Your opinion on reasons to support clubs.

[Crayo]

A couple of days ago I was reading an article made by a football-journalist that I highly respect, and he said something that interested me. He said it matters not whether you support a club that doesn't play where you're from, and used Thailand as an example of that. He said if you're in Thailand and watch European football, why wouldn't you support one of the bigger teams in Europe? I guarantee if a kid from a different country supported a team like Barcelona, Munich, Man United, Real Madrid, etc., then they would get ridiculed as a "glory supporter".

Now, I definitely believe glory supporters exist. When I rarely browse Manchester Utd forums I see a fair share of them. However, I believe 90% of the time that when you label someone a glory supporter, you are 100% wrong. If you're from abroad and only get to see the high-profile games, or they are the games you enjoy watching the most, why not support a top team? If you're invested enough to know just as much about that team as a local hardcore fan that lives in Barcelona for example would, then are you not on the same level as him?

Who would be the real fan: A 14 year old boy from America supporting Manchester Utd who knows every single first team player, reserve team player, the club history, and everything else a typical loyal local supporter would know; or a kid from Manchester who only watches his side on MOTD and barely knows the first team players, but is first to ridicule Sir Alex Ferguson after one poor game, who only supports Man Utd because of the recent success? Which is the true supporter? Would it still be okay to call the first kid a glory supporter, or say he shouldn't be supporting Manchester United at all, and be fine to accept the local lad supporting his local side?

In my honest opinion, it's absolutely fine to support whomever you want. I even accept scousers supporting Manchester United, or kids living in Bayern Munich supporting Borussia Dortmund. You support who you enjoy watching. If you only support them because they win, and when they start to lose they lose your support, then you are indeed a glory supporter. I understand all of you - myself included - having issues with those types of fans.

I was thinking about this recently as I have slowly realised my attachment to teams like Dortmund and Bilbao. I watch both those leagues, and like a typical BPL weekend, those would be the games I go to first if there are multiple matches happening at one point. (Manchester United being the team I go to with the BPL). The aforementioned journalist also said supporting more than one club is fine, and also sees no issue with that. Once again, I completely agree. Most people would have their #1 team, but I think you can definitely enjoy teams enough to support them in their matches. I know for sure I want teams like Swansea, Bilbao, Dortmund, and Spurs to win every single game they play - as long as it isn't against Manchester United - because I am thoroughly entertained during their matches and am invested enough in their philosophy of play to want them to succeed.

This should be a good thread. If you intend to be LQ, then gtfo.

 

[Zach]

Good thread. When I was first getting into soccer/football, I was looking for a team to support. As stupid as it seems, I didn't want to support a team that was too "mainstream." Like Chelsea, ManU, ManC, etc. I wanted a team that fought week in and week out, didn't have all the money in the world, had a couple stars, was fun to watch and who I liked to watch. A working class hero, for a lack of terms. That's why I chose Liverpool. I really enjoy their style of play, I like the players: their personality, look, attitude, the way they put theirselves out there. I really do enjoy watching them play. I'm the kind of guy who enjoys sleeping until 2 in the afternoon on weekends, but on match day I'm up at 8,9,10 on my streaming site watching the game. This paragraph may not make sense to you guys, but to me it makes perfect sense.

Everyone has their favorite players. They may not be from your club, they could be from a rival club, they could be from anywhere, but when I support a player, that doesn't mean I support their club. Like with Nastasic, I like him because he's a solid young player who has stepped up, kicked some freakish 30 year old out of the starting XI, and he is a handsome man. I don't support ManCity, I don't watch their games (besides highlights) but I choose who I want to support because of who I like, not what the people around me like and certainly not what everyone else seems to like.

/rambling

 

[Stopspot]

When I decided to get back into watching the Premier League (New years day 2010 I believe it was) I was looking for a team that played the style of football I enjoy. So I spent the day watching and ended up watching a Tottenham game. Their play style caught my eye and I ended up sitting down and discussing it and the game and other teams with my dad and brothers for the rest of the day. And I just kept following Tottenham since I enjoyed their style of football. Then I was stuck.

 

[Crayo]

Nicely put together post. I agree.

Because of creative young world class talent like Gotze, Gundogan, Hummels, Lewandowski, and Reus (sorry Ryan) - oh, and to clarify, I liked these talents before it was "mainstream" - I have got into watching Dortmund every single week. Their coach is my favourite coach in the world (besides Sir Alex at the time) and their style of play is literally the style of play I would make my team play if I was a manager, and is the style of play I want Manchester United to play. In fact, I want most of English football to play it, as it's the future. Regardless, if I wore a Dortmund t-shirt (maybe more so if I wore a Bayern t-shirt), I would be labelled a false fan. But I know a lot about their recent history, and some about their distant history. I know all of their players and substitutes, and a lot of their reserves. I watch them every single week as mentioned before, and would go to as many games as I could if I lived in Germany. Am I a false fan of Dortmund?

