Why do soccer fans wear scarves?

A sea of colorful scarves raised in solidarity with the beloved team is a sight well known to soccer fans. Where does this custom come from and why exactly accessories that are used every day to decorate one's outfit or protect against the cold have become the symbol of the most popular sport in the world? Read a brief history of the scarf in the football fandom.
First fan gadgets
The stands fashion from the late 19th century to the early 20th century was more standardized than it is today. In Great Britain, where football was born, fans dressed quite elegantly for matches. In accordance with the trends of the time, everyday suits dominated, as well as an obligatory cap or hat. Interestingly, initially even members of the football team played in plain clothes.
It wasn't until the regulation of the rules by the Football Association that striped uniforms were introduced. Teams began to wear shirts in the colors of their choice. With the popularity of football increasing, fans wanted to identify with their representatives, thus showing support for them, but also their pride. Initially, such accessories characteristic of fans were rosettes or ribbons in team colors pinned to the lapel of the jacket. But why do soccer fans wear scarves?
Scarf – the international symbol of the football fan
The basic function of a scarf is protection against the cold. And that's why they appeared in the stands of stadiums. During cold weather, the fans simply tried to dress warmly. But it was quickly noticed that in this way you can also show your belonging to the fandom of a given team. Grandmothers, mothers and wives hand knitted scarves in football team colors. Of course, when stripes dominated, they were the basic pattern of such an accessory.
It wasn't until the 1970s that scarves settled in football stadiums for good not only in Great Britain, but also around the world. Produced no longer manually, but by machines, the names of the club and favorite players, slogans, words such as "CHAMPION" and intricately woven club crests began to appear on them more and more often. Now you know why soccer fans wear scarves.