Are you a “true” football fan?
Are you a ‘true’ fan?
In the year or so of managing Soccerlens, I’ve heard this quite often: you’re not a true fan, if you were you’d … (add your own rationalisation here - these usually run along the lines of ‘know the history’, ‘trust the manager’, etc etc - anything to deny the other person’s point of view).
So I ask again - are you a ‘true’ fan? How so?
Recently the ‘act’ of being a ‘true’ fan was defined in a comment as one who sticks by a club through their highs and lows. I certainly have no arguments with that - fanaticism requires that you stick to your beliefs through thick and thin.
However, this ‘true fan’ idea is whipped out every time people find something they disagree with. Such as:
What, you like Freddy Shepherd? You CANT be a true fan.
What, you support Manchester United? You southern bastards, you’d support Chelsea if they were winning this season.
Chelsea don’t have any true fans.
You don’t go to the stadium and watch the games, do you? You can’t be a true fan, no.
It is as if being a ‘true fan’ means that you have to be a specific type of person - the ones who scream their hearts out at every game they can go and watch, the ones who have shed blood for the club while brawling with opposition fans in bars and alleys, the ones who are accepted by other fans as ‘true’ fans, ones who live in the same city.
There are a lot of warped definitions, but the only one I can really agree with is this one:
A true fan is one who supports his team through thick and thin, no matter where he is or what he does.
So I guess the next question is - ‘new’ fans who starting watching a team after being exposed to them winning titles (United fans in the 90s, Arsenal fans over the turn of the century and Chelsea fans now), when will they be classified as ‘true’ fans? Is their a period of initiation, where you have to show that you suffer and yet still support the club?
Or is it that because you support a big club that’s winning trophies, you can’t be a true fan, because being a true fan involves suffering?
Let me know what you guys think.
Update: Neil (comment #5) gives us this definition:
“A real fan is someone who has known disappointment but not loved their club one degree less. A real fan must spend at least 30 minutes a day thinking about their club. A real fan should be able to explain to the satisfaction of other fans why they support the club they do and finally… Must be able to name the entire first team squad and be able to discuss the reletive strengths and weaknesses of their team.”
Update 2: This article would be incomplete without mention this excellent piece at the Arseblog columns titled ‘are you a fan?‘ - expresses my sentiments better than I could myself.
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Discussion - 73 Responses
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I have been a true fan of Arsenal since being introduced by a friend’s uncle in 1955! Generally you become a fan of the first club you see (at whatever level) and a TRUE fan can never change from that indoctrination. This does not preclude watching and even supporting other clubs for any reason but you are a TRUE fan of only one club. Believe me - over the years (over 50 in my case) all fans will suffer…………………..
there any many different point of views from “true fans” but sod that, lets just laugh at Chelsea for once again falling short, 350 million quid well spent chaps….. ha ha ha haaa
CHELSKI, ONCE AGAIN YOU FALL AT THE FINAL FENCE. GLORY HUNTERS CAN ONCE AGAIN FADE AWAY, WONT BE LONG NOW TILL ABROMAVICH IS BORED AND TAKES HIS PRIVATE JET ELSEWHERE AND YOUR BACK TO WHERE YOU BELONG, STILL THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH BEING A LITTLE CLUB WITH NO MONEY, IT WAS ONLY A SHORT TERM THING WITH HIS MONEY.
Nice article. I think Loyalty is the most important thing when it comes to supporters. The ones that defend their team even though their team stinks and the ones who dream that their team will lift a trophy at the beggining of each season.
thats what i think
Good question. I support Tottenham cos’ my dad did and cos’ of the style and skill in the team of the early 80’s. I also got to be on TV with G’oddle and Steve Perryman at the age of six so the personal history is there too BUT I live in Hong Kong now, only get to see off season friendlies so am I a real fan? Here’s my definition (not as pithy as the one in the article)
A real fan is someone who has known disappointment but not loved their club one degree less. A real fan must spend at least 30 minutes a day thinking about their club. A real fan should be able to explain to the satisfaction of other fans why they support the club they do and finally… Must be able to name the entire first team squad and be able to discuss the reletive strengths and weaknesses of their team.
agree?
Here in HK, surrounded by Chelsea and Arsenal and Liverpool and ManU ‘fans’… its easy to see the difference…
Definition of a true fan. Wishing I could be an Arsenal fan (Good football, trophies) but having no choice but to continue to suffer as a Newcastle fan.
Which came first? Fan or Fanatic?
What most people refer to in your article is being a fanatic. This is not necessarily a good thing. Fanatics are never balanced. What is a “supporter”? I think anyone who is “brave enough” to publicly state his support for something (in this case a club), is a supporter. On which level he supports I think is his/her concern, I suppose it depends on the level of involvement that gives them fun. If the fanatics sees themselves as the only “fans”, then so be it… At the end of the day, the more fanatic you are, the more you get exploited because, at the end of the day, “it all boils down to money…”
—-
QUESTION:
If the Glazers (or anyone for that matter) had to choose between playing a exhibition match to:
a) please the true fanatics, OR
b) to get increased shares into the Asian market,
which match would they play?
The real difference, to me, is between supporters & fans.
Fans show their support by wearing shirts in the pub or Asda rather than going games - and I believe that going to games (even if it’s only a handful a season) is what shows the real commitment to the club. Singer & shouter or hand wringing worrier its active participation…
Most people, regardless of which team they follow, knows someone who has a shirt & a “worlds greatest xxx fc supporter” coffee mug but has never been to a game. They have millions of reasons why they cant go but bottom line is they dont want it enough.
