This idea has been thrown around quite alot: the idea that football is almost like a religion.

And I have to say, after I witnessed Grimsby’s first league win in 22 attempts after eight gruelling months, I think that the argument holds some water:

• Fans of different teams are like people of different faiths - they follow their team with the idea of progression and congregate to worship.
• Worship - players are treated like higher-beings and people worship their actions on the pitch.
• Idols/God-like characters - The people that fans worship are their idols and players become almost god-like to followers.
• Pilgrimage - fans travel up and down the country: and even follow their teams worldwide.
• Emotional involvement - every fan knows how much it hurts to lose and how much joy they feel when the team wins: how grown men are seen crying after defeat or relegation and often after victory or promotion. Someone once said to me: “Football hurts you more than anything else in life, even more than women can”.
• Prayers - ‘God’ must be inundated with prayers from fans (especially Grimsby ones in recent times) wanting some good luck or victory in the next game.

Now, to non-football fans this, will most probably, seem like a ridiculous thought. Especially if people are religious I’m sure they think this makes a mockery of what religion stands for but, in all seriousness, there is some scope for the suggestion.

And I accept the point that religion should have an ideology and an explanation of life but if there can be a Jedi religion then surely calling football a religion isn’t so far-fetched.

The Jedi religion quotes a movie as its basic concept, there must be a problem with that.

To die-hard fans supporting their team is their life: travelling the breadth of the country just for 90 minutes of football, spending all their money on the team.

Saturday was the first time I actually considered the concept of football as a religion. My beloved Grimsby won a league game for the first time in 22 attempts at Gigg Lane. In all honesty this shouldn’t be something i’m proud of and it’s not.

However, what yesterday showed me more than ever is how much of a religion football has become. For eight gruelling months the Mariners faithful have travelled, paid and supported the team regardless of how bad the situation became.

Regardless of our position in the table, the fact we were the only team in the Football League without a victory and some inept performance by the players around 400 fans still made the journey to Bury and what a game it was.

The game started with jokey chants of “we only want one win” but by half-time we were two up. When the players reappeared for the second half the fans were desperate to cheer them on and for the full 45 minutes cheered the team to victory.

At the end of the game people were dancing around as if they’d just won the lottery. The feeling of ecstasy was something you just can’t buy.

Personally, I would say that calling football a cult would probably be more realistic but what it means to fans is indescribable.

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