Not by my definition they aren't. I find the **** you're bragging about really sad if I'm honest and agree entirely with Lucas in that is this is what gets you hard then you're watching the wrong sport. I happened to be in Bristol today, was driving out of a Tesco car park and saw this bloke, grown man, wearing a United shirt. Did I see a fellow United supporter? No. Did I see a mug 'fan' who drips a bit of cash into the club while watching games on telly with no concept whatsoever of what the football club should mean to its surrounding community? Yes. * Note, this is my personal opinion on this and it will never, ever, change.
It's not all about geography at all though it's a significant factor. My view is that you should support your dad's team and if your dad isn't around or interested in football then it should be a local side. Obviously every case is different and if you're a proper United fan from abroad then that's fair enough but it's very much the minority, though I'd still question why you wouldn't choose a team from your region or, failing that, one from elsewhere in France, but that's your choice and as long as you stick by it then good on you.
Shwan, for every one of you there are probably ten million (made up random number!) who don't have your reasons. They will tune in just because we are good. We're entertaining, there is that also, but that doesn't at all make me feel they are just like me. They aren't, they never will be. Not to me they won't be. They follow the team in their own way, I suppose, but I can't get away from that on the grand scheme of things.
I think that "support a local side" argument is weak. Only works if you happen to live close enough to a side to feel some kind of connection, if you live 20 miles away from a club then it might mean less than nothing. Might dislike that club on principal thanks to our wonderful British tribalism. I see it where I live now. Everyone supports United/Liverpool/Arsenal and miscellaneous PL teams because those are the teams people grew up watching on TV. The local club is 20 miles away but might as well be on the moon for all they care.
What a load of bullshit How can a study of 54,000 people conclude that there are 659 million "supporters" worldwide?
You're not obligated to follow your dad's team or a local team, it's merely what I personally believe people should do. You're right in that lower league football isn't as big a deal abroad but I still think people should perhaps have a preferred bigger side and get behind a local side too, much like how in Scotland a lot of people will support Kilmarnock, Dumbarton or whoever but prefer one of Celtic or Rangers. Just my opinion, of course.
I think this argument about fans and supporters of a club is missing the point. Why should it be a big deal to fans here that United has lots of fans all over the world? This means we are very popular and yes it may mean we have more funds ( mind you with our owners this does not follow). Why is it important that 3 Or 30 million fans in the Far East may disappear to say Chelsea or City. It is their choice and they are free to be fans of whichever club they want. It does NOT bother me at all. It feels good to support such a popular team but even if they were not popular or successful I would still be a fan or a supporter. I have been since I was seven years old. I am not likely to change now and the clubs I hate will not change too.
Its not exact of course, but you'd be suprised how accurate estimates from are from a carefully selected sample are. They calculate things like TV ratings with quite a low margin of error like that. Stick statistical sampling into google.
20 miles might be a bit much but just a quick look down by you on the map and I see Aylesbury, with a local team playing non league football boasting a highest attendance of 160 odd people. Do most people living there support Watford, Luton or Oxford? Or do they support teams Like United/Liverpool/Arsenal? What about people living in towns/villages around the area? Unless you're born within walking distance of a team stadium you don't have a "local club".
Of course you do. Everyone has clubs that are at least far more local than others and most live within a reasonable travelling distance to a professional club. I see what you're getting at but I still feel that there's no justification for choosing a team simply because it's successful. Aylesbury has quite a lot of Watford fans, a smattering of QPR, a fair number of Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea as you'd get anywhere in Herts, some genuine fans, some gloryhunters, plus the normal amount of expected gloryhunters of the northern clubs.
Is Watford their local club? is Arsenal? No. They chose those teams the same way some of them chose Liverpool or United. I remember watching the World cup as a kid and wanting to know which team was closer to England so I could cheer them on in matches. Then I grew up and developed personal likes and dislikes based on many different factors.
Watford is their local club unless you want to go right down to the semi-pro and below levels. Some of those supporting London clubs will be gloryhunters but a lot will be the sons of fans who have moved towards areas like Aylesbury from closer to London which isn't the case for the vast majority of United and Liverpool fans in the South.
I once heard that if you take all of the clubs inside the M25, add up their fans, it is still less than the number of MUFC fans inside the M25 region. LOL.
Its not about reasonable travelling distance for me. My "local" club is about 15 miles away in a place where i have no friends or family and i next to never go. For me it would only be my "nearest club" since i feel little to no actuall connection to it or the community.
There are dozens of teams in London but people pick the biggest one even if it is right on the other side of the city and there are several other clubs in between, and those same people call me a glory hunter I always have to ask them whereabouts in Harrow Arsenal's or Chelsea's stadium are.
err we live in a democracy therefore no-one should dictate to another which footy team they should or shouldnt follow/support ffs! If you support your local team then good on you but don't go and whinge about the so called plastics of other teams in your locality with your ooh i'm so "right on" I follow my local team I'm pure and undirty not like you scum ....then whoopie ****in doo to you , get off your high horses you belly aching bitter do-gooders, anyone can support who they want, and if they change their times faster than Jordan changes boyfriends, then that's their choice, so what? it's only football. What would you want next? that the owners, manager, and team are born and bred locally? the kit designed and manufactered locally? the turf grown locally, and the your stadium/Ground built by local crafstmen ....... and finally all your pies sourced from local producers?
Chill out, noone is saying that. It's just a shame when some clubs are on their knees and desperate to put bums on seats and kids choose to support a team they have no connection to hundreds of miles away and put money into that club via merchandise that could be used to watch live football and develop a sense of what it means to really follow a club through thick and thin. It's character-building too and creates better individuals imho.
