Which are you? First we have to define each category. Supporter- Goes to games where possible. Buys kit and PPV and merchandise Fan - Rarely goes to games or buys kit and streams footy for free and buys almost no merchandise Glory Hunter - Buys nothing but 1 jersey a year for the pub streams for free and has no interest when the team is not doing well. For those who want to post lies, please don't bother, it will be obvious from your posts on this board if you are a lying cnut or not!! What is Your yearly spend on Your club and which category do You fit into?
I used to go to a lot of games, but over the past few years I haven't been able to get to all that many because I'm living further away and my wife has had some bad health issues (few spells in hospital, 2 major surgeries and a pretty rough time in intensive care), I have still managed to get to some of the away games that are a bit closer though and have even gotten tickets just for the kids and talked other people (usually not United fans but they got a free ticket) into taking them when I have been unable to go. I also buy numerous kits for me and the kids every season, one of them almost always has one of the home shirts on, they are like his second skin, I might not recognize him without one on to be honest lol.
I don't think buying the overpriced tat from the club shop should be a requisite of support. If anything the most loyal are more generally those not wearing colours.
Same here, when I was young the footy was free to watch, games didn't cost an arm and a leg either. It's all gotten so fkn expensive, and all for fancy hair transplant treatments eh
Supporter buys into the club buy buying kit tickets PPV ect. Money from that the club uses to buy players and win more cash while entertaining us in the process. Without support of this kind players would not be getting paid if everyone supported in that manner, loyal but no buying. Where would the money come from? No PPV bought no advertising no kit sold no sponsorship deal no tickets sold no stadium advertising or again PPV, basically total collapse of the club as we know it.
PPV? I think buying tickets is enough. Someone who goes home and away may only directly put the value of a season ticket into the club but, for me, they're a better supporter than the one who goes to half a dozen games but buys the home and away kits, decks his entire house in club merchandise etc. It may be old-fashioned but I think that any grown man wearing a replica shirt looks a bit silly, even more so if he's spent an extra tenner or so on getting his favourite player's name and number on the back.
What I mean is that any one of the above is sufficient to call yourself a supporter as technically you are putting cash into the club buy buying tickets, thats enough and tbh is far too expensive. There are so many fans now that if half buy stuff it means serious money, even if they all just buy one thing of any type.. Anyways, I was talking to Matt and its ended up here. Football has far too much money and FIFA are almost becoming a political party, FFS
A glory hunter is someone with no geographical, family or emotional attachment to a club and follows it because it is successful and for no other reason. No amount of shirt purchases will ever change that fact.
I haven't gone to games for years, as I have other commitments and interests in life. I wouldn't buy a shirt as I'm in my 40s, and I think grown men walking around with Rooney on there back look pretty sad. I do however pay for sky and ESPN so I suppose that puts me somewhere in the middle of fan and supporter
Assume PPV = Pay Per View? i.e. subscribing to Sky / ESPN / MUTV etc Gotta agree with Watford_R tbh - buying replica kit does not necessarily make you a supporter. If anything, most of the people who buy and wear kit are often the ones who want everyone to know they support their team when they've won something, and the kit mysteriously disappears into the back of the wardrobe when things are going badly. Genuine supporters don't feel the need to brag about it - they may buy a scarf or something to wave at matches, but not to wear around town. Anyway, I'm a fan. Could probably afford to go to games, but can't justify spending the best part of a grand a year, plus all the extra cup matches etc you now have to buy. Particularly with a young daughter - if we want to go somewhere on the weekend I couldn't honestly say I'd rather be sitting in OT than spending time with my family. I've got a couple of t-shirts we bought from OT when I took the little on on the stadium tour, so I've made a massive financial contribution to the club. Around £12 a year on an amortised basis
A note to supporters Try your best to get away tickets because trust me, you will notice how class our away fans are.
Fan, im at university down south atm can barely afford to eat, not a chance im about to spend 40 on a shirt.
I am a Fan/supporter I try to go to games IF I can get a ticket, I have the strip for my kids, and I watch it on TV, when I cant get a ticket But I am now a ££££ and a Chav fan as they are the best teams at the moment
I call myself a supporter despite the fact I've been to old Trafford just the once. I'm not from Manchester, I'm not even from the north. None of my family are/were united fans, but I do feel like I have emotional ties to the club. And like it or not, nobody is going to be heard if they tell me otherwise
