Im convinced.

[Diamond Matt]

I have always lived in Rushden, so have always followed Rushden and Diamonds. Rumours in the last couple of weeks that the club was going to fold. I would have followed the AFC Rushden & Diamonds or whatever the reformed team would be - it wouldn't have bothered me what division they would start in, I'd still support them.

My family originally came from Norfolk, so I have also always supported Norwich.

I'm now at University in Huddersfield, so I've adopted them as my local team now as I will be living there for the next few years at least

[bpaafc]

Diamond Matt wrote:

I have always lived in Rushden, so have always followed Rushden and Diamonds. Rumours in the last couple of weeks that the club was going to fold. I would have followed the AFC Rushden & Diamonds or whatever the reformed team would be - it wouldn't have bothered me what division they would start in, I'd still support them. My family originally came from Norfolk, so I have also always supported Norwich. I'm now at University in Huddersfield, so I've adopted them as my local team now as I will be living there for the next few years at least

You have certainly moved round, I only stuck with three clubs all my life two none-league and one premeire side (WESTHAM) Enfield and Bradford Park Avenue.
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[Tynie Topics]

[quote="kcs"]

tcno10 wrote:

I pose a question back to you, and to other forum members, should you live in the town/city of the team you support?

Of course not. I was brought up a Hearts fan and at that time Hearts were the closest senior club to where my family lived (it's now Livingston), but the ground was still some 20 miles away, and Falkirk was almost as close. My first full season was 1982-83 when we were in the First Division and gained promotion in a 4-0 win at Boghead Park, Dumbarton. That cemented the bond which will never be broken despite Mr.Romanov trying his darndest

When I moved down south in 1988, my mate was a Wimbledon fan, but we lived a 2 hour drive away. It was his Grandad that got him into supporting the Dons when they were still Southern League as he lived in Merton. Naturally, I progressed into also being a Wimbledon fan and season ticket holder from 1989-1998, doing the 4 hour round trip to watch Wimbledon games in front of 4,000 was a test of character I can tell you but I loved it and fell in love with the club. Depite moving back north 13 years ago I'm a Dons Trust member and get to at least half-a-dozen games a season.

That's not to mention my local non-league team from where I grew up (Susan Boyle territory ) where I attended their first ever game in 1980 as a 10 year old, was a committee member for many years and had a brief stint as Secretary. Still go to their games more than any other, despite being more rubbish than Auchinleck Talbot.....

So I suppose what I'm saying is, you don't need to come from the same town/city as the club you support and you can most definitely support more than one club, but I think you have to have some form of attachment/connection with them to be called a "supporter" rather than just a "fan".
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[ToffeeDan]

Just adding a small addendum - as a lad living in the Wirral I used to go to my second team, Tranmere, on Friday night and Everton on Saturday (and occasionally Anfield before I realised what I was doing). Today I was offered FOUR free tickets for Tranmere v Notts County on Tuesday night - the original game was abandoned with a waterlogged pitch and Rovers are giving away tickets - it will be my first game at Prenton Park for 20 years (moved away from North West 1992-2008) and ironically the last one was a 2-0 win over Notts County that all but saw Rovers gain promotion to the (now called) Championship (their only previous journey to that level, back in 1938, had seen them go straight down as the bottom team)

So, great effort from Tranmere and probably 13-14,000 in the ground on Tuesday as well.

[nozer]

My story about the team you follow is may be a little stranger that most:
My love afair with the Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club came about in Nov 63 a visit to Molineux to watch a Wolves v Everton fixture as an imprestionable 12 year old with my elder brother. we stud on the South Bank end of the ground and i just fell in love with the place and somehowe new that in future this was were i wanted to watch my football.
I had became a big fan of the then Aston Villa player Derek Dougan after seing him make his Football League bebut a few years earlyer at Goodison Park opening fixture of the 61/62 season,and was overjoyed when he signed for the Wolves 67.
Along with a pal of mine we traveled to Molineux to watch The Doogs Wolves debut v Hull late 67 season with the Doog scoring a hat-trick and i was well and truly hooked.I missed very few home games there after till season 75 when the Doog retired.
I then took 10 years out to get wed and bring up our six childeren and started going again on a too un regular basis around 1990.
I know make several visits a season to Molineux with my youngest son .

