Jump to content
  • Sign up for free and receive a month's subscription

    You are viewing this page as a guest. That means you are either a member who has not logged in, or you have not yet registered with us. Signing up for an account only takes a minute and it means you will no longer see this annoying box! It will also allow you to get involved with our friendly(ish!) community and take part in the discussions on our forums. And because we're feeling generous, if you sign up for a free account we will give you a month's free trial access to our subscriber only content with no obligation to commit. Register an account and then send a private message to @dave u and he'll hook you up with a subscription.

Changing what team you support


Section_31
 Share

Recommended Posts

it tends to be whoever is/are the best teams when you're 7 or 8 years old.

 

Unless you are born not manufactured, chosen rather than choosing, or have family and friends who support a team therefore expect that you'll do the same, as a kid it's more likely that you'll choose whoever happens to be winning all the time. It's why there are a lot of young kids who are Chelsea fans - they don't equate Chelsea with their previous decades of mediocrity but rather the more recent blood-money-investing trophy-hoovering machine, because they don't know any different. To many people under the age of 20, Chelsea are a bigger club than Liverpool.

 

When I was at school, a lot of us supported Liverpool. Back then in the early 90s, Leicester (where I grew up) started to become a good side in the second tier, so a few changed their allegiances to Leicester. Liverpool were comparatively in the doldrums at the time. It doesn't actually bother me even now because at least they changed to their hometown club rather than, say, Man Utd or Blackburn. One person changed from Liverpool to Everton but I think it was more trolling than genuine allegiance.

 

That said, there are a lot of people who work in The City who change their allegiances seemingly dependent upon where the best champagne and canapés are served. It sounds like a yuppie corporate cunt stereotype but having worked with a number of these people, it is definitely a stereotype heavily based on truth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My uncle went to live down south when he was younger after joining the Navy, he wouldn't have gone anywhere near footy until the 90s when it becmae trendy. He just kept repeating stuff he'd heard on telly, about the Arsenal back four etc, but when you asked him a serious question, such as who was the best midfielder out of Vieira and Petit - and why - he'd pull a face like Ned Connors from Groundhog Day. 

 

hqdefault.jpg

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

it tends to be whoever is/are the best teams when you're 7 or 8 years old.

 

funny I dont know one forest fan though.

I know a family of Forest fans...they go to their games quite a lot so fair play to them

The whole thing is a bit weird, though.

Being from Liverpool with my dad and the rest of the family on his side being red the thought of supporting anybody else has never crossed my mind. If you don't have those ties then changing teams could be easier, I guess.

I knew somebody who was always a big Brighton fan being as he was from Hastings. We lost contact for a few years and the next time I bumped into him he was a big Arsenal fan and claimed always to have been. Strange goings on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it depends where you are from. If you are from a place that has no affinity to any club then it's easy to change.

 

There arent many football supporters from Liverpool that support a team that is not Liverpool or Everton. Same for London, Manchester etc.

 

 

Not so sure about London - I moved down to London in 2006 and I was amazed at how many Liverpool and Man Utd "supporters" I came across.

 

Now I realise that some of this may be due to people who have parents who moved to London etc. but I would often ask them what their link was and more often than not there isn't one. Funny isn't it that they choose these clubs rather than the ones on their own doorstep where they are born and bred and even funnier that they don't choose Tranmere or Bury...

 

I honestly don't understand it with Londoners - here they are in the biggest city in the country with a huge range of clubs on their doorstep but they choose in their droves to support teams hundreds of miles away that most of them never get to see.

 

I can't speak for nowadays but when I was growing up you never had Scouse kids supporting Arsenal for example...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you know anyone who loves watching football but claims not to support anyone?

 

My father in law will watch nearly every game on tv but doesn't have a favourite team. A mate of mine is the same but I just call him a united fan, something he rejects.

I know someone who watches a lot of football as a neutral. He doesn't support a team but is a big fan of Steve Bruce so he likes to see his sides do well. Bizarre.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It wasn't a change but not long after I moved to Brazil I felt compelled to choose a team to support.The wife's family are all Flamengista or worse Corinthians and I wound up settling on Santos. I still wouldn't call myself much of a fan, though I watch their games, even though the level of Brazilian football is terrible, and hope they win.

One reason was they were like us in a way - a (not as) great history, with legendary players and style and league titles but at that time a ridiculously long time without winning the league. The finally won again in 2002, I think, and some Santos fans I know were absolutely fucking delirious.

 

Gives me hope.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've known people choose a team as a child, then grow up and move away, and start attending matches at some other club, and eventually, they end up 'following' that other club, or have a serious fondness for them. However, I've never known anybody actually change their support per se.

 

I've overlooked the stuff young kids do, because quite often they are 'forced' down a path to support a certain club, or wear a certain shirt, but eventually, the truth comes out and they support a club of their own choosing. You can't blame any young kid in that situation. I'd probably go so far as to say anybody under 10 can be afforded leeway. After that, your heart takes over.

