Simple, dad supported Chelsea since late 60's. To be fair I only live 30 mins drive (have done for most of my life) from the Kings road, but when I was younger I lived abroad in Norway and Portugal so the ties simply formed due to my Dad.
Why do fans support non local teams
- Thread starter ANONANON
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I support Villa because of my dad. If I supported anyone else I doubt I would get to go to many games.
Soldato
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Born and living in north Northumberland, I have no local team (at anything other than local level). My nearest team is over 30 miles away (Newcastle), but I'm no Geordie, so I'm no Newcastle fan (though they are an unofficial second team, and go and watch them every now and then).
I support Liverpool, though only because my mates at first school did (at the height of their success). I didn't watch football on the TV at all back then, so I just tagged along, ironically only starting to watch football as their decline really kicked in in the mid-90s.
I'm not a die-hard fan by any means though.
I support Liverpool, though only because my mates at first school did (at the height of their success). I didn't watch football on the TV at all back then, so I just tagged along, ironically only starting to watch football as their decline really kicked in in the mid-90s.
I'm not a die-hard fan by any means though.
Soldato
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Lived in Burnley most of my life so I support them. I now live in Manchester and do like to see both Manchester teams do well but don't really have a favourate. Obviously if Burnley get promoted I would favour them over the Manchester teams.
Bizarrely, exactly the same here, they were playing 50 miles away form the town when I really decided to start supporting them. I had been to a fair few games before then though.
Edit- Probably more than 50 miles actually
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Just because they arent local now, doesnt mean they were not local originally / at some point
When I was a teenager (early/mid 80's) all my mates supported Arsenal and while I wasnt much of a football fan then, we were always allowed to watch the later parts of the FA Cup on tv, and from what I remember they kept on coming up against Man Utd - so thats the team I chose to support.
Years later (after taking A levels etc and a few years out) I chose Salford Uni to go to instead of a few others so that Old Trafford would be close by
edit - I will always have a soft spot for Southampton (due to the city being less than 20 mles from where I was born), and a family friend who used to have a small management interest a number of years ago, but I will never feel for them what Ive gone through with Utd over the last 20 - 30 years.
Edit - right now I probably live closest to Chelsea but would never support them in a million years lol
When I was a teenager (early/mid 80's) all my mates supported Arsenal and while I wasnt much of a football fan then, we were always allowed to watch the later parts of the FA Cup on tv, and from what I remember they kept on coming up against Man Utd - so thats the team I chose to support.
Years later (after taking A levels etc and a few years out) I chose Salford Uni to go to instead of a few others so that Old Trafford would be close by
edit - I will always have a soft spot for Southampton (due to the city being less than 20 mles from where I was born), and a family friend who used to have a small management interest a number of years ago, but I will never feel for them what Ive gone through with Utd over the last 20 - 30 years.
Edit - right now I probably live closest to Chelsea but would never support them in a million years lol
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So many plastics in here
LOL same as me, West Ham and Spurs are closer to me than Arsenal but i wouldnt even consider supporting those 2 teams...*spits*
It makes just as little sense as supporting local teams as well. The method of choice for what teams people support very rarely makes sense.
Why do people have an obligation to support a team just because they live somewhat close to the home ground? What do you do if you move to another area?
I think it makes even less sense for people from Liverpool, what with the whole Liverpool and Everton thing going on.
This.
Why do people have an obligation to support a team just because they live somewhat close to the home ground? What do you do if you move to another area?
I think it makes even less sense for people from Liverpool, what with the whole Liverpool and Everton thing going on.
This.
No it doesn't. As I said in a previous post, I support my local team for many reasons, it has links to the community that other teams do not. It would never even cross my mind to support a different team from miles away. The club does lots of work with charities in the community, I often see players out around town, and speak to them sometimes. I can leave my house and go down to the shops, and pass another 20-30 supporters who have the same thing in common. The club contributes far more to local businesses, through hotel booking, bars and restaurants being busier etc.
Plus, my friends and I all support the same club, so go along to support them and sit with the same people for each match and have made some great friends through it. We will always have the club in common, and go along to give our money and support. It is an experience you will never get by choosing a team that in reality, you have very little to do with, and don't really support in any meaningful way.
I'm not trying to belittle anyone who claims to support a big team and doesn't go to games, I am just trying to say that they are completely different.
You've given it context though, my comment was about how it doesn't make sense to support a team JUST BECAUSE you're from the same city.
The context you have given changes the situation which means my comment isn't applicable to you.
as per the above post , glad this is applicable to you but there are lots of people who have a "closest" team (how ever you define that) but have no connection that actual community.
It is easily possible to do that which is bolded without it being local, so while it worked out that way for you, buy a season ticket and you will likely sit with the same fans week in week out (at home games) and they will become friends etc etc, so that isnt really particular to "local" fans.
I think a lot of people may have an issue with "dont really support in a meaningful way" - ......."meaning" is probably different for every person here, it has no relation to where you happen to live
Fair enough, you are right.
Yes I agree, and I have tried to word it so that it didn't sound disrespectful or baiting in any way. I was trying to make the point that when people support big clubs from far away, I think there is a bit less of a connection, and commitment, which means that the club can, and often is, easily dropped when they get bored. For example, the club plays a big part in my life, I spend a hell of a lot of money to see them each year(far too much!) and for this reason, and the one about seeing other supporters often, and friends etc, supporters like this have a connection that ones who don't interact with their club much lack.
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I think you should support a team near where you live or atleaset used to live, if you don't do that then all that happens is you end up supporting the best team at the time. Most people seem to do this. Hardly anyone ever supports a team at the other end of the country in the 3rd division. The team they support just happens to be one of the best. 
The reason is because 3rd division teams get very little media exposure outside the local area. The best teams on the other hand receive the most exposure in national media regardless of how far away they are so there is more chance of people becoming fans.