Many forum members show allegiance in their posts to some particular football club. Big Boy is a Plymouth tragic perhaps because he come from that town. Some of us adopt winning glamor teams. In my case I was born within the sound of Aston Villa Park but my brothers support Birmingham city. Where I worked in London (islington) I was told I had to be a Gunners fan but I lived in a Tottenmham area so
at the local pubs I decided it better to just keep my mouth shut. Much confusion.
I no longer live in the UK but I am expected by family to support Brum City. (Not so bad at the moment).
Walk into a Bangkok or Shanghai bar and it might be crowded with Red Devil fans watching a match. Are these fair weather fans?
I am curious to hear the reasons people choose clubs if not because of local allegiance.
(I look at the Thai League and think supporting teams like the Police Team could be problematic. )
I will watch the most exciting teams, just for the skill they display. Barcelona right now are a fantastic team. League football doesn't do much for me. I used to attend the odd International but England have disappointed too may times to light any spark these days.
I started to follow football when I was 10 and to play when I was 11. My team's colours where red and white. At that time there were about 10-11 English football matches per year on TV. So naturally I looked for a team which would have the same colours as my home team and the first one I found was Arsenal.
That started my interest in AFC and I have been a supporter since, which is now more than 40 years. The first time I got physically close to AFC was in 1975 when I did a summer course in Brighton and visited London from there. I and my friend who was and still is a Liverpool supporter went with me to Highbury and although it was closed, as it was June, I had my photo taken in front of the stadium.
By the way, I still follow Brighton with interest as well, for obvious reasons mentioned above (I also did another summer course in Brighton in -77.)
Crystal Palace for me lived near there in the 60's. and went to watch them regularly.
After that any London team apart from Millwall.
Teams north of Watford no way.
Woke up this morning breathing that's a good start to the day.
Arsenal for me because my father came from Wood Green in north London so it is a family thing, my son and daughter were indoctrinated into being Gunners (I hate the word Gooners). The first match I remember is the 1950 cup final when my Dad travelled up to London from Devon. Arsenal beat Liverpool 2 0.
I have been thinking about starting a similar thread: I have a theory that you can judge a person`s age by the team he supports, small boys from about 8 or 9 tend to pick a team which is doing well, eg when Liverpool were winning eveything in the eighties/nineties that would make non-scouse supporters around 25 to 35, many teenagers support Arsenal because of their success in the late nineties. I have a friend in Cheltenham who supports Ipswich even though he has never been there because he was a lad when they won the cup in 1979(?). Man U have a wide non-Manchester support because of their success and good marketing, you know the sort of thing, ignore the domestic FA cup to travel thousands of miles to play in a meaningless tournament.
Arcadian wrote: I have a theory that you can judge a person`s age by the team he supports, small boys from about 8 or 9 tend to pick a team which is doing well, eg when Liverpool were winning eveything in the eighties/nineties that would make non-scouse supporters around 25 to 35.
That'll be me then.
Anfield and Old Trafford are both within 40 minutes drive from my hometown and it's almost 50/50 Liverpool/United here with a few City fans.
I didn't get my Club from my old man as he isn't into Football, I influenced my younger Brother though who's now at almost every home game.
Well I'm a rugger man (Hull & Hull KR. Played RU well but was a complete failure at soccer)
I'm a LU fan closely followed by Liverpool (1st love came from the pool) and a distant third equal is MU(2nd love came from Manchester) and Hull city (second wife came from Ull)
South of the Watford gap? No way (bunch of fairies ).
Guess it's the north/south divide thing. My 1st wife was an Arsenal supporter (poor gal) Many a barney in 1972 when Billy Bremner (LU) and Frank McKlintock (Arsenal) were at their prime and at each others throats. In those days half the team were Scots!!!! Not immigrants
Each to their own. Good thread
RICHARD OF LOXLEY
It’s none of my business what people say and think of me. I am what I am and do what I do. I expect nothing and accept everything. It makes life so much easier.
I've always followed the Green Army, but used to enjoy going to any football match. However, the last FA Cup final (Southampton vs Man Utd) that I went to seriously changed my mind. When Southampton scored, hundreds of Man Utd fans sat down on the terraces and cried. That touched me, and I thought what am I doing here as a neutral? I made a vow there and then that the only teams I would watch in future would be the Green Army and England. To this day, I don't think I've wavered.
Its Chelsea for me because my old man, his old man and even my mum were fans. That has something to do with the fact that both parents families came from the Sands End area of Fulham, bordered by the Thames, Wandsworth Bridge Road and the New Kings Road. That's within spitting distance of Stamford Bridge.
In my early years it was a true working class area and the main employer was the Gasworks, which dominated the area then, and was where most of the family worked (Gramps, Dad, Uncles, Great Uncles and so on). Now its a largely ponced-up area and only one aunt still lives there.
I first went when I was 6 or 7 (we lived south of the river by then), taken by my Dad and Chelsea beat Fulham 2-1 and the King scored both goals. We stood at the Shed End, although later, we progressed to the old west stand.
My Dad used to know one or two players and I used to get lots of goodies and have a great programme collection and even have one of Eddie Macreadies old shirts!
In my time I've travelled the Country watching Chelsea, sadly, for a lot of this time we were crap and in Division 2. I still remember a great day at Wolves when we got promoted in 1977. All Chelsea fans were banned from travelling, so naturally, there were 1000's of us there, and another equally great day at Grimsby, getting promoted and winning the league on the back of a Kerry Dixon goal, its been upwards ever since.
Grounds to remember? Old Trafford, that red scouse place and Newcastle - 'cos they hated us!
