Football Lovely end to a sunny afternoon

[DaGaffer]

Thing is -- fans of the "top four" live in an unreal place. They have had a level of success for ten years or so that other fans can only dream of.

Real football fans like to have a real moan. "Plastic" fans, the kind that have only ever watched their team on television and 'follow' the winning-everything-in-sight teams have no idea what real football and being a real fan is like.

What a load of absolute shite. "Real" football fans...fuck off. What all these "real" fans tend to forget is that United got bigger attendances at OT in the mid-70s (when we were fucking relegated) than all of the top teams of the time. I refuse to be made to feel guilty for supporting a decent team because I somehow don't have to deal with the pain of supporting a bunch of journeymen. Have United got more money than most other clubs so we can "buy" the league? Too fucking right because we had a fanbase who stuck it out when we weren't winning (most of the 70s and 80s), to let them build a bigger stadium and invest in better players (and we still have more home-grown players than everyone else despite "buying" the league).

And if some guy in India wants to support an English side because he sees the Premiership on Star Asia every week, why the fuck would he support Aston Villa?

 

[Turamber]

"Real" football fans...fuck off.

Plastic fans "support" teams that win competitions, yet don't come from the geographical locale of the club, have no ties to it and certainly don't attend matches even semi-regularly.

All clubs need plastic fans as they are bound to buy some merchandise at some point in their life, but you'll forgive me if genuine football fans find glory hunting plastics to be a bit of a joke.

I'd support the Villa whatever league they were in and, although I find negative fans tiresome, I defend the right of genuine fans to moan about their team over plastics who know fuck all about what it means to genuinely support a football team.

This may not apply to you Mr Gaffer but if the cap fits...

 

[Wazzerphuk]

The bastketball comments where funny, he has quite a good grasp of english and humour it seems.

Indeed. And instead of going out on the piss after games, he goes to London Zoo with his wife. Initially I was a little worried about signing him as Zenit made him out to be a whinging diva, but it seems it was just Zenit being... Zenit (money obsessed weirdos).

 

[Bodhi]

What a load of absolute shite. "Real" football fans...fuck off. What all these "real" fans tend to forget is that United got bigger attendances at OT in the mid-70s (when we were fucking relegated) than all of the top teams of the time. I refuse to be made to feel guilty for supporting a decent team because I somehow don't have to deal with the pain of supporting a bunch of journeymen. Have United got more money than most other clubs so we can "buy" the league? Too fucking right because we had a fanbase who stuck it out when we weren't winning (most of the 70s and 80s), to let them build a bigger stadium and invest in better players (and we still have more home-grown players than everyone else despite "buying" the league).

And if some guy in India wants to support an English side because he sees the Premiership on Star Asia every week, why the fuck would he support Aston Villa?

Aye to be fair, if I was a Villa fan I'd be a miserable moany fucktard as well. Not sure whether this comes with being a Villa fan or just being a Brummy, but still.

Also interesting to read that if you don't win the Premiership you want us to win it (unlikely after the draw with Everton), as if we don't win it I want you guys to do it. What is it about Liverpool that makes everyone hate them so much. And what made it feel so damn good to go to "Fortress Anfield" on a European night and batter them silly? As our fans sung, wheres your precious, where's your precious, where's you precious atmosphere?

 

[Turamber]

if we don't win it

What, Stoke? Oh wait, you don't follow Stoke, you just live there.

No, you follow a team where you grew up. Scotland wasn't it? Oh wait, you were "supporting" an Italian team a couple of years ago.

Now that you've realised that they are pretty much as shit as your lot back home you've latched onto Chelsea.

Plastics.

 

[Gray]

Jags :'(

 

[Talivar]

TBH you "real" fans should treat the "plastic" fans with more respect because without them im pretty sure a big % of the bigger teams wouldnt be half so big. You act like you on some crusade when you go around throwing all this real and plastic terms around but im 100% sure your actual team and players and board would be the 1st to tell you to stfu. Everybody expresses loyalty in their own way, some like live atmosphere and go to the games, others like comfort of their homes and watch on tv, others like both and yet more still buy every single piece of merchandise ever. If u pick a team to support and stay with it even when they lose you cannot be asked for more loyalty.

 

[Turamber]

You act like you on some crusade

Nah, not really. I readily admit that clubs need plastics, they help to raise the profile of the club and will spend some money on merchandise ... even if they've never actually watched "their club" in a football ground.

It just made me laugh earlier when people were criticising Birmingham based football fans for moaning. When a plastic fan gets to the stage where he feels like moaning he just finds a new club. Not that there is much for the fans of Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal to complain about -- they've had their noses in the trough for ten years now and win virtually everything. They are in no position to criticise any genuine fan for being unhappy.