 

The absolutely 100% rule though - every child should have fallen for their team before they fall for their first girlfriend. Anybody who doesn't meet this criterion should get psychiatric help. Chances are, they'll become serial killers, or members of a fucking polo club.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Born into Liverpool and Celtic. Had no choice. I get a bit of stick for supporting two teams and if i'm honest my interest in Celtic has wained slightly in the last few years (for obvious reasons)

 

Im glad I had no choice in deciding and would never change allegiance. I like to think I would have chosen them anyway. The good guys and all that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Born into Liverpool and Celtic. Had no choice. I get a bit of stick for supporting two teams and if i'm honest my interest in Celtic has wained slightly in the last few years (for obvious reasons) Im glad I had no choice in deciding and would never change allegiance. I like to think I would have chosen them anyway. The good guys and all that.

 

it's the 'and' I have trouble with here.

When asked which team you support, you can't name two!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Confession; 

 

When I was younger and I mean, so young I carried a teddy bear around with me, back when I started university I wasn't really into football but my father was. With him supporting the Mancs (along with his side of the family), he bought me a Manc kit and took a picture of me in it. 

 

It wasn't until I could understand football that my scouse side of the family pulled me aside and said, I'm scouse and there's only one team I should support and that was Liverpool. So, I switched back and that's when I really started getting into football. 

 

The fucking tit still digs up that picture and tries to post it to my wall whenever I start a conversation about United fans being a bunch of bellends. 

 

But with regards to switching, I'm in the 'you can switch until you understand it, after that, you're a wool and should be put down camp'. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've known people choose a team as a child, then grow up and move away, and start attending matches at some other club, and eventually, they end up 'following' that other club, or have a serious fondness for them. However, I've never known anybody actually change their support per se.

 

I've overlooked the stuff young kids do, because quite often they are 'forced' down a path to support a certain club, or wear a certain shirt, but eventually, the truth comes out and they support a club of their own choosing. You can't blame any young kid in that situation. I'd probably go so far as to say anybody under 10 can be afforded leeway. After that, your heart takes over.

 

The absolutely 100% rule though - every child should have fallen for their team before they fall for their first girlfriend. Anybody who doesn't meet this criterion should get psychiatric help. Chances are, they'll become serial killers, or members of a fucking polo club.

 

 

Yeah guy I know did that, he was a blue then spent about 10 years in Sunderland and is now more of a Sunderland fan. I can understand that to be honest if you do develop a fondness for a place, not sure why he did,  but if it's your 'home' that makes more sense to me than just making some random decision. 

 

For me, there's nothing simpler than being from Liverpool and supporting Liverpool. Does what it says on the tin etc. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I grew up in London and saw many people switch from Liverpool to Manu and Manu to arsenal etc etc.I dont accept being called a glory hunter by anyone as it would have been easy for me to follow others and support arsenal who were not far from me, winning titles and playing some of the best football in Europe.

 

I had a mate a few years ago who said he was switching from LFC to man city, I saw him a few months later and he had changed his mind when we had been battering teams at the end of BRS first season.Thats one of the reasons I know the first season was not as bad as a lot try to make out.

  • Downvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lad in work supports Liverpool but loads of Evertonians in work wind him up constantly saying he was a blue when he was younger. His Dad was an Evertonian and took him to loads of games but he would still go to all Liverpool games home and away. He absolutely detests Everton so the blues know by saying he used to be an Evertonian it will annoy him and always get a reaction. They believe that because he knows so much about random Everton players who most of us have never heard of he has to have been an Everton season ticket holder.

 

A lad from Runcorn I used to work with supports Man Utd and is now head of one of their supporters clubs. He does go to every single one of their games but all of his family are Evertonians which makes me think he started supporting them in the mid nineties

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

A lad from Runcorn I used to work with supports Man Utd and is now head of one of their supporters clubs. He does go to every single one of their games but all of his family are Evertonians which makes me think he started supporting them in the mid nineties

 

The mancs are the second club for every bitter.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really should be an Blue as my Dad was a staunch blue but around about the age of 7-8 me old fella was working away a lot, 4 kids & a wife to support so I fell under the influence of a Red uncle on me Mum's side the rest as they say is history it never bothered me Dad as he would take me to Anfield & even an away trip to Wolves ( Case scored a screamer) but when my Lad was born I was taking no chances, Collymores 1st game & the wife is picking me up in town & she has the lad all decked out in the new kit the smile on my face said it all anyway there are far to many bitters in the family

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We used to get the 55 bus from Bootle to the end of Scotty Rd where that ace second hand shop used to be. Sold Crossbows and Air Rifles and Snooker tables which was my life back then.

No 26 (i think) from that stop would take us to Anfield last 20 mins of the match.

Then walk to Kenny to the Ice Skating Rink. Then fight with the black lads from Toxteth.

And get a kicking. Most times but not all.

I was 13.

I grew up on the Bootle - Kirky boarder, that shop was boss, Zeto's chippy which was on Marsh Lane next to the Solly his son George has a chippy there now. there was another one of them shops outside Seaforth train station, I remember that shop to be even wackier, fuckin hell, things you remember as a kid, and as a kid, we has a couple of turn coats in are street

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've mentioned this a few times before but when Chelsea and Man City won the lottery you suddenly started seeing adult replica shirts in shops everywhere. My question was why are adult shirts appearing in shops? Why has demand spiked? Because grown men are either swapping teams or glory hunting. Either way it's not acceptable.

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share


×
×
  • Create New...