[Jordan_1]

(Original post by madders94)
My whole family support Real Madrid, have done for as long as I can remember. Just because I live in North Wales doesn't mean I have to support a team from North Wales (I mean seriously, who am I meant to support? Bangor? ) - it's the same as all the people from outside of Manchester who support Man U.

I hate this idea that football has to be a tribal thing - you don't have to support your nearest team rather than the one that plays the football you like to watch the most, you can support whoever the hell you want to support, and I support the team my family has supported for years and the one I've been to watch. Don't be jelly just because I support a team that's better than yours

So your whole family are glory hunter? No you DO NOT ****ing support them. How do you support them in any way, do you go to their games? No. You're a fan (a glory hunting fan) not a 'supporter'.

(Original post by madders94)
Wait, what? I said that both teams were helped by the referee... do you want me to mention each one by name?

Then wtf are arguing about? Because I said Madrid fans always blame the referee? It's true. Happens every single game they lose, even Mourinho cries every time they get beat off barcelona.

'Always cheated never defeated.'

[madders94]

(Original post by Jordan_1)
So your whole family are glory hunter? No you DO NOT ****ing support them. How do you support them in any way, do you go to their games? No. You're a fan (a glory hunting fan) not a 'supporter'.

Yes, actually, I have been to one of their games, unfortunately travel to Madrid is expensive but as soon as money allows, we'll be going back to watch another match, got shirts, scarves etc, been on the stadium tour, watch all their matches on TV. next!

[madders94]

(Original post by danny111)
Ignore him, he's being a prick.

I know, it just makes me laugh when people pull out the little girl card assuming I only watch matches to "ogle the players" or something like that, when I spent the first three years of my life travelling all over England to watch football matches, used to play it myself and I'm the daughter of a referee

[Sgany]

(Original post by nightmare91)
You mean the one they played in the stadium right after the final whistle? If yes, it's this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW0Jt...eature=related

Thank you very much It is an awesome and catchy as hell song.

[Zalachenko]

Let's pray for another Chelsea miracle goal in the New Stadium.

[FrigidSymphony]

(Original post by madders94)
I don't care if you weren't talking to me, the post you were making was wrong and as this is a public forum I have every right to point that out.

For what it's worth, I think the referee helped Bayern too, with a few missed things that should have been fouls or even bookings (for the record the same can be said for Real) but I think that Bayern would have won anyway even if Webb hadn't been the ref because we weren't playing the way we usually play.

Seriously? Marcelo not getting a red helped Bayern how?

[FrigidSymphony]

(Original post by madders94)
A) Little girl - erm, okay?
B) North Wales - not sure what that has anything to do with who I can and can't support.
C) Spanish football team - sorry, would you prefer I supported an Italian or a German one?

Does it make a difference if I tell you I'm not originally from North Wales? I really struggle to see what difference where I currently live makes on what team I'm "allowed" to support

I don't really understand it either. I mean, I support Aberdeen. They're my local, the stadium is a 20 minute walk from my house, etc. When I watch international football, like the Champions League, I follow certain teams more than others, but I wouldn't say I support them. I was hoping for Bayern to win, because I much prefer the way the Germans play football to the way the Spaniards play football. I was hoping for Chelsea to beat Barca because I'm sick of all the "SUPER BARCA SUPER GOL GOL GOL" hype ****. I was thrilled when Basel thumped Man Utd, such an underdog victory, and I was equally disappointed when they got thrashed by Bayern 7-0. Although that doesn't stop me from wanting to see Bayern win now given the alternatives.

Football may not have to a tribal thing, no, but how do you "support" a team from a different country than yours, unless you've lived there at some point or had a chance to develop some local attachments? That's what football's supposed to be, teams representing their local communities, and the communities need to support (that's what the word means) them by going to matches and whatnot. It just smacks of glory hunting, to be quite honest with you. You can't just pick and choose what team you support. You can pick and choose what teams you follow, what teams you like to watch, what teams you sympathise with, but not really who you support- that's a community thing.

[Jordan_1]

(Original post by FrigidSymphony)
I don't really understand it either. I mean, I support Aberdeen. They're my local, the stadium is a 20 minute walk from my house, etc. When I watch international football, like the Champions League, I follow certain teams more than others, but I wouldn't say I support them. I was hoping for Bayern to win, because I much prefer the way the Germans play football to the way the Spaniards play football. I was hoping for Chelsea to beat Barca because I'm sick of all the "SUPER BARCA SUPER GOL GOL GOL" hype ****. I was thrilled when Basel thumped Man Utd, such an underdog victory, and I was equally disappointed when they got thrashed by Bayern 7-0. Although that doesn't stop me from wanting to see Bayern win now given the alternatives.