Personaly i would find them less irritating if they didn’t feel the need to prove their credability all the time and they didnt have views only informed by Sky, Talkshoite &/or the Newsofthescrews - but thats just me.
Reality is that all clubs have sections of fans who motivated by success - look at the FA Cup and David FC draw a big premiership team, suddenly 8-10,000 fans need tickets rather than the 300-2000 who go each week.
There is no real measure of who’s better or who’s opinion is more valid. We all have our reasons why we hate this club or why that club is only followed by JCL’s and there is always someone with a differing (to them better) opinion.
I would say you’ve mixed up the words ‘fan’ and ’supporter’.
for eg.
I’m a manutd supporter.
I’m a fan of the way the club is run.
I’m also a fan of the way they play football.
I’d still be a manutd supporter if they played like chelsea and got results like bolton, but i wouldn’t be a fan of the way they play…
well, regarding ur comment about people who became fans of a club while they were winning, i think you have to wait and see if they are true fans by seeing if they stick by the club thru a bad patch…..my friend was a huge arsenal fan after the unbeaten season..now starting to support man utd….i really hate that
It is a good question. We have definitely seen the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester Utd and Chelsea get a huge boost in their supperters ranks after the success they have enjoyed. I actually support Manchester Utd and have done since about the age of 5/6. I remember my uncle, a true Chelsea fan (no doubt distraught at the moment) trying to buy me a blue Chelsea home kit back in the early 80’s but i had already got the Man Utd bug after watching them on TV with my brother, who supported them, and i think his entusiasm for this team in red (whom i had no idea were from a place a couple of hundred miles away to the north of London) was infectious. From then on i requested Man Utd football shirts and scarfs for b’days etc etc and i haven’t looked back since. 22 years of support makes me a true fan although it was hard during the 90’s constantly being referred to as a glory supporter by people who had no idea (it was hard in the mid to late 80’s with relgation battles for a few years). I still have to explain myself to this day. I may only go to a few games a season (OT makes the hair on you neck stand up!) but i still watch every game i possible can either on sky or MUTV. I will always be a ‘true’ red.
My first football match was at White Hart lane in 1966, standing on The Shelf. Eight goals in that game, 58,000 crowd.
Pop Music full volume at half time. Boistrous, noisy, bewildering, exciting. Tottenham had a starry team that only 5 years previously had won the ‘double’.
Next week I went to Highbury. About 30,000 in the crowd. 1-0 to The Arsenal. No adverts around the ground, Metropolitan Police band at half time. Very civilized. A bit boring, really. No household names in a team that had not won anythin for 13 years.
After that fortnight I was an Arsenal fan. Completely irrational.
Not much football on the telly back then, so you had to actually go to matches to become a ‘true’ fan, but then if, like me, you were lucky enough to live near a ‘big’ club, it was also affordable and you could go to every home game for an entire season without once having to buy a ticket - entireley on pocket money.
surely being a true fan is the impact of a game on your life. If defeat on saturday doesn’t depress you for the week ahead then there must be something missing.
as for the ‘thick and thin’ notion - there can’t be any ManU true fans under the age of 25 then - since they have never really experienced the ‘thin’ (in the last 15 years) that would help them qualify.
Danny - It depends on your level of “thick” and “thin”. I considered the Glazers buying in as a “thin” time but still support the shirt. I consider going out of Europe against lesser teams quite regularly as “thin” times. I accept it’s not Notts Forest, Shef Wed or Leeds thin, but to discount under 25’s because they havn’t seen really bad times is a bit unfair. We can only support (or lose support) the thick and thin that’s in front of us, and we can’t be blamed for being young and handsome.
simonthered
I quite agree - I was trying to get across that the ‘thick and thin’ criteria is weak as many people would debate what constitutes either, and thus whether some certainly ‘true’ fans really qualify.
after all - compared to leeds, forest or ManCity - Spurs and Everton have hardly had a bad time of it for the last ten-15 years despite each only winning one trophy in that time. (a poor return by their historic standards).
People are missing the point here. I support Spurs and have done since getting a Spurs shirt for Christmas in 1977. It has beeen a pretty emotional 30 years, but fun as well. I have friends who support Man U, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arse etc…., They all have different reasons for supporting them, like: dad supported them, first team they saw live, they won the FA cup the year they made their mind up, also there are people out there that selected the underdog to support. Whatever the reason is for picking a team, the true fans are the ones that stick with that team from then on. Those Newcastle fans out there that where still supporting their team when they were in the lower divisions. Look at Forest still getting good gates and in Div2 thats true support.
Good article - I don’t know really what a true football fan is - but there is a kind that have been indoctrinated to be a fan - because that’s the place where they were born.
I see little kids at the games - dressed out in the team’s colors - whether they like it or not - they will be fans of that club forever - they hardly even have a choice.
Whether they do well or not has nothing to do with it - great if they win - but you will still be a fan whatever happens.
On the other hand there are fans who latch onto clubs who are good. For instance they start watching football and support the best team - be it ManU, Chelsea, Arsenal etc.
There’s a difference here - if that team starts to lose - they may switch their allegiance - that’s probably not a true fan.
Happyjohn - I know exactly what you mean
Hang in there !
As I live in Australia, 13 hours flight away from the nearest premier league match, I disagree with the idea that a true fan must regularly attend games. A true fan, true passion, is getting up at 1am on a wednesday morning, and heading out to an empty club in the freezing cold to watch you team battle relegation.
I agree that a true fan supports their team through good times and bad (being a Sunderland fan it’s usually the latter).
