Do you support your local team? If not, why not?

[Antihero]

This can be any sport, but im thinking mostly of football, *** this is where so-called "fairweather" fans, who support teams miles away from where they live and have never been to a game in their life affects. Im not at all having a dig at people who support a team because their family have always supported that team, to me thats a valid reason, and again, im not going to accuse any particular team of being "culprits" as such, but as a lifelong supporter of a small club who constantly struggle to attract supporters in fhe face of more "glamourous" opposition (hell, ive even been to Peterhead, in the winter. Not exactly a pleasure trip, i assure you) it does rile me a wee bit, when i see parents go out and buy the latest Celtic, Rangers, whatever strips, just because.

Is it a problem that the smaller clubs cant promote themselves as well, or will there always be a support the winning team mentality? Myself? Im a Falkirk fan for better or worse, and at the moment, thats definitely worse! But i've seen some great times, and some abysmal ones too....getting beat 8-0 off Celtic comes to mind, but i wouldnt change it for the world.
What can be done to change this (apart from fundamental changes to the game in Scotland of course!!!) if anything?

Im also interested in why the good people of TWO support their team, so if you could put that in please!

[Inno]

When I started watching football, I could see the floodlights at Celtic Park from my front garden, so they were my local team.

Now my local team is a toss up between St. Mirren and Rangers - *shudder*

Alhough, for 2 seasons, I did travel up and down from Glasgow to Stranraer to go and see every home game of The Mighty Blues on their triumphant rise through the divisions :)

[Antihero]

When I started watching football, I could see the floodlights at Celtic Park from my front garden, so they were my local team.

Now my local team is a toss up between St. Mirren and Rangers - *shudder*

Alhough, for 2 seasons, I did travel up and down from Glasgow to Stranraer to go and see every home game of The Mighty Blues on their triumphant rise through the divisions :)

Cool. We've lost a couple of times to Stranraer in the cup too.....gah! I was spitting blood on one of those occasions, i tell ya! Serves me right for chewing bricks i suppose, but still.....:D :xyx

[Inno]

Everybody loses to Stranraer in the cup at some point. It's like a rite of passage for Scottish clubs.

[It wasnt my WOOO!]

My close team is York City for those who dont know they are possibly the wrost football team EVER
So i dont support them simple as

[Popsi]

Ive supported Arsenal for nigh on 12 years now. Reaon ive always supported them, ever since i got into football was because they were the first team that really made me think wow about football. This was the Ian Wright and Tony Adams era and was brilliant for a youngster.

Ive nevre been to a game simply because i live in south wales and have never been able to afford to get there. Also i don't know how to get a ticket for them.

Its difficult to say who my local team is as regards rugby as thats my most watched sport. I support the Neath Swansea Ospreys being as I went to uni there and its difficult not to support them around there, also ive been to see them play the most, but really i should support Newport as they are my nearst team. But i cant support Newport being as my dads a Ponty boy (and by that i mean Pontypool not Pontypridd) and its just wrong to support Newport if your related to Ponty supporters.

And don't get me started about supporting my local team Chepstow. I fail to see why i should support a team simply because i live here. I would never support a team that has a group of men running it that ban the womens team i played for from playing on their pitches being as rugby is "a mans game"! We were Chepstow Ice Maidens for 5 years, were more successful than the man and then they decided we couldnt play on their pitches. I dont know why i should support my local team when they've never supported me.

[Wolverine]

The team located closest to me is Linfield but I have practically no interest in the Irish Premier League. I've went to see them a few times but the standard of football has been shocking. And they're the best team in the country.

[Naitch]

And they're the best team in the country.

Well they're the best team in the Irish League yes, but they wouldn't be inside the top 3 or 4 in the League of Ireland. The League of Ireland is a completely different standard.

I support my local team, Derry City and have done since I was about 6 or 7. I have been a season ticket holder since that time and I have missed maybe 4 or 5 home matches since I started going. Last few years have been disappointing, but their current manager Stephen Kenny arrived less than two years ago and has completely transformed the entire team. The season before last, Derry were in a relegation battle. Last season after building a great team, we won the League Cup, reached the semis of the FAI Cup and finished second in the league, after losing the final game of the season and the league decider to Cork City, who were crowned Champions. The only way is up however as Kenny has strengthed the team even further with a couple of really good signings.