Football may not have to a tribal thing, no, but how do you "support" a team from a different country than yours, unless you've lived there at some point or had a chance to develop some local attachments? That's what football's supposed to be, teams representing their local communities, and the communities need to support (that's what the word means) them by going to matches and whatnot. It just smacks of glory hunting, to be quite honest with you. You can't just pick and choose what team you support. You can pick and choose what teams you follow, what teams you like to watch, what teams you sympathise with, but not really who you support- that's a community thing.

We have our differences but everything you said there was spot on.

[madders94]

(Original post by FrigidSymphony)
I don't really understand it either. I mean, I support Aberdeen. They're my local, the stadium is a 20 minute walk from my house, etc. When I watch international football, like the Champions League, I follow certain teams more than others, but I wouldn't say I support them. I was hoping for Bayern to win, because I much prefer the way the Germans play football to the way the Spaniards play football. I was hoping for Chelsea to beat Barca because I'm sick of all the "SUPER BARCA SUPER GOL GOL GOL" hype ****. I was thrilled when Basel thumped Man Utd, such an underdog victory, and I was equally disappointed when they got thrashed by Bayern 7-0. Although that doesn't stop me from wanting to see Bayern win now given the alternatives.

Football may not have to a tribal thing, no, but how do you "support" a team from a different country than yours, unless you've lived there at some point or had a chance to develop some local attachments? That's what football's supposed to be, teams representing their local communities, and the communities need to support (that's what the word means) them by going to matches and whatnot. It just smacks of glory hunting, to be quite honest with you. You can't just pick and choose what team you support. You can pick and choose what teams you follow, what teams you like to watch, what teams you sympathise with, but not really who you support- that's a community thing.

I don't have any "community" teams though - the nearest is an hour away and I know nothing about them, never been to any of their matches and have no interest in them, so I can't really support them.

How is it glory hunting when it's the team I've been brought up as a supporter of? I haven't chosen to support them, it's the team I've been brought up to support, I love the Spanish culture, I've been to Madrid, hope to go back there, wanted to live there for a while, been to watch a match and would go and see more if it wasn't so expensive, I have shirts, scarves, loads of RM things, been on the stadium tour etc - but according to you, I need to live in Madrid to be a supporter?

What about the people from outside Manchester who support Man U, or the ones from outside Liverpool who support Liverpool, or the Aberdeen fans who don't live in Aberdeen? Are they all glory hunters too? What about West Bromwich Albion, who aren't a fantastic team, and yet my family also support them - yes, support, not just follow - because it's a team my family have supported for generations, it's where my parents are from etc. We don't live in West Bromwich, and yet we still support West Brom - are we glory hunters?

Despite you saying it's not a tribal thing, it's coming across like you think it is - local clubs for local people, right? What about the people who don't have local clubs? Are we only allowed to be glory hunting followers, never supporters, regardless of how long we've supported the team, how much merchandise we've bought, how many games we've been to? Pathetic.

[FrigidSymphony]

(Original post by madders94)
I don't have any "community" teams though - the nearest is an hour away and I know nothing about them, never been to any of their matches and have no interest in them, so I can't really support them.

How is it glory hunting when it's the team I've been brought up as a supporter of? I haven't chosen to support them, it's the team I've been brought up to support, I love the Spanish culture, I've been to Madrid, hope to go back there, wanted to live there for a while, been to watch a match and would go and see more if it wasn't so expensive, I have shirts, scarves, loads of RM things, been on the stadium tour etc - but according to you, I need to live in Madrid to be a supporter?

What about the people from outside Manchester who support Man U, or the ones from outside Liverpool who support Liverpool, or the Aberdeen fans who don't live in Aberdeen? Are they all glory hunters too? What about West Bromwich Albion, who aren't a fantastic team, and yet my family also support them - yes, support, not just follow - because it's a team my family have supported for generations, it's where my parents are from etc. We don't live in West Bromwich, and yet we still support West Brom - are we glory hunters?

Despite you saying it's not a tribal thing, it's coming across like you think it is - local clubs for local people, right? What about the people who don't have local clubs? Are we only allowed to be glory hunting followers, never supporters, regardless of how long we've supported the team, how much merchandise we've bought, how many games we've been to? Pathetic.

Then get to know your local. Yes, I would apply the same argument to Man Utd fans not from Manchester, or Liverpool fans not from Liverpool (although I challenge you to find Aberdeen supporters who aren't from Aberdeen, we're far to **** for that). If you have ties to Madrid, that's fine, whatever, but I still don't think you can class yourself as a supporter, by a simple basis of etymology. West Brom would hardly count as glory hunting (don't know how much glory you'd actually get), and since your parents are from there, that's exactly the kind of community based support I'm talking about! Everyone has a local club- it may not be just down the road, but it definitely won't be as far as Spain.

I never said you had to live in Madrid- I just said you had to have communal ties to the club and the community. Otherwise, call yourself a fan, whatever, but I really don't think you can count yourself a supporter. And what's wrong with Bangor?