My entire family (Mam, Dad, Aunties, Uncles and Cousins) support Newcastle except one Uncle. He brought me to my first game when I was six (Sunderland v Wimbledon) and we lost 4 - 1. He also bought me a proper Sunderland shirt to wear at the match and I can still remember the feeling of walking into Roker Park for the first time and getting that overwhelming sense of belonging.
I get nothing but stick from my family (which is about 40 strong) but I’d never switch my allegience. I always have been, and always will be Red and White.
A true fan can take an objective point of view. If we play shit, admit it. If Newcastle are better than us, admit it. If you love your team then you can see the bad points but as long as you never forget that they’re you’re club then in my eyes you’re a true supporter.
STID
A true fan is someone who supports his team through thick and thin, ive been a spurs supporter since my neighbours started to take me to WHL in 1976, as a spurs fan im not chasing glory as there hasnt been too much of that going on in the last decade but hey thats half the banter, we will be great again and all these years of waiting will be worth while.
CPTN - I’m completely with you there - ditto for me here in the US - we cannot possibly attend the games.
Hmmm. I’m an Arsenal supporter, following in the footsteps of my family who are Gunners too. Though I don’t live in London, it’s an area my family originate from and I live nearby. I don’t go to games either and instead sit at home watching them on the tele’. I guess the commenter somewhere above who said those that don’t go to games don’t want it enough and he’s probably right. I could afford a few each season. However, that would mean sacrificing going out a lot and as much as I’m a football fan, an Arsenal fan, I’m not enough of a fanatic at this age to sacrifice a social life for football. There are plans afoot to visit the Emirates mind. I nearly got to see a game this season actually where I was prepared to shell out forty quid and watch us play Blackburn in the FA Cup. The mate supplying the ticket though bailed out and so I remain a couch potato supporter. I know I’ll be there in the future, a consistent season ticket holder, through thick and thin. That’s when I find employment though and have that bit more cash flowing in. I still consider myself a true supporter.
I know I’d follow Arsenal through thick and thin you see. I couldn’t just switch clubs if we fell from grace and though my loyalty has yet to be tested in that during my time as a supporter we’ve pretty much enjoyed a lot of success, I’m confident that were we one season to be relegated, I’d still support and follow the fortunes of Arsenal, were we to find ourselves in the lowest tier of the league system, I’d still follow Arsenal. It’s an unbreakable bond. I could never look for another club, just because they’re enjoying more success than my own. I don’t think it’s having experienced your club going through the ‘thin.’ Rather it’s would you be prepared to stick around in the hard times and to that my answer would be a firm yes.
I don’t think it matters what reasons you choose to support a side in the first instance, whether it be continuing a family tradition, liking the way they play, local side etc. It’s whether or not you’d stick around come what may.
I been supporting Man Utd for 15 years since i was 4, I know everything about United (Well i think i do) and Love everything about it. Im not sure about what a true football fan is. To be honest, i see these hardcore fans that support United, and they hate every club and even if they lose they still think they deserved to win, when sometimes thats not the case. Me on the otherhand, appreciate certain things about other clubs, such has Mourinho as a manager, Chelsea’s consistantcy, Liverpool’s fans at Anfield etc. I can also be critical of United, but that doesnt make me a not a true football fan, the fact that i am so critical is because there is soo much love for a club, so much passion and the will not to give up on them.
Its really puzzeling these types of topics.
I love Man Utd.
I love the way they play, I love the atmosphere at OT when I get a chance to go watch them (got to watch them thrash Roma 7-1 at OT and t was an amazing atmosphere)
I love it that we have brought through a generation of players who have come through the youth ranks(beckham, neville, scholesly, giggs butt etc)
I am loving the prospect of the next generation of players to come through.(Pique,Rossi, Ritchie Jones, Johnny and Corrie Evans, hopefully eagles and bardsley as well)
Also someone mentioned something about thinking about your club for atleast 30 minutes a day. I pretty much live and breathe united. Can’t stop thinking about the next game, who might be coming in next season, follow the reserve games, I think I have watched more reserve games this season than first team games!! Gutted we didnt win the youth cup, but hey thats only the beginning for the youngsters at the club, they’ve got a long journey ahead of them.
Sometimes I have dreams that I bought out the club from the glazers and got rid of the blimin debt they have put on the club.
If only that could come true!!! If only…
Hopefully we’ll get to the Champions league final and beat the crap out of liverpool.
Just realised that I refer to the club as we so I definitely feel a part of United…
I’m kind of hoping that Johnny Evans will stick with us! But I share your sentiment, I love nothing more than seeing Grant Leadbitter score for Sunderland (especially since I used to play football with him at school!) as someone who’s came through the youth scheme.
To me, the true football fan has the same relationship with their club that a loving parent has with their child.
They judge the club with their head, but love it with their heart.
They see its faults, and can assess these rationally.
They offer constant support and impart helpful advice aimed at continual improvement (and, like children, the club mostly doesn’t listen!).
They suffer frustrations and disappointments, but remember far more of the good times than they do of the bad.
They are constantly optimistic that it will all work out.
And, through it all, they love the club unconditionally.
Perhaps this is a devastating insight into my parenting skills, but that’s my opinion.
For the record, 28 years a Gooner.
Just read your bit Charlie Allen about just switching teams because your teams fallen from grace bit.
It reminded me in 2004 when we didnt win the title. I was in Singapore on holiday with my family during the summer and our tour guide was saying that he supports Manchester United but was considering changing teams for the following season because we didn’t win the title.
When I heard that I was gobsmacked. i didnt know what to say to him. I just looked at my papa and bro and mouthed the words glory hunter.
