Glory hunters
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The way I see it your local team is meant to represent you in the same way your country does. If you feel they don't represent, fair enough 'support' a club that does.
However if the lack of identification with the club comes in the form of them not being as good as club X, Y or Z, then I obviously don't agree with 'picking'.
Also, "I enjoy the way they play" I find to be the most tiresome excuse ever. Especially from new found Chelsea supporters from the Mourinho era.
Personally I support Aberdeen, through birth in the city, and Lamontville Golden Arrows (as well as heart felt regional support for the other KZN sides) through living there.
Don't identify with any of the clubs around me at the moment, if I had the money I would go check out Colliers Wood United and AFC Wimbledon, bit alas...
However if the lack of identification with the club comes in the form of them not being as good as club X, Y or Z, then I obviously don't agree with 'picking'.
Also, "I enjoy the way they play" I find to be the most tiresome excuse ever. Especially from new found Chelsea supporters from the Mourinho era.
Personally I support Aberdeen, through birth in the city, and Lamontville Golden Arrows (as well as heart felt regional support for the other KZN sides) through living there.
Don't identify with any of the clubs around me at the moment, if I had the money I would go check out Colliers Wood United and AFC Wimbledon, bit alas...
Original post by Wilfred Little
I assume you're not from Bristol then?
As silly as it sounds I wouldn't begrudge someone like you saying "lI've no local teams, therefore no matches to go to, my only option is to follow a team on television regularly."
I just don't get why people would choose to support these super clubs like Man U when there's a great club on your doorstep crying out for your support
As silly as it sounds I wouldn't begrudge someone like you saying "lI've no local teams, therefore no matches to go to, my only option is to follow a team on television regularly."
I just don't get why people would choose to support these super clubs like Man U when there's a great club on your doorstep crying out for your support
no.. but bristol is about 15 miles away from where I live.. but people dont know where I come from, so its just easier to say bristol :P
But I do see what you mean..
Anyone is entitled to suppport any team they want however its how they support them that defines a fan.
I was born and bred in Manchester. I come from a family of United supporters and went to school with United supporters. So this is why I support them.
I've seen United fans from all walks of life who are very knowledgeable about the game, watch every match, go to United games etc. I have no problem with that.
However I see United 'fans' who support the team mainly because of their success, know nothing about the game and has never even heard of the Stretford End. You probably only ever catch them wearing a United top on nights like tonight when they're off to pub purely to be social and not for the game...you can spot these people a mile off. I find this behaviour more prevalent in the students that come over to Manchester.
Also when you're from Manchester and the local team is one of the most successful teams in England I find a lot of people purposely supporting other teams (Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea etc.) to be different and to get attention. The opposite of glory seeking? This could also explain why people from other cities tend to choose United...to get attention from their locals? Who knows...
I was born and bred in Manchester. I come from a family of United supporters and went to school with United supporters. So this is why I support them.
I've seen United fans from all walks of life who are very knowledgeable about the game, watch every match, go to United games etc. I have no problem with that.
However I see United 'fans' who support the team mainly because of their success, know nothing about the game and has never even heard of the Stretford End. You probably only ever catch them wearing a United top on nights like tonight when they're off to pub purely to be social and not for the game...you can spot these people a mile off. I find this behaviour more prevalent in the students that come over to Manchester.
Also when you're from Manchester and the local team is one of the most successful teams in England I find a lot of people purposely supporting other teams (Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea etc.) to be different and to get attention. The opposite of glory seeking? This could also explain why people from other cities tend to choose United...to get attention from their locals? Who knows...
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Wilfred Little
Oh here we go 
It isn't a necessary requirement to have any connection to the city, as people should support who they want. So even if my folks didn't use to live there then there is no problem. I was just telling my story. Don't give me the usual nonsense where you force people to support local teams they don't love. I don't want to hear it.
Original post by Eboracum
It isn't a necessary requirement to have any connection to the city, as people should support who they want. So even if my folks didn't use to live there then there is no problem. I was just telling my story. Don't give me the usual nonsense where you force people to support local teams they don't love. I don't want to hear it.