[Wolverine]

Yeah, I did mean that Linfield were the best team in Northern Ireland. I'd imagine that there are better Eircom League teams. To be fair, Linfield do have a couple of decent players - Mannus, Ferguson and Thompson could all play in the English leagues. One of my mates is an absolute fanatic, he goes to every game. Even if it's a meaningless away match against Coleraine (approximately 50 miles away) in temperatures approaching sub-zero. He's a complete nutter.

[PHIZZLE]

I used to go and watch Bohemians play every friday when I was still in school with a few lads out of my class but I play football on a friday now myself so I've kinda lost interest

glen crowe is best mates with my cousin so i knew him when he played for bohs so kinda got me into it. He plays for Shels now Wolves fans might know him he was part of their youth team at one time

[K.J]

I support Manchester United because my dad does, he bought me a United bag when I was 6 to take to school, and I got stick from all the Liverpool fans because Liverpool were great at the time and United pretty much sucked, but I stuck with it when I could easily have turned to the dark side. So although United are far from being my local team I can't be accused of being a glory hunter. United get all the stick for having non-local fans, but there's a lot more Liverpool fans of my age down here than United fans.

My local team is Ashford Town (Kent), I used to go regularly to home games when I was at school. Back then they were one league below the conference, nowadays I think they're 2 leagues below the conference south. I also follow Gillingham and have been to the Priestfield on a few occasions.

[Tajiri]

I'm from Holywood in Northern Ireland so technially my local team should be Bangor or Glentoran, but i'm a Linfield supporter due to my family on my father side living in the shadow of Windors Park.

Well they're the best team in the Irish League yes, but they wouldn't be inside the top 3 or 4 in the League of Ireland. The League of Ireland is a completely different standard.

The 2005 Setanta Cup says otherwise :D

If i'm being honest though the League of Ireland is of a better standard for the simple reason that the top sides are almost all full time compared to the part time Irish League. But Linfield can boast to having the best player in Irish club football in Peter Thompson, and the Irish League has produced Ivan Sproule and Stuart Elliot in recent years so its not all bad, just don't mention Andy Smith.

[BRM]

Burnley are the nearest league team to me, however there is a non league side closer to me who play in the North West Counties division 1.

Even if Accrington Stanley get promoted to League 2, which is looking incresingly likely Burnley will be the nearest League team to me.

[Walshy]

When I was young I could see the floodlights of Prenton Park so Tranmere has always been my club even thou everyone in our family (yes every single one of them) is a Liverpool fan.

Other teams I usually keep a lookout for are Newcastle (you can't help but like them), Chelsea (Raneri was a nice guy...) and Carisle (No, can't explain that one).

[GENE]

Well i stay right in the middle of Fife so i should support Raith Rovers,East Fife,Dunfermline or Cowdenbeath but i don't.I support Hearts because it's been bred into me from my Grandad (r.i.p) who was alive when Hearts were good so he probably was a glory hunter lol back then,my Uncle and my dad also support the Jambo's.

In England i support Man City, i don't know what it is but i just liked them ever since i seen Georgei Kinkladzie play for them in 1997.Other teams i look out for in England are Nottingham Forest and Leeds Utd why? Because just like in wrestling and in life in general i am a mark for tradition, and i hate seeing these teams in the lower leagues whilist teams like Wigan and Pompy are in the top flight.

I also realised the other day that in my memory no team i REMOTLEY like has ever one the top league in Scotland or England.Also Antihero don't get me startd on GLORY HUNTERS please.

[Ravenmark]

I'm an Everton fan because I was born in Bootle - and you go either Red or Blue.

Blue. Better dead than Red.

I don't mind Manchester United (as long as they beat Liverpool) and I don't really want a Southern team at the top of the Premiership either. :P

[The Crippler]

I used to ballboy for my local team, Carrick Rangers. I wouldn't say I support them now but I still try and look out for their results.

[Evil Gringo]

Born in Rochdale under the shadow of Liverpool down the M62 and Leeds down the M6 as well as up the good old Manchester Road... Manchester United...

I watched Rochdale games, worked in the bar at the ground and always wish them well but my heart was always with Man Utd snce the first time I saw them play...

They got beat 5-1 by City, I felt sorry for them and then 3 years later (after a nail biting FA Cup win over Palace the year before) I was standing in Rotterdam as we defeated Barcelona 2-1 thanks to the mighty Sparky Hughes...