How can one change a team just becase they didnt do well for one season or in our case as some people would put it 3 seasons ( although I must remind everyone that we did win the fa cup once league cup once and we also got to another fa cup final where eventually lost so i wouldnt really count it as a failure). I just can’t change teams. I am in it for life and maybe eternally who knows?
Some fans are just fickle and at the slightest hint that united might wobble switch teams. Come on guys once you support one team you should be in it for life.
Am I right or am I right Ahmed?
I fancy myself as a true fan but only in the sense that I have served my apprenticeship watching the Arsenal in the 70’s (from 1973 -1981 and periodically through to the present day). and as I grew up so did my priorities but the test of time always stood with Arsenal. I have had numerous girlfriends and a couple I have taken to the game. Others weren’t interested (funny how the relationship dies when it is onlky one way)! but the one true loyalty remains with my faith and the ARSENAL. My wife would beg to differ but I have been with her for 17 years of my life. Arsenal has been with for 40 years and I am 48 years young.
im 12 i have support tottenham all my life and have been taunted all my life because we havnt really won much recently but i have always hoped that we wud. wen we went 2-0 down to sevilla i was the only person i no hu kept faith that we could win. i can only go to one or 2 games a season becasue my dad is very busy and we dont have much time to go but when we can we do. i think that kind of faith in a side is wot being a true fan is all about
i supported bournemouth from 2001 as there my local team, supported em threw the gr8 times (promotion finsihing 8th, just point of play-offs) and bad times(this season for example) whatever happens though, cheeries for life!
Like Matt, I’ve supported Tottenham since I can remember and never been old enough to see them win decent silverware that gives you the bragging rights against the Top 4.
No-one around me supports them, most are United/Chelsea/L’pool glory hunters, and I’ve always said the club must’ve chose me rather than me choosing them as nobody else would’ve started supporting them at the time I did!
I find a way of watching every match live, although due to my Geographical location and age I can never see Spurs as much as I’d want in person (Once or twice a season). Anyway, after seeing us lose 4 nil to Man United at home, and throwing away the Carling Cup in the nature we did, I still kept the faith in matches like when we were 2-0 down away at West Ham and 2-1 down in the last minute against arsenal. When you see your team come back in those sort of situations, it makes it all worthwhile.
Good question and one I was asking someone the other day.
Is someone any more of less of a supporter if they:
-Go to games as opposed to watching it on the TV?
In my opinion a true fan will have a season ticket or at least get to a good few games each season. Even for the out of towners with a bit of travelling and effort it’s possible
-Know the chants and songs?
I think this depends on where you are sat, obviously some stadiums have a better atmosphere in certain locations and some fans might not even be exposed to this
-Have a tattoo of your team somewhere?
On one hand it arguably shows support for life but others may stereotype this for the chavs only.
-Support the team for life.
Goes without saying, those who swap and change are often glory hunters. Stick with your team through the highs and lows.
-What comes first?
You often see fans who risk family life to make their team play by travelling the world and spending a fortune to watch their team. Again it shows dedication but if it’s a matter of football over the wife & kids I think real life has got to take priority
I think the general consensus is that a true fan is one that supports his/her team over a length of time whatever the cicumstance.
I started by being a fan of George Best - in fact I wanted to be George Best. Without really thinking about it. I became a fan of Man Utd. It was easy to do - Best, Law,Charlton etc.
After a while things started to slide, players left and Man Utd were no longer supreme. I found myself arguing with other supporters who revelled in this fact. I stood my corner whist admitting that Manchester Utd were not the team they used to be. (for a long time)
Eventually Manchester Utd started winning titles and apparently I became a glory hunter! (Particularly because I live in Surrey)
I love the banter and honest opinion between opposition supporters but I hate the hate!
I feel that I am a true Fan of Man Utd and also of football.
I don’t feel that I have to conform to anyone else’s image of what a true fan should be.
hate the hate - classic stuff.
Being a proper football fan is about experiencing the highs and lows of your local club ..or the club youve been watching all your life (by this i mean actually going to the game, NOT by watching them on tv).
You need to physically experience (be there) your teams highs & lows to become passionate about them and you have to have a real connection to them to have pride.
Being a fan is not about about jumping of the bandwagon of your Man U’s and Chelsea’s just because you know your gonna experience more good times than bad times.
If you dont support your local club how can you show pride to a team from somewere else if you have no connection with them?
If you dont go the games regularly how can you be passionate? For example how can a Man U fan from London ever be passionate about them.
ok so i thought that i waz a true footy fan until i read what u must do to be one.i didnt read any comments cuz i dont hav time but im 1 year new to the sport,i live half way around the world{in the caribbean} majority of my family prefers cricket and doesnt know a shit about any other sport and i dont hav cable so i cant see any matches what-so-evr.so wat do u call some one like me?
Just because you are in a different country to where your team lies, doesn’t mean to say that you can’t be a true fan. As mentioned earlier, they are the first team you fall in love with.
north for short,
thats true. i luv the team that i support ever since i saw them play for the first time concidering that i rarly ever see any matches and hav to depend on the internet for all footy info.cuz of where im situated i hav very few chances of hearing or speakin of footy but that doesnt discourage me. people say some serious shit about the footy and i try to defend the game,i even got in a fight over football once. i hav to put up with a lot to luv football but i still am a true footy fan.
this whole falling in love with football bit is a bit too much, isn’t it?
don’t think it’s worth fighting over though. Opinions are like…you know how it goes.
i know rite?
Funny thing, this fan/club loyalty…
If Abramovich makes United an offer of taking ALL their players (in a player swop + cash deal for ALL the Chelsea players), and United accepts.