I noticed you said "lived" and not "are from" though. My mam lived in Mexico for a bit. Means nothing.
But no I support Man U cos my uncle's ex wive's step sister's niece's pet dog pissed up a tree in Manchester once.
Original post by Wilfred Little
I noticed you said "lived" and not "are from" though. My mam lived in Mexico for a bit. Means nothing.
But no I support Man U cos my uncle's ex wive's step sister's niece's pet dog pissed up a tree in Manchester once.
But no I support Man U cos my uncle's ex wive's step sister's niece's pet dog pissed up a tree in Manchester once.
Seeing as we are discussing our stories, my parents moved to Manchester aged 18 for uni, neither of which were football fans. Mum's parents were from Rep. Of Ireland, Dad is from Lake District. Whilst at uni both became football fans, Dad - United, Mum - City. Now with the biggots who believe that either 1) you have to be a local fan or 2) it has to be the family club, whether my story makes me a 'real' fan with them, I couldn't give a toss. The bottom line is I've supported them for 17 years, I go to games, I never change team, I am as real a fan as any Manc and won't be told otherwise.
It is irrelevant though. One does not need any reason to support a team. You should support who you want. As long as you love the club, try to go to games where financially and personally possible and stick with your team through thick and thin, then welcome aboard. No I can't blame kids in Cornwall or the Lake District seeing Manchester United or Manchester City on tv and supporting them. What gives them the legitimacy when they get to 18 is because they've always supported them.
Even if your uncles ex wive's step sister dog didn't take a piss in Manchester, you'd still be allowed to support them. I really hate this moral ground people who support local teams try to take against those that don't come from that area.
I know English Barcelona fans - Good for them. Support who you want.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Eboracum
Why should one be coerced by society into supporting a local team?
This one is easy - pride.
Original post by Eboracum
Seeing as we are discussing our stories, my parents moved to Manchester aged 18 for uni, neither of which were football fans. Mum's parents were from Rep. Of Ireland, Dad is from Lake District. Whilst at uni both became football fans, Dad - United, Mum - City. Now with the biggots who believe that either 1) you have to be a local fan or 2) it has to be the family club, whether my story makes me a 'real' fan with them, I couldn't give a toss. The bottom line is I've supported them for 17 years, I go to games, I never change team, I am as real a fan as any Manc and won't be told otherwise.
It is irrelevant though. One does not need any reason to support a team. You should support who you want. As long as you love the club, try to go to games where financially and personally possible and stick with your team through thick and thin, then welcome aboard. No I can't blame kids in Cornwall or the Lake District seeing Manchester United or Manchester City on tv and supporting them. What gives them the legitimacy when they get to 18 is because they've always supported them.
Even if your uncles ex wive's step sister dog didn't take a piss in Manchester, you'd still be allowed to support them. I really hate this moral ground people who support local teams try to take against those that don't come from that area.
I know English Barcelona fans - Good for them. Support who you want.
It is irrelevant though. One does not need any reason to support a team. You should support who you want. As long as you love the club, try to go to games where financially and personally possible and stick with your team through thick and thin, then welcome aboard. No I can't blame kids in Cornwall or the Lake District seeing Manchester United or Manchester City on tv and supporting them. What gives them the legitimacy when they get to 18 is because they've always supported them.
Even if your uncles ex wive's step sister dog didn't take a piss in Manchester, you'd still be allowed to support them. I really hate this moral ground people who support local teams try to take against those that don't come from that area.
I know English Barcelona fans - Good for them. Support who you want.
So what if 100% of the country decides to just support Utd because they're the best?
Local loyalty counts for a lot. Your cockney geezer in his flat cap watching West Ham get crushed every other week since he was 5, is the kind of fan that makes football what it is. Not some fella from Newcastle pulling on his Chelsea kit and watching the game on sky.
Original post by hogso
This one is easy - pride.
