of GS, developed a scale to analyze the strengths and effects of the contaminated leylines

The scale runs from 1 to 16 with the following effects:

Up to 4: No effect.
5 – 6: Obesity, swelling of joints, headaches, sleeping problems, anxiety.
7 – 8: Mental disorders, addictions, suicides, depression.
9 plus: Cancer, leukemia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and many other disorders.
In both Germany and Austria it is the law to have your house checked for Geopathic stress before you move in.

Love and Light
Joanna Rose Tierney

Joanna Rose Tierney
5

Related Articles

View All
Registered individuals enjoy all the possibilities of Core Spirit.