 

[Talivar]

Ive never been to watch chelsea yet i supported them before Roman came and i buy all new tops and watch EVERY game. They havent really won much last 2 seasons yet im still here, what is plastic about me and other similiar ppl? I grew up in a town called Immingham near Grimsby that doesnt even ahve a football team, atleast a proper one. We grew up with no love for other local towns like Grimsby and Hull and Scunthorpe ect so why would i want to support them just because i live near them. This isnt an attack on you more a post to try help you realise what you sometimes class as plastic can actually be just as geniune as what you class as real fans

 

[JingleBells]

I hate football

I went to Harriers game today, to get a playoff spot all we had to do was win, and hope Stevenage or Torquay didn't. Stevenage duly lost to Mansfield, we duly lost to Kettering.

Fucking Kettering.

I feel like someone's sawn my arm off

Fuck Football

 

[DaGaffer]

Nah, not really. I readily admit that clubs need plastics, they help to raise the profile of the club and will spend some money on merchandise ... even if they've never actually watched "their club" in a football ground.

It just made me laugh earlier when people were criticising Birmingham based football fans for moaning. When a plastic fan gets to the stage where he feels like moaning he just finds a new club. Not that there is much for the fans of Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal to complain about -- they've had their noses in the trough for ten years now and win virtually everything. They are in no position to criticise any genuine fan for being unhappy.

There you go again. "Genuine" fan. What a smug bastard.

 

[Turamber]

What a smug bastard.

You know I think that everytime I read one of your posts.

If anyone is happy to "support" a football team that doesn't come from their geographical locale, have never watched live and it just happens to be a highly successful team ... well, that is up to you.

But don't think you even come close to understanding what it is like to genuinely support a team. You are hangers on, football groupies.

 

[Trem]

I hate football

I went to Harriers game today, to get a playoff spot all we had to do was win, and hope Stevenage or Torquay didn't. Stevenage duly lost to Mansfield, we duly lost to Kettering.

Fucking Kettering.

I feel like someone's sawn my arm off

Fuck Football

Thats your own fault for not supporting Man Utd









*runs*








I support Leeds btw before anyone accuses me of glory hunting

 

[DaGaffer]

You know I think that everytime I read one of your posts.

If anyone is happy to "support" a football team that doesn't come from their geographical locale, have never watched live and it just happens to be a highly successful team ... well, that is up to you.

But don't think you even come close to understanding what it is like to genuinely support a team. You are hangers on, football groupies.

Which would be fine except I bet you're the first to come out with garbage like "Cockney Reds", even when those fans spend far more time, money and effort on going to see their team play than you. Face it, you're dealing with your massive inferiority complex by castigating anyone who supports the four teams who are always above you. As for "geographical locale", some of us have lives and don't particularly want to spend them in the same place we were born.

 

[Turamber]

your massive inferiority complex

I support my team through thick and thin. It doesn't matter to me if that is in the Premier League or the Blue Square, whether we win a cup or go out in the first round.

If you are happy to "support" a team that you have no geographical or family links to, never watch live and they just happen to be one of the most successful in, not just the UK, but world football then carry on. But don't pretend you're anything other than a glory hunter

 

[Talivar]

If we talking family ties then my whole family came from manchester and supported manchester united. My dad , my grandad ,my great grandad probally aswell. Fact is tho just because they chose to support a team should i have to do same?. Free will is a powerfull thing. You talk about glory supporting but if u look at it i actually refused to follow the family tie and team that is classed as best in the world and went with a team that at the time had won almost nothing. I cant be blamed for fact a russian billionaire took over and then we suddenly became solid top 4 team

 

[DaGaffer]

I support my team through thick and thin. It doesn't matter to me if that is in the Premier League or the Blue Square, whether we win a cup or go out in the first round.

If you are happy to "support" a team that you have no geographical or family links to, never watch live and they just happen to be one of the most successful in, not just the UK, but world football then carry on. But don't pretend you're anything other than a glory hunter

I'm from Manchester, my Dad was from Manchester, I used to live in Old Trafford. Most (not all, but most) of my United-supporting friends have some connection with Manchester, but even if they don't, I don't sneer at them because they weren't dipped in the Irwell at birth. (And for reference, the first United home game I was taken to was in 1975 - they were in the Second Division at the time...)

Personally I love it when I come across a bunch of Malaysian guys in a pub in Singapore all sporting United shirts; I don't think they're "plastic" or any less genuine in their support despite the fact they've never been with in 5000 miles of OT. This is the 21st century, and it seems rather churlish to bitch about supporters not being locals when half your team are foreigners. How many Aston Villa players are Brummies by the way?