I'm not sure what you mean? Surely it is harder to commit to and stick to a team that you are not expected to support, and despite getting a lot of stick from people who support local teams, to remain true to that team and defend your right in a liberal democracy to support whoever you want. You've got to stand up and say, I support _____. That is pride.
Original post by Zürich
So what if 100% of the country decides to just support Utd because they're the best?
Local loyalty counts for a lot. Your cockney geezer in his flat cap watching West Ham get crushed every other week since he was 5, is the kind of fan that makes football what it is. Not some fella from Newcastle pulling on his Chelsea kit and watching the game on sky.
Local loyalty counts for a lot. Your cockney geezer in his flat cap watching West Ham get crushed every other week since he was 5, is the kind of fan that makes football what it is. Not some fella from Newcastle pulling on his Chelsea kit and watching the game on sky.
I think people new to the game can support who they want. Ultimately it is not for people to 'prop up' other clubs out of sympathy. Football is business, we live in a capitalist society. If my local music shop was going to go out of business as they couldn't compete with Amazon, I wouldn't say "No worries, I'll pay an extra £2 for a CD", my message to them would be - Compete! Get your prices down and get yourself in a position where you can sell the CD for the same price with free delivery. And it's the same with football. It is not for people to say "If everyone supported United other teams would go out of business". People should support who they want. The way the football world works, there will always be large numbers of people to support local teams because they agree with your philosophy.
On your points, I've supported United since I was six, I regularly go to games. Just because I'm not Manc and don't wear a flat cap doesn't mean I'm any less of a fan than he is. And on your point about watching on Sky, I've already stated I believe making an effort to go to matches is desirable.
I find it odd that we have to have these debates. Just support who you want and enjoy the game of football.
I'm from Kent, and keep an eye on how my local teams are doing, but first and foremost, I'm a Leeds fan. My dad's from Leeds and, although my mum is from Kent, her brother was a Leeds fan as a child, so she followed suit.
In this day and age, I wouldn't say that being a Leeds fan is glory hunting (there's not much to celebrate - although if we beat City on Sunday, I'll be celebrating).
Basically, just because it's not my local team, it doesn't mean I'm glory hunting
In this day and age, I wouldn't say that being a Leeds fan is glory hunting (there's not much to celebrate - although if we beat City on Sunday, I'll be celebrating).
Basically, just because it's not my local team, it doesn't mean I'm glory hunting
I don't really understand why anyone would support a team up the other end of the country or in another country that they have no connection to, when I play 5 a side at uni up north and some locals see my shirt and tell me they support arsenal too I just wonder why. Actually getting to games gives you a bit more of a claim and makes it a bit better but I still get thrown when I hear someone around me at a game with a northern or brummie accent supporting Arsenal, maybe they have older relatives from the area and it runs in the family so I shouldn't be so quick to judge but I do anyway. It doesn't really bother me they can do what they want but I don't think I will ever understand it.
I don't really care who other people support, as long as they don't give me stick for who I support in a serious way.
I got a lot of (serious) stick for supporting Swindon as a child from people who changed allegiance 2 or 3 times (Man U to Arsenal and eventually Chelsea). It's quite easy to have a chip on your shoulder about that, but to be honest the joy I've had following Swindon has more than outweighed that. Personally I'd find it very hard to support a club without going through dismal lows and euphoric highs - Swindon have their fair share of those - but everyone has their own criteria for picking their club.
For me, nothing beats the feeling of singing my heart out for 90 minutes at the County Ground - at least in terms of football - but that doesn't mean that has to be the same for everyone.
edit: on the other hand I welcome light-hearted jibes
I got a lot of (serious) stick for supporting Swindon as a child from people who changed allegiance 2 or 3 times (Man U to Arsenal and eventually Chelsea). It's quite easy to have a chip on your shoulder about that, but to be honest the joy I've had following Swindon has more than outweighed that. Personally I'd find it very hard to support a club without going through dismal lows and euphoric highs - Swindon have their fair share of those - but everyone has their own criteria for picking their club.