[whitetiger]

IMO anyone can be a fan of any club any where worldwide whether its due to a certain player,a period spent there, a family connection or just liking the colour of thier kit and i have no problem with this neither have i a problem with bandwaggoners, every club needs these when times are good. But i think theres a great difference between fans and supporters, i dont have sky tv never have, my sole enjoyment for the last 40 years has been the turbulent ride on the Hull City rollacoster, passholders in most of this period and hundreds of away trips with a like minded bunch. In this period of following the Tigers friendships country wide have developed and talking too these fellow supporters and their journeys following thier clubs is far more interesting and entaining the pathetic jinks of our so called superstars and the hyped built up by the subserviant media. I honestly beleive sky/media/fifa/uefa dont have the game at heart and will eventually destroy it, but my hope is they dont take away mine and several thousands regular saturday afternoons enjoyment away. Those supporters have in general grown with a club through family ties and have dedicated the lives to their club, mine is now at four generations, there is nothing wrong with getting swept along by the success of a fashionable club, but i think we all know when kickoff comes were our heart lies, please dont let the money destroy that its priceless. a

[Footyfan]

My team is Leeds United. a love affair that started in 1962. and continues to this day. Way back then I lived just 10 mins walk from Elland Road and a group of us kids used to spend hours at ER during school holidays watching the players train on Fullerton Park, now a car park. This was long before clubs had state of the art training facilities. It helped that my school gave out FREE tickets if you played football for the school team on a Saturday morning. I got into programme collecting when the Leeds team coach driver gave me a fistful of programmes one day. After that I started collecting local clubs and visited the likes of Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford City and Bradford Park Avenue adding programmes along the way. I must admit to having a 'soft spot' for Bradford PA and always look out for their result but would never claim that I am a fan/supporter. Part of the thrill was seeing the different grounds and Great Horton Park Avenue was quite special with the famous Doll's House and attached County Cricket ground.

I now live in the far off South West and only get to the occasional game, but it still sends shiver down my spine when I approach Elland Road from the top of Beeston Hill and the stadium comes into view. I have been to Plymouth, Exeter and Torquay to watch games but it is just not the same as watching MY team.

I also full concur with the earlier of comments of how good football coverage is these days. I too remember having a transistor radio under the bedclothes and listening to the football results on the BBC Home Service after the 10 o'clock news. However, it is the massive exposure through the media that now attracts people to "supporting" the big clubs. Although you will find that many have never been to a 'live' game and there are a lot of "bandwagon jumpers" out there who flit from team to team depending on which one is being most successful.

Finally, remember the old football adage of "Never trust a man who changes his team..... or wears white socks" (made that last bit up)

[WileBrownAstle]

My team is West Bromwich Albion, I have been supporitng them for nearly ten years now and have been to about fifty five West Brom games. I also follow my local non league side Nantwich Town, and with my Dad growing up as a Chester fan i sort of follow them as well.
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[Wullie]

"I pose a question back to you, and to other forum members, should you live in the town/city of the team you support?"

Bit of an odd question i think. I come from the North East , and most people support Sunderland or Newcastle or Boro.
Having lived for years in places such as Oxford, Reading, Swindon, i find many people i know are genuine fans of teams in London as well as others who support their local team. And it's never ever bothered me, apart from " die hard MAN U ??? " fans who never have been futher north than Watford". I do know blokes who go to most games at Old Trafford who live in Reading, and i see them as Manchester United Supporters , plain and simple.
The point is when people move from town to town , they always support their old team, but football fans will get dragged along ( sometimes screaming and kicking) to see the local team, because that is where their friends go, and a true football fan will always love just going to the game, whoever is playing

[BertD]

I think there are many reasons why people end up supporting any particular club, and there are as many reasons as there are clubs. As a small child I used to sneak into Crystal Palace at half-time. They were my dad's team, and a five minute walk from my nan's house, where we used to be most Saturday afternoons. That was support by default, both the family connection and the locality. If I wasn't near Selhurst Park I'd often go to my local non-league ground where both Tooting & Mitcham or Corinthian Casuals played. I don't remember having a preference, or even knowing in advance who would be there. As I got a bit older and my bike rides a bit more adventurous I came across a set of blazing floodlights one evening a couple of miles from home. Two of us snook over the fence and watched what was left of a Wimbledon reserve team game. Taking notice of the "next match" poster we returned the next Saturday, early in Wimbledon's first season in the League, and were instantly enthralled by the whole experience. By the following season there was a group of us going to local away games, and as soon as funds allowed we were travelling all over the country. Yesterday I stood on the terrace at Histon with two friends I made over 30 years ago.
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