As defined by sirc.org, to be a ‘true’ fun requires the ‘living’ experience of football. It is not about being a mere spectator – but about being a participant. There’s no better way of being a participant than by owning your team's jersey, we are not talking about an ordinary jersey but an original imported replica jersey from Nike that would cost you no less than KES 800.

As a sign of absolute commitment, the twelfth man has to get four jerseys, a home and away jersey which could bring the total to KES 3,200, mind you; this is on the lower side. There’s then the need to own a team banner and support accessories that could cost you between KES 100 to KES 1,000 or even more.  

If it was possible for the twelfth man to physically attend all games, he definitely would, but since this isn’t possible, subscription to DStv, so that he can catch every single game, becomes necessary. A standard DStv decoder plus satellite dish cost him KES 11,600. There’s the additional USD 80 (Approximately KES 6,880) monthly subscription to DStv Premium channel bouquet which would give him access to a wide selection of football channels.

Missing a game would definitely be a tragedy.    

There are those special football matches that you definitely have to watch in the company of other fans. The social bond between football fans has been described as a form of kinship or familial tie. It at times becomes necessary to hook up with friends at the local pub to catch a game. With a beer for each half that comes to 2 beers a game. A beer costs KES 200 in the normal bar. This comes up to KES 400 on drinks.

There those bets football fanatics place in anticipation that their team will win. Football can be unpredictable, many have lost their bets.

There’s the urgent need to access up to the minute information about events specific to one’s football club. A survey by sirc.org reviealed that a minority of dedicate funs browse football sites for up to 6 or 7 hours a day. Let's say the twelfth man has subscribed to the cheapest unlimited monthly data plan, Zuku 999. This comes to KES 999 every month on internegt

On average the twelfth man spends KES 86,790  a football alone during a football season:

• 10 months Premium DStv subscription: KES 68,800 
•  Watching two games i a month in a bar for 10 months: KES 8,000
•  10 months of internet browsing in search of football news: KES 9,990

Football fans across the world share similar football aspirations and team commitment as the twelfth man. It anything’s to go by, football fans speak one language, the language of football.