Football club loyalty

Prompted by middle child calling me last night and winding me up saying after the Copenhagen game he’s decided to switch his alliegances to City (he isn’t really btw)

Set me thinking…..why do we stick with teams through thick and thin?

Bands…..used to love early roxy music but they went shite after 1976 so I ditched them

Telly programmes….really rated S1 and 2 of homeland but it went shite so I ditched it

But football teams…you just stick with it (goldbridge, marlo excepted).

Why?

Is it a regional thing?
A family thing?
Or something more deep rooted?

My brother in law supported Chelsea, then switched to Liverpool, then back to Chelsea when Mourinho joined and they started winning things.

That doesn't add to the debate, I just wanted to tell someone

Originally Posted by jaffo

My brother in law supported Chelsea, then switched to Liverpool, then back to Chelsea when Mourinho joined and they started winning things.

That doesn't add to the debate, I just wanted to tell someone

I for one feel better for knowing that.

your brother in law sounds like a dick btw.

When they become a big part of you growing up it’s difficult to shake that off.

It’s difficult to let go of something that was integral to your upbringing. I think for most people maybe that’s what it is. Most of us weren’t adults who went “errrrm I think il back this team”

It was more of a natural affinity to them and once it’s so deeply rooted you can’t just stop.

If the last decade tells you anything, most of the players are despised , can’t really remember post moyes of a player who was genuinely adored ( minus the fergie lot, Rooney , Giggs etc)

Right now, the owners are hated, the players are hated , yet we still watch and want the team to do well . It’s weird when you take a step back and look at it. Can’t stop following them even if I wanted to.

Was really touch and go with my lad being tempted by the darkest side (Liverpool) due to both his Grandad's (Not my Dad, he's a @#%&!).

But I took him on the tour and he's been to a match and he loves it. I thought with how shit we are he'd have a wobble but he's genuinely not arsed.

Sounds like a Didn't Happen of the Year but I got a "it's just a game, Dad" after the Derby. Still plays Come on You Reds on YouTube most mornings.

£#%&!ing love him.

I hate my wife at times but we’re still together after nearly 30 years. Probably a similar thing.

Originally Posted by 92ToBury

I hate my wife at times but we’re still together after nearly 30 years. Probably a similar thing.

who does she support?

There must be something to do with it being instilled in you at an early age. My dad was United and I have been as long as I can remember. I took Jaffo Junior to his first game when he was seven and he’s as ingrained as I am now, possibly more the poor sod.

Originally Posted by redhegemony

who does she support?

Brian, her new personal trainer, from up the street at number 53.

For me changing your football team is the biggest red flag of being a massive plastic @#%&!.

i'm absolutely delighted that i inherited united support from my irish family and i'm thankful for it every day. If united got relegated to division 2 i'd still watch them and complain but i can't stop caring about them. They are the one constant through my entire life.

It’s a constant in life

For me…since I was about 6 I’ve been United.

Dad used to work at Trafford Park as a lorry driver and used to see OT as somewhere glam.

Worked at OT, family at OT…been a regular until 23 then less so …it’s just woven into the story of my life.

Everywhere I’ve been, all the ups and downs, United has been there and the idea of changing teams is like abandoning a pet. A sign of a problematic character.

It’s why I got pissed off at a much loved Fredster a few months back who called me a troll for pointing out our midfield / attacking options were worrisome.

Hopefully will live another 20 years or whatever and when the good times return - which I’m almost certain they will - I’ll enjoy them just as much in a different way

For better or for worse - United is a part of me

A couple of mates of mine have recently £#%&!ed United off and started supporting someone else, admittedly a couple of leagues down. Proper baffles me. These weren’t jsut armchair supporters, I’d been games with them, they were proper reds.

And then all of a sudden they’ve decided they’ve had enough, and are now following someone else, home and away.

Can understand £#%&!ing football off completely, but just can’t get my head around switching from United to another club.

As Heath says, it’s a constant in my life. Whenever I look back at what’s happened in my life, I always see it alongside what was happening with United at the time.

I just can’t imagine being able to suddenly switch that connection off.

must admit, if he keeps picking dalot i'm gonna be tempted.

Slightly different take on it but I’ve tried to stop supporting them for years now.

Obviously it’s been like being addicted to heroin minus the highs for years up until the last couple of years when it’s been more like paying someone to kick you in the kidneys constantly.

Originally Posted by Gypsum Fantastic

must admit, if he keeps picking dalot i'm gonna be tempted.

Agreed that it must be a from when you're a kid and grow up with it, if it's a family thing then even more so. I go and support Chorley as well because it's my local team and I want them to do well, but it's not even close to the same feeling of support.

My old man text me out of the blue last week when he'd had a few saying that one of his biggest regrets was not doing more so we could watch the 99 final together. He's 64 and that's one of the biggest regrets in that time is not being able to watch a 93 minute game of football with his lad. Can see why that would seem mental to people that aren't into football, but it's understandable from my perspective.

It'll be a massive shame if that sort of things starts slowly disappearing from the game now with how sterile it's all getting.

My dad was United but nearly all of my uncles on both sides are Everton. Grew up around a lot of mates that supported Liverpool for no other reason than they were winning everything. Even when we were shite, and Liverpool the other way and I'd get my face rubbed in it, I've never once thought about 'swapping'. It's for sex offenders isn't it?

Seeing us dislodge and dismantle Liverpool whilst winning everything has been glorious. Whatever happens, they'll never be as dominant as we (or they) were again.

Kind of linked but just had a chat with my eldest and he said with VAR especially he's finding it harder to be arsed about PL football in general. Used to jump early out of bed in the mornings to watch full match replays. Now he just watches the highlights. Says he sometimes prefers watching HK league football in front of a few hundred fans.

Pretty sure he'll never support anyone else but United, but I do wonder if football will be quite the same for his generation as it was for us.

To add, my youngest supported Liverpool and then Spurs to annoy us before changing to United at around three years old

Originally Posted by no fun

Set me thinking…..why do we stick with teams through thick and thin?

I don't know. I can't help it. They lose and play shit and I'll still watch the next game. I just feel it. Illogical but there you go.

Originally Posted by shenwen

my youngest supported Liverpool and then Spurs to annoy us before changing to United at around three years old

How did he show his support for a club when he was under 3?

Originally Posted by suedeshoes

How did he show his support for a club when he was under 3?

Shitting himself and crying a lot explains the Liverpool bit

Originally Posted by suedeshoes

I don't know. I can't help it. They lose and play shit and I'll still watch the next game. I just feel it. Illogical but there you go.



How did he show his support for a club when he was under 3?

I was actually at a two years old party yesterday. The conversations about which team they support was off the scale.