For me, nothing beats the feeling of singing my heart out for 90 minutes at the County Ground - at least in terms of football - but that doesn't mean that has to be the same for everyone.
edit: on the other hand I welcome light-hearted jibes
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Dr DaMan
No doubt there's already a thread for it but I can't find it. How far is it acceptable for you to live from the team you support? I'm from Wolverhampton and support the Wolves. I have friends that support the big teams and have lived here their entire life so are obvious gloryhunters. Thoughts?
A lot of people support teams not because they are the team for the town where they live, but because it is a family thing. This goes for the big teams too - a big chunk of my family are from Manchester and support utd. This means the whole family does, although none of them live in Manchester anymore. So although I'm not that into football I would say of all the teams I'd be most likely to follow them.
I'm far away from the team I support Aston Villa, however I was born like 10 minutes from the ground and most of my family supported them.
The most popular sport where I live in Ireland is Gaelic Football, everyone supports their home county so 'gloryhunting' is unheard of, I went to games for 10 years.
For anyone unfamiliar with the sport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL5dJsWeqkI
I've supported Chelsea since about 2000 as I liked the players, Zola,Hasselbaink, etc. I don't care about being called a gloryhunter, I don't take sport that seriously anyway and I don't feel much joy when they win as I'm not a local fan, i just enjoy watching them play.
For anyone unfamiliar with the sport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zL5dJsWeqkI
I've supported Chelsea since about 2000 as I liked the players, Zola,Hasselbaink, etc. I don't care about being called a gloryhunter, I don't take sport that seriously anyway and I don't feel much joy when they win as I'm not a local fan, i just enjoy watching them play.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Eboracum
I'm not sure what you mean?
In regard to locality rather than football - pride in the town you come from, ergo, the support of their football team. It may not be something you are familiar with (it is not something that is very fervent in my town) , but it is actually very important. Look at football fans in Yorkshire, for example. Great pride in their county and town/city.
This doesn't really have anything to do with the glory hunting topic by the way, and I am not trying to suggest that someone who does not live in the locality of any particular team should not support them. I just found your above (perhaps retorical, but oh well) question a rather odd thing to say for a chap that seems quite intelligent.
Manchester must hold the world record for emigration.
The only people who defend the glory hunters are mostly United fans.
I'm not surprised they say 'glory glory man united' when most of them singing are glory hunters hahaha.
I'm not surprised they say 'glory glory man united' when most of them singing are glory hunters hahaha.
Original post by hogso
In regard to locality rather than football - pride in the town you come from, ergo, the support of their football team. It may not be something you are familiar with (it is not something that is very fervent in my town) , but it is actually very important. Look at football fans in Yorkshire, for example. Great pride in their county and town/city.
This doesn't really have anything to do with the glory hunting topic by the way, and I am not trying to suggest that someone who does not live in the locality of any particular team should not support them. I just found your above (perhaps retorical, but oh well) question a rather odd thing to say for a chap that seems quite intelligent.
This doesn't really have anything to do with the glory hunting topic by the way, and I am not trying to suggest that someone who does not live in the locality of any particular team should not support them. I just found your above (perhaps retorical, but oh well) question a rather odd thing to say for a chap that seems quite intelligent.
Fair enough, and you seem like a very reasonable poster unlike the two narrow minded idiots below who want to put Berlin Walls up around each city and only allow people with thick regional accents to support them teams. I've spoken with Mancs at Old Trafford on many occasions and they've always been welcoming.
I suppose on your issue, I'd say that different people relate local pride to different things. Football is only one factor. So for example somebody from Sheffield might be really proud of the modern music scene (Arctic Monkeys) and might be proud of the city's Industrial History and those might be the things that make him or her proud to be from Sheffield, rather than the football teams, as they might have always supported Chelsea or Liverpool. I'm from a small town in the Midlands, about 95k people, we have a team in a very low division who I don't know anything about. Football is not one of the things I'm proud to be from my area for, instead it's the schools, the church, the community spirit etc.
(edited 11 years ago)
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