Why do you not support your local team?

spudbynight · 12 Jun 2011 at 09:57

This is something which has always puzzled me. I was born in South London and grew up supporting Crystal Palace.

I have two younger brothers. The middle one supports Liverpool and the youngest supports Manchester United. Both of them supported the teams who were winning everything during their formative years. They are glory hunters without any link to either city.

I have another friend who is Canadian. He supports Newcastle - the reason is his father is from Newcastle and despite living in Vancouver for 40 years still has a thick accent. That seems fair enough to me.

I lived in Ireland for several years and I was amazed at the glory hunting of supporters over there. I would say at a guess something like 40% of Irish football fans support Man Utd. Liverpool are the other big side with maybe 25% of support. The remainder is mixed. There is a huge transient fanbase over there who will support whichever team is winning and will change like the wind. I remember seeing lots of Blackburn fans in the early 90s for example.

For those in here - if you don't support your local team and support someone else - why? Not looking to judge anyone, I'm just interested.

Shamikebab · 12 Jun 2011 at 10:05

I watch football I enjoy watching, what area of the country they are from is irrelevant to me. The notion of only being able to support club's in your geographical area if a ridiculous and outdated notion in the modern world.

According to that other thread my local team is Aldershot Town....I've never been to Aldershot, why is supporting them any more 'right' than me supporting United?

spudbynight · 12 Jun 2011 at 10:08

Sorry, I think you missed the question. I wasn't asking why you don't support Team X - what I was asking is why you support the team you do.

So for you why do you support United? Newcastle United I assume?

Shamikebab · 12 Jun 2011 at 10:24

No Manchester United obviously, I supported them because when I was growing up getting into football they were the players I admired and wanted to emulate, mostly Ryan Giggs.

Greenlizard0 · 12 Jun 2011 at 10:27

Is that though because they were winning things at the end of the day?

---

Essentially this thread will be filled with people finding all sorts of reasons as to why supporting a club based on geographical location is irrelevant. Fair enough I suppose, from moving due to uni or work, or having family (

) support a club there are lots of things that can be made up. For people that do support their local club it's a matter of pride, therefore relevant. So around a circle we go...

I support Arsenal. We never had a United or Chelsea styled blitzing run of success. Growing up around London would usually mean if you wanted to support a Premiership team you automatically looked at side from there. Being that the city is huge, and therefore encompasses at least 10 sides in the top two divisions we had a larger choice. If you were from near Manchester it's really only 3 or 4. Liverpool also has Tranmere, maybe Chester City as well.

My classroom when growing up was roughly half Spurs and Arsenal each, a few W Ham, a Crystal Palace guy and unsurprisingly a few Liverpool fans. Ended up supporting Arsenal.

I don't really care for it. Though I admit I have used it in real life when two close friends, both United supporters have **** me off. One from Southampton born and raised, the other from S Wales.

placeholder · 12 Jun 2011 at 10:28

I dont have a local team.

I started supporting Man Utd in the 80s when everyone seemed to be a Liverpool fan. My best mate had family in Manchester and used to get Programmes and Shirts sent up from them.

Funnily enough at the time we used to get stick for supporting such an unsuccessful team! Now im a "Glory-hunter"!

What ive never understood in this quest to make people support their "local team" is what happens when you move?!

Shamikebab · 12 Jun 2011 at 10:31

Greenlizard0 said:
Is that though because they were winning things at the end of the day?

Not really, I was too young to understand that really, I just liked watching the players play. We didn't really start dominating until a few years after I'd started watching them.

Plus my dad is a United fan so there's that link as well.

The Running Man · 12 Jun 2011 at 10:34

Oldham? they play awful football, i see enough long ball and punting it around with man utd, let alone the latics.

beachBOYken · 12 Jun 2011 at 11:29

I live closer to Westham but i support Arsenal , Why? , because i was bought up supporting them and my Nan supports them and she always got me presents to do with Arsenal when i was little , i also like the way they play.

placeholder · 12 Jun 2011 at 11:36

Ive always been of the mind that it doesnt matter who you support as long as you stick with them.