 

[Crayo]

When I decided to get back into watching the Premier League (New years day 2010 I believe it was) I was looking for a team that played the style of football I enjoy. So I spent the day watching and ended up watching a Tottenham game. Their play style caught my eye and I ended up sitting down and discussing it and the game and other teams with my dad and brothers for the rest of the day. And I just kept following Tottenham since I enjoyed their style of football. Then I was stuck.

Exactly. For the record, Spurs would most likely be the team I would support if I never knew about the BPL beforehand. Them, Man Utd, or Swansea, but Spurs would almost certainly be the top. It's impossible now'adays to avoid being called a glory supporter if you support a semi-successful team and don't live in that area. It's sad.

 

[Stopspot]

Yeah, I believe that you are more likely to take a shining to a team and actually put effort into supporting them and knowing them if they play the style of football that you yourself enjoy. Someone could put together a dream team of top players who would all play one man football (running with the ball all the time with virtually no team play) and be wizards with the ball but I would probably still prefer the team with the solid well put together playing style.

I know so many people around here who supported teams because of the players on the squad that its ridiculous. When I was in junior high and Freddie Ljungberg was an Arsenal regular there were so many guys in my year who supported Arsenal because he played there. Not because they liked the style of football put together by the team, because of the player. I also know guys who stopped watching Man U when Beckham left.

You should support a team because you like the team, players are just a bonus.

 

[Zach]

And it's not like I'm the kind of guy who just goes and watches the game every week. 3 of my top 5 visited websites are the Liverpool FC Reddit, the BleacherReport Liverpool Page, and Liverpool website. I'm always looking to learn more about the club, talk with other about it, research their past and their present. Learning all of this gets me so excited because I like being involved and such.

I wouldn't say I'm an expert, but seeing as I just started watching them a quarter way through the season, I could say I have as much, if not more, knowledge as an average fan.

 

[Crayo]

I know so many people around here who supported teams because of the players on the squad that its ridiculous. When I was in junior high and Freddie Ljungberg was an Arsenal regular there were so many guys in my year who supported Arsenal because he played there. Not because they liked the style of football put together by the team, because of the player. I also know guys who stopped watching Man U when Beckham left.

To be fair, Freddie at Arsenal was during a period when Arsenal were arguably the best team to watch in Europe. God damn I loved that team. I regularly have nostalgia trips on YouTube to rewatch that fantastic team.

 

[Stopspot]

To be fair, Freddie at Arsenal was during a period when Arsenal were arguably the best team to watch in Europe. God damn I loved that team. I regularly have nostalgia trips on YouTube to rewatch that fantastic team.

Yeah the team back then was great. I myself marked for Arsenal back then (I marked for plenty of teams but I had no clear allegiance, I tended to go match by match and pick the team I enjoyed the most to support) but some of my teammates on my football squad only supported them because of Freddie, not any of the other players on the squad back then.

 

[Rysenberg]

Ill properly read and respond to this when I'm on my laptop, but I'm assuming this is justification for supporting a big team? Something, incidentally, that I have no issue with as long as it's consistent, but couldn't ever do myself (again, ill elaborate when on laptop). But yeah, in my case because my Dad does.

 

[Crayo]

It's big-team orientated because nobody is called a glory supporter for supporting a team like Hibs now ity1:

I get that some people thrive under supporting "non-successful" teams, or support a team because someone in their family did (that was the case for me, too), but it's generally a question about whether the general consensus of "glory supporter" is in fact accurate.

 

[seabs]

Is Bayern Munich a place? I honestly don't give a shit who people support and don't really get why anyone else would, I call loads of people glory hunters mainly because I find it funny to throw out there. Once called it a Rotherham fan because they were promoted this season like a badass. Also it's always struck me as funny when people shit on the big teams for having fans not local to the area then praise Wednesday fans for travelling the length of the country to attend a game.

 

[Stopspot]

People from other countries being called glory supporters for supporting a successful team is ludicrous. To harp back to the part in the OP were the journalist mentioned Thailand. Let's say Thailand doesn't get as much coverage of the BPL as most western countries do. What teams are they then most likely to focus on? The top two maybe the top five since they are the most noticeable clubs. It could just as well be a factor of which clubs get media coverage depending on the country.

Also people from other countries (take myself for example) are more likely to delve into the story and structure of the club they support since we are less likely to be able to go to a lot of games compared to say a Chelsea fan from London. So we make up for it by really getting to know the club, so that once we do get a chance to go to a game it feels more special.

 

[Robbie Coletrain]

I got called a glory supporter by a Sunderland fan when we were in the UEFA Cup final because I didn't live there, years later we are sitting 16th in the Championship and guess what? I'm still sat in the stands week in week out, what kind of logic is that?

Will give a detailed response in a minute, on phone right now, but yeah, if you love a club, and I mean love a club, who cares where you are from or how many of their games you've been to see? If you know deep down that no matter how much shit that club will go through, how many relegations they will face, you'll still love that club, then you have just as much right to support them as anybody who was born there.

 

[Dolph'sZiggler]

The only people who know if they are bandwagon fans/glory supporters ultimately are the people themselves. The feeling they get from the team doing well compared to the feeling a real fan gets isn't comparable, so if anything you should pity them, not be angry with them.