 

[old.user4556]

Plastic fans "support" teams that win competitions, yet don't come from the geographical locale of the club, have no ties to it and certainly don't attend matches even semi-regularly.

So by that logic, I'm plastic by default because there is no local team for me to support?

Oh please can I be in your gang? PLEASE?

 

[Wazzerphuk]

So by that logic, I'm plastic by default because there is no local team for me to support?

Wrongest statement ever. Of course you have a local club. It'll generally be the closest one to you, even if that's 100 miles away.

 

[old.user4556]

It was a question, not a statement.

So I need to support my next closest team by default in order to be a true fan.

This is why I don't support a football team, it's easier to just "not"; too much fucktarded mentality behind it. Hell, you want to see how annoyed Scots get when you tell them you're supporting England in the World Cup. It's very amusing.

 

[Turamber]

So by that logic, I'm plastic by default

Heh, this gets people more upset than saying it is logical to believe in a God

I don't know how the forum generally feels about this, but I for one think it is pretty darn sad that here in Birmingham where we have lots of decent football teams in the city or nearby (Villa, Blues (*spit*), Albion, Wolves, Walsall etc) you find most of the kids in the park have Man United/Chelsea/Liverpool/Arsenal tops on.

The 10 year old three doors from me is a Chelsea fan. Couldn't wait to laugh at me after we narrowly lost at Villa Park, the first league defeat in years we've had against Chelsea.

On holiday a Geordie father with his Newcastle United top on watched his team lose (again) whilst his lads, bored, took the piss wearing their Liverpool and Manchester United tops.

Where is the local pride? Where is the sense of belonging that comes from supporting a team that your father, your grandfather and great grandfather have supported?

I have two clients who will tell anyone during a conversation that they are Man United fans. Yet they have never watched any football match live at a stadium, let alone a United one. They were given tickets for the 99 Champions League final by UEFA as they provided the balloons for the event -- and rather than go in they sat in a nearby bar and watched it on TV.

Supporting one of the "Big Four" is easy. It doesn't require anything other than twiddling a knob on the TV and talking about how wonderful your players are and how you've won everything in sight and beaten all comers.

Earlier in the thread people were mocking fans in Birmingham for being unhappy about their teams. All of my argumentation then and since then revolves around the fact that supporters of the big four, whether plastic or genuine, don't know very much about failure.

But it must be said a lot of their fans are 'plastics'. I guess it comes with success and from media coverage. Although all clubs need them you'll have to forgive me if I, and many other season ticket holders up and down the land, think they're a bit of a joke.

 

[Trem]

Martin O'Neil is a god, such a great bloke. I aren't keen on Villa but you have a fantastic manager.

Lets put our differences aside for now, lets pray that any of the English teams win the Champions League just so Platini can fuck off. I can't wait to see his slapped arse face if an English team wins it again.

LETS UNITE AGAINST THE WANKER!!!!

 

[rynnor]

Lets put our differences aside for now, lets pray that any of the English teams win the Champions League just so Platini can fuck off. I can't wait to see his slapped arse face if an English team wins it again.

LETS UNITE AGAINST THE WANKER!!!!

Aye thats the key - Platini hates the English teams as has been shown by his repeated bias.

If one wins again this year it wouldnt suprise me if he tried to change the rules for next year - still I hope his nightmare comes true again this year

 

[Ch3tan]

I think we will nearly certainly have an all English final again this year -and I only see the big 4 being stronger next season, Liverpool and Chelsea will both buy this summer. Cannot see Barca beating Chelski without Puyol and Marquez.

 

[Gray]

Seems i wasnt the only one to love that when it happened

 

[Aoami]

hahahahaha

 

[Scouse]

Strangely, he didn't react the same way when gifted a freebie this weekend before they turned themselves around against Tottenham.

Ref was happy with the 50 grand bonus tho

 

[DaGaffer]

Strangely, he didn't react the same way when gifted a freebie this weekend before they turned themselves around against Tottenham.

Ref was happy with the 50 grand bonus tho

Oooh, bitter, bitter Scouse. Norty libellous Scouse.

 

[JingleBells]

Lots of text

I noticed on the front cover of the Shropshire star today they had a pic of some of the fans that turned up to watch AFC Telford United in the Conference North playoffs today, kid on the front row is there in his Arsenal top.

I do like the caption loyal fans, reminds of the FA Trophy final, Harriers vs Stevenage which I was at a few years back. Harriers average attendance is about 1400, we took at least 20,000 fans to Wembley, Stevenage the same (their average attendance is about 2000). We lost 3-2 (2-0 up at HT ffs), and the attendances ever since have been about the same.

You get glory supporting ***** at every level