Yeah a couple of years later till 1999-00 we won everything in sight near enough but I wasn't a glory hunter. When I began my love of Man U we'd only just signed Ince, Giggs was in the youth squad, Keane was at Forest in the youth team, Kanchelskis was over in Ukranie, Schmecheil was in Denmark and our first choice keeper was Les Sealy (RIP)...

Up front we had Choccy and Hughes of course and Robbo in midfield as well but the glory days didn't come until I was a fully fledged supporter of 5 years...

Best we ever hoped for was a FA Cup and a good performance... that and beating Arsenal, Liverpool, City and Leeds of course...

Then along came Eric Cantona and then the Fergie Fledglings and everything went mental...

I know 20 miles isn't local as far as the UK is cocerned (the distance from my house to Old Trafford) but the fact is when I was a kid everyone was a Liverpool fan and wanted to score like Rush or pull the strings like Beardsley...

But I wanted to crack in a volley from 12 yards like Sparky...

Plus somewhere I still have my very first Man U shirt... The shirt from 1988-89 made by Adidas...

I was four when I got that and my mum (a Celtic fan) and my dad (a LEEDS FAN) bought it for me despite the fact that all the Liverpool fans mocked me (including my older half brother - glory hunter!)...

So Man U will always be the local team to me, they will be my team forever and although a have a love for Rochdale deep down as well Man U are local to the very place that matters in a fan... the heart.

[Hardcore Holly]

When I was younger I lived in Cork, my dad took me to a few Cobh Ramblers games but i was too young i cant remember them, now the nearest team to me in Newry Town and theres no chance I am supporting them.Ive supported Man United since I was 5 my grandad has taken me to alot of matches, hes been to tons of united games because hes always working over in Manchester, I couldnt support another team if i tried, it just isnt possible, I also follow Celtic But I would like Man United more.

[OMAR DAYS]

no, i support tottenham hotspurs and my local team is leyton orient! i have watched spurs since i was 2 and have supported them since. orient are crap but i do go if school gets free tickets.

[Proudy]

Yes and No, well I support Liverpool and have done since I can remember because of my Dads family, i've been a few games, but now with my dad not being able to drive and quite skint, its very hard to get there (even though his mate offered him two season tickets :() anyway my stepdad is a Stoke City fan and most of my Mums family are Stoke fans and when ever I get the chance to see them, I go and really enjoy it.

[Alan]

My parents were raised in and around the east london area, and their local team was always West Ham. As a child i took that on and they are a local team to me. I travel the 40 mins on the train to the games whenever my shifts allow, and its a great feeling watching us win at Upton Park.
If you go by distance though Canvey Island are my local team. I take an interest in their results, and when i was 9/10 i even had a season ticket to see them. Now i just listen out to see how they be doing every weekend.

[MADDOGCJM]

I follow Grimsby Town in the football, because my mum lives there.
I do keep an eye on Boston Utd scores because I am a Bostonian, but hate the team immensely (sp?).

Also keep an eye on the East Midland Saxons Am Foot team too.

[Boyo]

Can any Chelsea fans actually claim to live in Chelsea?

Cheers!

[Danny Styles]

Can any Chelsea fans actually claim to live in Chelsea?

Cheers!

you realise Stamford Bridge isn't actually in Chelsea right.. it's close but not right there... it's ironically more in fulham broadway


i am a chelsea fan life long.. i live about 30 mintues from the ground (1 hour if the trains are up the creek) and my all my family support them


so here's one chelsea fan that isn't a glory fan (but i do like the glory)

[Nimf]

When i lived in NZ the sport to support was rugby so when i was there i supported my local team,which was Otago.Got a rugby shirt for Christmas,the one just gone-aaaall the way from there. Rocks.

But i'm not a big enough football fan (see:NOT a fan) to really bother so much,though i did take a slight interest in the Lillywhites,which were the Rhyl football club-they went to Lithuania or something to play

[Nemesis Enforcer]

Born and bred in Barnsley and thats who I have support all my life, so I don't need to explain myself to anyone :P

[BRM]

Born and bred in Barnsley and thats who I have support all my life, so I don't need to explain myself to anyone :P


I once a spent Boxing day at Oakwell, terrible day

[Nemesis Enforcer]

I once a spent Boxing day at Oakwell, terrible day
How dare you say such things about my beloved Oakwell?!?! :P

[krisbaillie]

Yes i support the might giant killers Clyde 2-1 Celtic

[Walshy]

Can any Chelsea fans actually claim to live in Chelsea?