Which team would you support? Why? How come we, the fans are so loyal (and its expected), but the players not? (and thats also expected).
damn karl,
you’ve brought up a situation that would make me think wtf going on. But I am a red devil since I was a kid and I’ll be a red devil for life!!!
I hope what you say never happens, probably can happen in football manager!! I’ll try it out on there and let you know what happens.
I`m a Pakistani and Ive lived in Pakistan all my life. However, I was first exposed to English football when I was 8 years old around 10 years ago and since then there hasnt been any turning back… the first match I saw was Leeds United vs Manchester United… and I wasn’t a Man Utd supporter by then but in 1999 I bought the fooball game FIFA 99 by ea sports.. and in the friendy matches option, the first club I could choose was Manchester United and the second was Arsenal.. i chose manchester united and from that day on… I`ve been a “true” fan… many fellow ex-man utd supporter friends of mine… left their support of the club when BECKHAM transferred to real madrid…. that means they werent TRUE supporters of man utd… infact they were true supporters of BECKHAM. Anyway, my point is a true fan can also disagree with a manager.. however, whether Man utd gets relegated to the CONFERENCE, i know for sure that I`ll support them no matter what/..
A true fan is one who cant eat or sleep when his team is doing badly.Been a fan for the red devils for 28 years and finally saved enuf money to go and see them at old trafford in 2004. Born a RED die a RED.
A true fan of my football club would have been at Villa Park in 1993 to be part of the infamous ‘Billy Bonds claret & blue army’ repeated over and over again for the last 15 minutes of that game (if I remember rightly it actually got noisier after Forest scored their fourth), and if they were not there for any reason wishes they were. Any regular away fan counts automatically, any fan who only goes to home games and consistently boos the team from the pitch is discounted automatically. Sticking with the club through relegation is an obvious qualification (I suppose you could change that to not being in the CL for the lucky few), while if you’re not in the position to go regularly then Sky Sports/BBC Match Of The Day/Five Live/equivalent for countries abroad are a constant feature of your saturdays. Finally its selling in to some crazy and massive extended family, where the unpredictable highs and lows are felt almost is if it were one of your own kin, and weekends can either be made or ruined by the result of one solitary game. I think these are true for any fan, not just us hammers, the fans I really feel for at the moment are Forest/Leeds/Sheff Utd (you’ve been great this season, sorry it didn’t work out) who have tastest some of the highs and now must experience the lows…
If I was the parent of the above boy, I would be ashamed!!!
what is up with u humanshield?
i wish i could be a man utd. supporter but might have to die a chelsea fan.
I love football, but by an unfortunate accident of birth I am an American living in the United States. If you have seen the quality of US domestic leagues over the years, you know that we Americans must look abroad to really enjoy football (AKA: soccer - don’t really like that word, would much rather say football, but in the States, well, you know what that means). Early on, I began watching English football as my youth football coach was from England. We watched the 1966 World Cup Final on reel to reel! So I became a fan of the English game and rooted for England.
As the satelite TV revolution came to pass, I was able to begin watching English football. At first, the two teams I could always count on watching were Manchester United and Arsenal. Week after week I could see both of these teams play their respective fixtures.
Because these were the teams I watched most often, I soon realized that I would have to choose between one of these arch-rivals. I chose United over Arsenal simply because I liked the United style of play much more than the Gunner style.
Thankfully, the internet also allowed me to have up to date information on United. I get all the news I can possibly want. I have become a supporter, joining the Manchester United Supporters Club USA. I am able to watch every single match, know the players, know the transfer rumours, and proudly display my United posters, scarves, mouse pads, and assorted other stuff at work. I annoy my co-workers with United talk.
During the FA Cup Final, I was thinking that maybe somewhere in my town, there was another United supporter who had got up early to watch the match. But somehow I doubted it.
I am located 7,224.15 kilometers or 4,489 miles away from Old Trafford. If this kind of passion that burns brightly from such a distance doesn’t make a true fan out of me, well, I don’t know what would!
Most of the comments here are posted by,well guys who have been around since the 70’s well im pretty young and when i was eight i was flippin the channels and i rested at a game between united and bolton. i watched eric cantonna score a treble for a team called united,my dad isn’t all that into football but every saturday made sure i watched football,and even though the matches were inconsistent,this week united the next chelsea etc i loved watching football.i got to know the teams and their players but i still remained true to one team united,i didn’t have a father,uncle or whatever telling me to be a united fan.well is been over ten years supporting it and being true to it and i think i’m luck i choose a team hat wins tiles every once in a while,thank God it wasnt arsenal
- born ‘n bought up in India
- Only option to follow international football as a kid was through weekly one hour “world sports round up” programs
- When cable TV hit the country Cantona and Giggs were the first to catch the eye …
- followed Man U since then till date …
- Aint rich enough to fly to the UK for a game – any “true” fan willing to sponsor ?
- Lost 3 cell phones and got 2 black eyes just during the ’05 season in post match drunken revelries/bust ups (doesn’t match the English but so f’n what )
May I call myself a true fan? – pleeaasse!!
Being a true fan:
Having some form of link to the Club you support e.g. geography, parents/family. You may like Barca or Real but that doesn’t make you a ‘fan’ in the sense of being a genuine supporter of that team.
Understanding that football is as much about other fans and the football ‘community’ as it is about winning. I support West Ham but I don’t think I know more about football than Millwall or York City fans because my team is in the Premiership.
Having an understanding of your own team’s history and development and the culture it has developed from.
