I believe we did a good bit of sports journalism earlier this week when we reported on the practice of UAE soccer clubs paying fans to attend their games.

It seems fantastical, at first blush, but if a person has a sense of how things work here, and traditions and history, it is less bizarre.

To cut to the chase: It appears many of the big clubs here pay some/most fans about $13.50 to attend a game, and give them food and drink, as well, and in some cases transportation.

This practice has been going on here a long time, and probably will continue into the future. It just has never been written about, to my knowledge, as directly as it was in The National.

The story outlines how the Al Ain club, the biggest in the country, disburses money to fans, how the cash flows from a team executive to the band leader and then to supervisors who recruit and pay the fans.

It also describes how the fans are then expected to chant and sing in support of their club, and how they sometimes are eligible for bonuses of about $7 each if they are impressive singers and chanters.

The league executive whom our correspondent, Omar Al Raisi, was in touch with made a good point about why paying fans is not seen as unusual, here in the UAE.

Here are the money quotes:

“We need to realize the short history of football companies in the UAE,” said Abdullah Al Junaibi, a member of the league’s executive committee.

“It was just four or five years ago that they transformed themselves into football companies. However, the mentality and mindset of their fans have perhaps not been transformed completely.

“Previously, as a social club, the football team was seen as part of the extended family of the fans. And in this case, especially in our culture, where we are known to be very hospitable and charitable to our families and relatives, clubs and fans alike do not think that it is right for fans to be paying for tickets.

“Instead, clubs feel that, as part of the family, when they invite fans to come to their home, the club, who are acting like the host, have to treat the fans in the right way.”

A spokesman at the Al Jazira club confirmed that they pay “some” fans, and an official with another big UAE club said he “is certain” that every club in the league pays fans to attend games.

A curious practice, and hard to imagine, in places in the world where seeing the most popular sport in the country will cost a lot of money.

Here, the money is going the other direction.