Cheers!

Can any Port Vale fan claim to live in Port Vale :P

[BRM]

Yes i support the might giant killers Clyde 2-1 Celtic

Hows Michael McGowan doing for you this season?

[Chris2K]

I support Spurs despite living in Wiltshire. I was however born in London.

[Proudy]

Can any Port Vale fan claim to live in Port Vale :P

:lol thats a good one, i've always thought why aren't they called Tunstall/Burlsem.

[Murph]

I wouldn't say SUPPORT as such, but I would follow Cliftonville...they'll need all the followers/supporters they can get...I still haven't forgave them for changing sponsors...the "Kit Kat" kit looked so brilliant!

[G2G]

Brentford or Queens Park Rangers have never really appealed to me much. Ive always had a huge fascination watching Serie A more than any other league in the world. I started supporting AC Milan during their amazing 58 game unbeaten league run during the 1992/93 season (glory hunter I know). A lot of their matches were shown on Sky Sports, and then Channel 4. I loved their style of play, along with the beautiful ground, and their totally passionate fans. I was never able to go to the San Siro as a child, but it was always a dream of mine to.

Luckily nowadays its 2nd nature, thanks to ridiculously cheap flights with Easyjet and Ryanair, along with online ticket sales easily available on their official website for Serie A matches, I tend to go twice/three times a year a year to watch them, and mostly always have a good time watching them.

The last match I went to was the 1-0 defeat by Juventus on May 8th, while the next match is Easter Saturday's huge derby with Inter Milan.

[Brad]

I am from Portsmouth and do support them to an extent but Newcastle are my first team. It's difficult to say I support both because they are both now in the same league but really I do support both teams Newcastle more however.

I support Newcastle from my mum and dad, but they didn't come from there. My dad used to be a chelsea fan when he was a kid and when he lived in Putney, but since then he hasn't been a fan of a football team but a fan of football, so he likes managers and likes certain teams at the time because of the way they play or the managers or the players and how they play as a team. At the time i started getting into football, my dad loved Kevin Keegan because he thought he was the best manager around at the time so watched a lot of Newcastle games because he liked the way they played at the time, so I started to watch them and got into them also. I also have been to a few newcastle games including champions league games so even though they are miles away, I'm not a proper glory hunter or fairweather supporter really, also sticking with a team that hasn't won any trophies for the 10 years I have supported them and another 41 before that makes it sound less gloryhunting anyway really.

[Brick]

I don't support York City, I don't like football afterall.

[Inno]

I don't support York City, I don't like football afterall.

I would suggest that not liking football would qualify you for supporting York City perfectly ;)

Or as I've come to know them, York City Nil ;)

Feel free to use any of those jokes for any team of your choosing. Along with this one:

Alex McLeish was walking along the street and felt a bit peckish, so he popped into Burger King. "Give me two whoppers" he says to the man behind the counter. The man says "Okay, you're a great manager and you're gonna win the Champions League"

BWAH hahaha!

[G2G]

Alex McLeish was walking along the street and felt a bit peckish, so he popped into Burger King. "Give me two whoppers" he says to the man behind the counter. The man says "Okay, you're a great manager and you're gonna win the Champions League"

BWAH hahaha!

That was actually quite funny :lol

[K.J]

Can any Chelsea fans actually claim to live in Chelsea?

Cheers!

Can any Arsenal fans actualy claim to live in Arsenal?

Cheers!

[Brad]

Well seeing that Chelsea is actually a place then I guess they can, but it's just very small, even though Fulhams stadium is in chelsea and chelseas stadium is in fulham.

[Murph]

Well seeing that Chelsea is actually a place then I guess they can, but it's just very small, even though Fulhams stadium is in chelsea and chelseas stadium is in fulham.

Irony.

[G2G]

Well seeing that Chelsea is actually a place then I guess they can, but it's just very small, even though Fulhams stadium is in chelsea and chelseas stadium is in fulham.

Well to be precise (as I use to deliver in this area for both White Arrow and Business Express)-Craven Cottage is in SW6 off just Fulham Palace Road very near to Putney Bridge, but in Fulham.
While Stamford Bridge is literally just in Fulham (SW6 again) but on the border of the Chelsea postcode SW10.