Being interested in your team massively more than any other football match. Watching every game on Sky of every team across Europe means you like watching football. It does NOT mean that you are somehow a ‘true’ fan of your own team.
The utopian NOT true-fan:
Supports a team because it wins with no link to who their family supported or to where they live.
Thinks football started when Gazza cried in Italy (or later).
Frowns on swearing at football matches.
Thinks (and says) he knows more than all other fans because he watches the Champions League on TV rather than goes to see Doncaster Rovers Vs Accrington Stanley.
As for “supports team through thick and thin”… in the last decade there has been no real “thin” for the big four - when compared to the other 88 (or however many) professional teams in England. It’s Arsenal/Liverpool fans whinging about their “poor season” that is an example of fans who have no concept of football as it applies to teams and fans across Britain who have no hope or dream of Chumps League footie. And if you don’t understand ‘football’ then IMHO you can’t be a TRUE football fan.
I support Liverpool. My family re all from Liverpool but I live in Northern Ireland. I was born with Liverpol in my veins and will die with my last drop of blood with Liverpool in it.
Just because i don’t live in Liverpool does not make me less of a “True Fan”
If Liverpool were in the Conference, I would still buy the shirts, listen to the scores, cheer a win, be sad at a loss.
I refer to Liverpool as “We”. I Decorate my house. I have shrines to Liverpool, I have a Liverpool tatoo, I Eat, Sleep and Breath Liverpool.
But “No, I can’t be a true supporter becuz im an OOT”
I THINK NOT.
LIVE THE CLUB…. That’s a true Supporter.
a true football fan is one that supports his/her team through thick and thin and doesnt really care if others think that they aren’t true fans because they havent done so and so. This is true simply because the opinions of other people regarding their support for a club should be meaningless to a “true” supporter…pretty much what I mean is that a true fan doesnt find the need to prove his “love” for a team.. oh and definately no switchies…ever..
really who can have a legitimate right to say that they are “true” enough to form a manual to becoming “true” football fans?
I believe im a true fan. Ive been watching Arsenal ever since Anelka and Wenger came in…. and im just 15. Its pretty tough to me being away from england and just hoping that one day i’ll get to see at least one home game in my entire life. Im comitted to this dream to the point that I’ve decided to go to Med School in England!! I’ve been there during Unitedz treble crying why couldnt we win anything, and I’ve been there bragging about “The Invincbles” and the fact that now on beat us that season. So… yeah I think I’m a true fan
I started supporting Liverpool back in 1998 (not a year of miracles I’m sure, particularly in the Reds camp) and I’ve been on with the Reds ever since. I couldn’t go and support some other clubs, with all the glory and bashing they got “Man U, Arsenal… or more foreign ones Milan, Real, Juventusm etc etc”. I have no clue why I’ve chosen them, yet I very much stick by the club, I’ve bought the shirts since the day I started, I follow them whenever I get the chance to “living in Dubai was a bit hard to follow them, lately it has become way easier with more and more Red fans in the city”… Yet I get very irritated by some people that show up and say we’ve been supporting this club for all our lives, yet hardly know who the manager is, or who is playing for that club, at least get to know your favorite player to shut me up mate!
Good article though!
Was brought up in India similar to someone else here in the comments section. I became an Arsenal supporter after watching the movie ‘Fever Pitch’ (the one with Colin Firth in it) & reading the book afterwards on which its based. Don’t ask me why but something about the team appealed to me & when i started to watch whatever games i could (around ‘98 i think when i visited the UK for a few months) i started to become a real supporter. Just watching Dennis Bergkamp was awesome for me & then i moved to Australia to study (where i still am) & i managed to watch most of the games on TV. I have to say that if i didn’t support Arsenal i might have ended up a Liverpool supporter instead coz i like their traditions, but i’m happy where i am & i intend to stick to being a Gooner for life.
“For example how can a Man U fan from London ever be passionate about them.”
^ I’m sorry but i strongly disagree with this statement.
I’m 15, a girl, I live in Eastbourne(right down south) and love Manchester United. I get called a glory hunter due to the fact i don’t live anywhere near Manchester, and that i’m a girl.
My family, from my mom’s side are originally from Manchester, but moved down here. Considering this basically my whole family support Leeds, or don’t follow football. It is only my uncle and I who follow United. There have been many arguments between us but each of us in our own way are true supporters. My dad, brother and sister still love Leeds, even though they are in division one, they are more determined to keep their faith. My brother gets taken the mick out of all the time and he brushes it off, just as i do.
I try to go and see United as often as possible, and this means saving up £300 odd pounds at a time for one visit up there, taking me months with no funding from my family, except at times possibly my uncle. But it’s worth it. The atmsphere at OT is amazing and when i can i fully intend to move up to Manchester and be able to see them play all the time. I always talk about United. My room is covered in United posters, memorablia, My tickets in photo frames, scarfs etc.
I know liverpool supporters who call me a glory hunter and claim to be a “true” fan when they have never been to a match, they know hardly anything about the club currently, let alone anything about their history.
But to the point..i think you can determine who is a glory hunter and who isn’t but where ever you live, however you see them, as long as you stick by your club, actually know about their history and current goings on i think your a true fan.
I am from Australia, and since i was six or seven i’ve been an Arsenal Supporter, Im now 13.
Ive never seen them play but I am a real fan, I’ve stayed with the Gooners through Thick and Thin, I nearly cried at the final game at Highbury, Sat in my room for 3 hours being silent looking at 339 Henry Pics on my computer when TH14 left, Almost smashed my tele when Jens saved that penalty at Highbury and cried when we went Unbeaten for a season.