When i started supporting Man Utd they were pretty poor but it didnt matter, now they are huge and i still support them and inevitably they will have a lean spell at some point in the future and they will still be my team.

I dont think you can get the pleasure out of the good times if you are just a casual fan who can drift from one club to the next.

The CL finals in 99 and 08 remain two of the best days ever and i was only watching them in pubs!

mufcmark · 12 Jun 2011 at 11:41

The reason I don't watch my local team is because they are equivalent to a sunday league team. Below conference level probably. Just because you don't support a local team doesn't mean you can't be a real fan.

Andybtsn · 12 Jun 2011 at 11:42

My Dad supported Leeds, took me to games etc. Plus we lived next door to Leeds basically.

toshj · 12 Jun 2011 at 11:44

I do support my local team (Brentford), but I completely understand why people are drawn to other teams. If I wasn't a Brentford supporter I'd follow West Ham as they're the other team members of my family support - West Ham are one of the furthest London teams from where I was brought up.

Beerbaron · 12 Jun 2011 at 11:48

Stevenage were a non league team when i was a kid so never really followed them

spudbynight · 12 Jun 2011 at 12:47

Shamikebab said:
No Manchester United obviously,

I think that would only be obvious to a Man Utd fan.

The following clubs are all "united" as well

Sheffield United (1889)
Newcastle United (1892)
Scunthorpe United (1899)
Torquay United (1899)
West Ham United (1900)
Carlisle United (1903)
Southend United (1906)
Leeds United (1919)
Hereford United (1924)
Rotherham United (1925)
Peterborough United (1934)
Colchester United (1937)
Cambridge United (1951)
Oxford United (1956)
Hartlepool United (1977)
F.C. United of Manchester (2005)
Hayes & Yeading United (2007)

spudbynight · 12 Jun 2011 at 12:48

placeholder said:
What ive never understood in this quest to make people support their "local team" is what happens when you move?!

You don't change your team.

Beerbaron said:
Stevenage were a non league team when i was a kid so never really followed them

A lot to be said for non league football. I have a big issue with top level football now. I don't watch internationals any more and I don't watch the premierboat either.

Shamikebab said:
Not really, I was too young to understand that really, I just liked watching the players play. We didn't really start dominating until a few years after I'd started watching them.

Plus my dad is a United fan so there's that link as well.

Ryan Giggs started playing for Man Utd in 1991* which is when they started winning things. They finished 2nd in the league that season to Leeds and had won the Cup Winners Cup the season before.

*I know he played 2 games in 1990-91 but 91-92 was then he really started his run in the first team.

Tom84 · 12 Jun 2011 at 12:50

My Granddad got me into football and his favourite team was Man Utd, so I just followed suite, he's dead now so I've got no idea why he chose United and I was too young to be bothered about such matters when he died so never asked him.

Shamikebab · 12 Jun 2011 at 12:56

spudbynight said:
I think that would only be obvious to a Man Utd fan.

Yes this little gem is always spouted by the "holier than thou" fans on here. Fact is you know perfectly well who I am talking about, you're just being a ****

Azza · 12 Jun 2011 at 12:56

My Dad supports Everton, his Dad supported Everton, guess that's why I support Everton. I still support Wrexham though, used to go games all the time before I went to uni. Been to more Wrexham games than Everton. And of course I support Buckley Town, and now Argeod United.

spudbynight · 12 Jun 2011 at 12:59

Shamikebab said:
Yes this little gem is always spouted by the "holier than thou" fans on here. Fact is you know perfectly well who I am talking about, you're just being a ****

No need to be abusive.

Fact remains lots of clubs have United in their name - saying you support "United" and expecting people to know you mean Man Utd is just wrong.

Azza said:
My Dad supports Everton, his Dad supported Everton, guess that's why I support Everton. I still support Wrexham though, used to go games all the time before I went to uni. Been to more Wrexham games than Everton. And of course I support Buckley Town, and now Argeod United.

I'll allow it