[Danny Styles]

Can any Chelsea fans actually claim to live in Chelsea?

Cheers!

can any Aston Villa fans claim to live in Aston Villa :D

cheers!

[BRM]

They can claim to live in the Aston area of Birmingham.

[Inno]

Do they actually dance in the streets of raith?

[K.J]

Can any Total Network Solutions fans claim to live in Total Network Solutions.

Cheers

(Jeff Stelling is a legend)

[BRM]

can any Airbus UK fan claim to live in Airbus UK?

can any Vauxhall motors fan claim to live in Vauxhall motors?

I guess they can claim they live in their car.

[MADDOGCJM]

:lol thats a good one, i've always thought why aren't they called Tunstall/Burlsem.

Port Vale used to be called Burslem Port Vale until a few years back when they just dropped the Burslem.

[Walshy]

can any Vauxhall motors fan claim to live in Vauxhall motors?


They have fans who work there :P I went to see them play the other week, there not a bad team, they are trying to play some good football but are just not strong enough to pull it off against often more physical opponents. However the other local team Cammell Laird are on their way up in the world, could be a league and cup double! They're the Pride of merseyside :P

[BRM]

They have fans who work there

I did think of that when i typed it, but they're probably all Reds, Blues or Rovers fans. with maybe a little dashing of Chester fans. If i asked a guy who he supported and he came back with Vauxhall Motors, i'd be like O................................................. ......................kay.

[Dusty Finish]

Molineux is a bus-ride one way from my house. Bescot is a bus-ride the other way. I support Walsall, and I hate Wolves, because that's the way football works.

It always makes me laugh when I hear Arsenal "fans" around here talking about how they "hate Spurs", or Man Utd "fans" about how they "hate Liverpool". I'm sorry, lads, but you don't. I'm sure you think you comprehend football rivalries, but you don't. After a decade of "What division are you in" and the like, in the pub, at school, in college & at work, being at Molineux in August 1999, the day we turned over the orange scum 2-1 in the league, on their own patch, was worth 10,000 x more than any league championship that I could've watched on Sky, in my replica top bought from JJB sports, trying to kid myself that it really meant something to me.

Supporting anyone other than a club local to you makes no sense. But then, we Brits, in general, tend to excel in the fine art that is completely missing the point.

[Brother Kano]

I've been a derby county fan all my life and know no other way, as mater of fact if u cut me open I'd prob bleed black and white.
c'mon the rams

[BRM]

I've been a derby county fan all my life and know no other way, as mater of fact if u cut me open I'd prob bleed black and white.
c'mon the rams


C'ya there on Saturday then!

[Antihero]

Yeah, I did mean that Linfield were the best team in Northern Ireland. I'd imagine that there are better Eircom League teams. To be fair, Linfield do have a couple of decent players - Mannus, Ferguson and Thompson could all play in the English leagues. One of my mates is an absolute fanatic, he goes to every game. Even if it's a meaningless away match against Coleraine (approximately 50 miles away) in temperatures approaching sub-zero. He's a complete nutter.

Clearly you've never been to Brechin!:D

[GENE]

Can any Man Utd fan claim to live in Manchester?

[Nicole]

The classic song everytime Man Utd/Chelsea/Arsenal come to town...

"I bet they came in a taxi" :D

[Hemme]

Can any Man Utd fan claim to live in Manchester?
I live in Greater Manchester, close enough.
Haven't been to Old Trafford for a couple of years, say what you want about United, but if you're there against Liverpool or someone like that, the atmosphere is amazing.

Anyway back on topic, my local team is the lowly Hyde United, I like them and all, but I can't seem to enjoy watching them play.

[LordDebauchery]

I think there is an argument to say that those who insist people should only support their local team are in fact closet communists.

I do not support my local team but it is only by pure chance. My Dad or older brothers weren't at all into football when I was a child, so I didnt have a natural "inhereited" club to follow as a child. However from the age of about 5 (1987-ish) we moved home and the kid next door was Manchester United fan. Wanting to make friends quickly I joined forces. Of course at the time I had no idea about football or Manchester, but it was an affinaty that grew.

It became quite annoying during the success the club enjoyed in the 90's as I was often leveled with the accusation of 'glory-hunter' when in fact it had nothing to do with it.