[S-man10]

Sigh... why justify who you support. Its not like you are supporting something that doesn't exist

[madders94]

(Original post by FrigidSymphony)
Then get to know your local. Yes, I would apply the same argument to Man Utd fans not from Manchester, or Liverpool fans not from Liverpool (although I challenge you to find Aberdeen supporters who aren't from Aberdeen, we're far to **** for that). If you have ties to Madrid, that's fine, whatever, but I still don't think you can class yourself as a supporter, by a simple basis of etymology. West Brom would hardly count as glory hunting (don't know how much glory you'd actually get), and since your parents are from there, that's exactly the kind of community based support I'm talking about! Everyone has a local club- it may not be just down the road, but it definitely won't be as far as Spain.

I never said you had to live in Madrid- I just said you had to have communal ties to the club and the community. Otherwise, call yourself a fan, whatever, but I really don't think you can count yourself a supporter. And what's wrong with Bangor?

I still struggle to see why people get so defensive about people claiming to support a team. Why am I not allowed to call myself a supporter of Real Madrid, and why does it bother you so much that I do? It's exactly the sort of tribal "local clubs for local people" attitude which is so disgusting about football. Surely it should be about the game rather than a place on a map. As for Bangor - I've never been to watch a match of theirs and I probably never will go and see a match of theirs. They're an hour away from me; hardly my local team. The football they play isn't exciting and I don't have any communal ties to Bangor yet.

I don't see why people take issue with me, when there are so many people from Britain who support Barcelona who don't get accused of glory hunting. If a word bothers you so much, and you feel that football should be more about where you come from rather than who you want to support, I think you need to get a life.

[FrigidSymphony]

(Original post by madders94)
I still struggle to see why people get so defensive about people claiming to support a team. Why am I not allowed to call myself a supporter of Real Madrid, and why does it bother you so much that I do? It's exactly the sort of tribal "local clubs for local people" attitude which is so disgusting about football. Surely it should be about the game rather than a place on a map. As for Bangor - I've never been to watch a match of theirs and I probably never will go and see a match of theirs. They're an hour away from me; hardly my local team. The football they play isn't exciting and I don't have any communal ties to Bangor yet.

I don't see why people take issue with me, when there are so many people from Britain who support Barcelona who don't get accused of glory hunting. If a word bothers you so much, and you feel that football should be more about where you come from rather than who you want to support, I think you need to get a life.

You're misconstruing what I said. I have no problem with people taking an interest in any team at all. English supporters of Barcelona can also **** off for all I care, Barca are a terrible team.

If not Bangor, what about Cardiff? Wouldn't you want to see Wales being represented well? Or are you bored by anything that doesn't already come with success packaged up neatly? When I used to live in Switzerland, all of my classmates supported Italian teams- Juventus, Inter, AC Milan, etc. I didn't give a **** and would loudly proclaim support of FC Lucerne, my father's local. Not that they've ever gotten anywhere, but it's a matter of principle. Support is different from being a fan.

[S-man10]

(Original post by FrigidSymphony)
You're misconstruing what I said. I have no problem with people taking an interest in any team at all. English supporters of Barcelona can also **** off for all I care, Barca are a terrible team.

If not Bangor, what about Cardiff? Wouldn't you want to see Wales being represented well? Or are you bored by anything that doesn't already come with success packaged up neatly? When I used to live in Switzerland, all of my classmates supported Italian teams- Juventus, Inter, AC Milan, etc. I didn't give a **** and would loudly proclaim support of FC Lucerne, my father's local. Not that they've ever gotten anywhere, but it's a matter of principle. Support is different from being a fan.

There isn't any principle to who you support tbf. You are making it as if you are part of a religion and need a justification to be part of it... Well the difference there is that a football team exists and God doesn't

[Malevolent]

(Original post by madders94)
I still struggle to see why people get so defensive about people claiming to support a team. Why am I not allowed to call myself a supporter of Real Madrid, and why does it bother you so much that I do? It's exactly the sort of tribal "local clubs for local people" attitude which is so disgusting about football. Surely it should be about the game rather than a place on a map. As for Bangor - I've never been to watch a match of theirs and I probably never will go and see a match of theirs. They're an hour away from me; hardly my local team. The football they play isn't exciting and I don't have any communal ties to Bangor yet.

I don't see why people take issue with me, when there are so many people from Britain who support Barcelona who don't get accused of glory hunting. If a word bothers you so much, and you feel that football should be more about where you come from rather than who you want to support, I think you need to get a life.

I agree theres nothing wrong with supporting Real Madrid if your whole family support them. I live in Cardiff but i support Barcelona. People say im a glory seeker but why should i support Cardiff when my dad is half Spanish. I dont go to every game but i try go to atleast 3/4 games a year, people who say you have to go every week are ridiculous how am i supposed to afford the travel. Dont listen to people support who you want. Although i must add i disagree with your choice of Madrid