A month or so ago, A kid turned up to training a Chelsea fan, saying “Hey Ryan, Im going to start supporting Man U now because they’re gonna win the Premier League this year” When I heard the Glory hunter say that I felt like smaking him in the right cheeck, What a shit thing to do! And he did he got the new United training shirt and Away kit and never wore his Chelsea gear again……
I have never been to a game, but it is No.1 on my life to do list, And all I do is think about how we are gonna do against PSV or how we lost to a team with a Energy Drink for there name. I can name the full first team squad and could tell you our latest news before any of my mates could. I can tell you what we finished in 1993-94.
I get a lot of Mickey taken out of me because im a Gooner, all my mates are Man U or Celtic fans, But I just say..”Do you support United because there the arguably largest club in the world, Because you won the Premier League or because he does?”, they shut up and start playing hackey-sack again…
A real fan is a person that stays with a club during the thick and thin, has supported a team for more than 3 years, Can name at least 22 players from there team now and think about there club for atleast an hour or so a day…
GO ARSENAL! The Emirates Cup is ours1
Chloë you say you live in London but follow Man United. Is it just a coincidence that out of all 92 league teams the one you follows just happens to be the most successful? I hugely doubt if United suddenly got relegated 3 leagues that you would still splash out £300 to go and see them. Your reason for “supporting” them will probably all be down to the glory the achieve, and nothing more.
To be fair to Chloe - she has family who are Leeds supporters and as such I imagine she does not do the usual “big club supporter” thing of assuming everyone who does not support one of the Top 4 knows less about football than they do.
The number of people I have met in England - very often but not always those on temporary visas or new immigrants whether Yanks, Aussies, Africans or Asians etc - who talk with such arrogance and such complete lack of any knowledge of football yet think they are the new Brian Clough is astounding. [note to any Top 4 ’supporter’ who doesn’t know who Brian Clough was - he used to drive the England team bus before the 1966 world cup final].
While I think it’s sad Chloe doesn’t support Leeds or some south coast team at least she seems to understand that football is about more than the Chumps League.
With the greatest respect to all the overseas fans on this thread… how many of you support Portsmouth or Wigan? The point I am making is that you may be “loyal” to the team you support but you support them because they win. If the Glazers or Abramovich went bankrupt tomorrow and the Clubs went into administration and relegation I doubt there would be many of you following the fortunes of the teams in League 2.
There are football Leagues all over the world. I have been to matches in Indonesia and Tunisia. I enjoyed them but I’m not really a supporter because I don’t get to see them or even to interact with other local people who support them. Maybe you should support your local team in India, Australia, Outer Mongolia or wherever? Man Utd isn’t ‘better’ than any team in the world in any deep sense. Admire them by all means but take part in life and football in your own country and have pride in your own towns and cities.
Great acrticle Ahmed.
I can proudly say that i am a true Manu fan.Ive been supporting the clup since i was 9 and now am 15 its been 6 years.I only started to follow football when i was 9.
I’ve lost a couple of bets which actually makes me an Arsenal fan but i don’t really give a F*ck and i still support ManU.
I’ve gotten into quite a few fights(once a 3 on 1) hurt my leg pretty bad(but i did make it out in one piece lol).
Anyway the long and short of the story is that i still support ManU and will always support them no matter where i am.
GO MANUNITED
A true fan is simply someone who cares about there team so much that they would stick with them no matter what and knows at least the basic facts about the current team and has an idea about the history of the club. You don’t need to go to the games to be a true fan but even if you live in another country you should at least try and go when you get the chance. My cousin supports Leeds and my Dad always liked them because they had a good fewIrish players but never really supported them the same way he does Celtic. Even though Leeds are going through all of that trouble my Dad and my cousin still talk about them and my cousin flies over at least once a season to see them. Sticking with a team like that is the sign of a true fan.
I support United. They were just always the team that I liked and considering when I was young most of my friends were of the ‘Pool variety I suppose the temptation was there to switch allegiance but I never did and never will. I have nothing against Pudlians in fact one of my friends has relations in Liverpool and they were nice enough to let me stay there when I went to see United play for the first time (they lost 1-0 to Leicester
) but when it comes to footballing terms for some reason the hate just boils up inside of me. This seems to be the case with a lot of other teams fans that they feel the need to hate their rivals when if football wasn’t involved and they met on the street they might be the best of friends.
My dear Fifth Column, as an overseas fan, I would like to comment on your commentary. You are absolutely correct that I support Manchester United because they win. Because they win, they are on television all of the time and I am able to follow them with ease. A team like Portsmouth wins now and again, but they are not on every week like Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool. Sitting in the mountains of Colorado (tough life, but someone has to do it!), I chose to follow Man Utd because I could see them week after week. True, they haven’t really had a down period since I have been following them, but I have watched FA Cup losses, European failures, a few years without a trophy, and some heart breaking losses. I haven’t suffered in a way fans of, let’s say, Manchester City have suffered, but does suffering in a deep way make you a better fan?
I also support my local team, the Colorado Rapids. Now, there is a sorry lot. The Rapids play an uninspiring game and their style is so plodding it is practically sickening. Yet, I go out to the ground and watch them. I also watch them on television. Given the distances of travel in the States, it is quite impractical to follow one’s side around the country.
A very good friend of mine is from Chester, and while I never get to see Chester City play (I have seen a highlight of City on Skysports once!), I still have a scarf and a hat for Chester City. At the MLS v Celtic match, I wore my Chester City cap and proudly told people when they asked about it, that I supported the Blues along with Man Utd. and the Rapids.
It seems to me that one can support foreign clubs and one’s local club with little feeling that one is cheating on the other club. True, I have never been to Old Trafford, but each week I am in front of the television rooting them on - whether at home or at a pub. The Rapids play in the summer, so there is very little overlap of time loyalties, and with a DVR, I don’t have to get up at 5AM to watch United.
So am I a true fan of Man Utd? I would say yes. A local fan? No. A fan of football? Yes. A supporter of my local team? Yes. I think that qualifies me. Besides, as much time as I think about United, Chester, and Colorado, I should be allowed in for that reason, if nothing else! GRIN!
I actually live two hours south of London. And I think that comment is slightly unfair. One half of my family is actually from Manchester hence my main reason for supporting them, and my immediate family have nothing to do with Leeds at all yet they support them. If I was looking for glory, wouldn’t i be supporting a club that was two hours away from me such as Chelsea, Arsenal or Spurs, rather than United? Chelsea being a better example of this, if it was about glory.
And yes i would infact pay that amount of money to go and see them play. Whether you believe me or not is a different matter.
im 12 years old and i have had a season ticket for blackburn 3 seasons on the trott i have been a blackburn fan since i was 5 and will be for the rest of my life i can name every single player i know all there history so i think im a true supporter .
Im 12 and an Aussie Arsenal fan, been supporting the Gooners since I was 5 and I have never changed my club..I have stayed with them through the thick and thin, Think about Arsenal all day, Spend half my money at the Arsenal Online Shop every week and my room is a Temple to the Arsenal FC.
I can name every first team player from 1995 to 2007-08 Seasons, how many points we got every year since the PL started and how many FA Cup League and Premierships we have won, Easy
At training this fat guy shows up, a ball hog and a Chelsea fan, As this was a month or so ago he said to another guy, Mind you I will till you now, He was wearing a Chelsea training top…”I support Man U now because they have more of a chance of winning the Premiership” I said to the fat prick…Glory Hunting Fat Cunt. And Walked off…Thats no “TRUE” fan…He says to me “You’re just jealous caus your shit team havent won a cup for 3 years” I said “I’d rather Arsenal have no cups than me being a Glory hunter..”..He then shut up…
A true fan is one who thinks about there club, Feels the pain and Europhia and Happiness with the club, Stays with there club through thick and thin, and never started supprting a club because there really good…
That is all im saying…
Kinglsey
A very well written response Mr Colorado.
But a serious question for you. If I were to follow the Chicago Bears American Football team from afar, I could be a genuine supporter and watch their games on satellite etc.
However, I would not have any meaningful personal understanding of the place that team may have to its community or area because I haven’t had the chance to live there. This is IN NO WAY a criticism of anyone who supports a team from abroad, it’s not like you can jump in your personal Lear jet to come across for matches.
But would you agree that it is hard to have a personal understanding or feeling for any sports club or institution if you are not from/in the location? You can certainly know more about the team than someone living in Salford but I would question whether it is possible to have the same emotional attachment to a team when it is not directly linked to personal experience.
Also, I don’t know if you septics have the same understanding of football generally - again I mean on an emotional level. For example, I have a very good Croatian-American friend who is a big sports fan and watches MLS, NFL, NBA, whatever the Hockey league is called. But he says that when he travels to watch Croatia play football in international tournaments for the first time he was shocked. It is so utterly different from anything else in US sport - MLS included. Its about your ancestry, your family, your identity. I have had other septics on holiday who are big sports fans and brought them to Upton Park (I support West Ham) and they say it is very different from any US experience.
Sorry, long stream of conciousness there… in short, I am sure you are as big a fan of Man Utd as you would be of the Yankees or 49ers or whoever. You CERTAINLY know more about Man Utd and European football than I do - I don’t follow it European football as it’s not relevant to West Ham!
But my team is part of my family and its community. It’s a rite of passage (without meaning to be a cliche) I don’t think many supporters who are not in that position can understand that. But then that’s the same for most Big 4 supporters in England too… Doesn’t make anyone a ‘better’ supporter - just a different kind of supporter maybe.
Fifth Column,
Thank you for your kind words. I appreciate them.
Your point on the emotional attachment to a side is well made. I would indeed agree that I am a different type of supporter than those who live in the community of their side. I would compare it to those who reside in Colorado and are supporters of the NFL Denver Broncos. The Broncos are indeed part of the fabric of the community and of many families that live in Colorado. People paint their houses and cars orange and blue and never, ever miss a game.
Hey, you and I have a connection, or rather West Ham and the Colorado Rapids have a connection. The Rapids supporters sing, “I’m forever blowing bubbles.” Thought you might like to know that. I drive my co-workers crazy by singing the song.
Take care - hope that West Ham gets some of the fee for the sale of Tevez to Man Utd.
I was born in Stoke and have lived there all My life yet my northumbrian family all supports newcastle and i followed its in the blood if you support a team. I only get to go to a few games a season yet i cram in a couple more instead of going on holidays. i first went to SJP in 1991 when we were crap and i was hooked from then on and am still. It hurts for a week when we lose and the week after a win feels great no one can call me a glory hunter though it did in 95-97 under keegan mostly by man utd pricks who just support whos on top without any affiliation with that club. Although everyone has a reason they support who they do so im not havin a pop at anyone except people i know who’s family supports stoke or port vale and they take a liking to the teams on top looking down on the rest of us!!
thats cock and bull you can’t say your not a true fan by not going to a game… i live in america and it would cost a few thousands dollars for me to go to north east to watch the mags im 15 i dont have near that amount of money nor does my family… but i know 10x more than most fans and i watch all there games wear there jersys a few times a week and always defend them in fights…