I peruse this forum a few times a day. I read a sentence that went along something like '.... I don't want a wasted season with nothing won.'. Well this describes a sentiment we all can nod along to, but it also describe exactly what is going to happen the the vast majority of football fans. Their team is not going to win a trophy or even a promotion. So why do they support their team if 99.9% of the seasons since the team was formed have been wasted ones? I have supported Chelsea since 1972. My earliest football memories are from that year, my father was an Arsenal fan which may have something to do with the TV showing more football than before. I grew up watching Chelsea yoyo between the 1st and 2nd divisions and flirt dangerously with the 3rd. The first Wembley Final I attended was the ZDS trophy final and how thrilled I was Chelsea actually had won something when I was alive to see it. I told Kerry Dixon in the car park that the round thing he was carrying was called a ball (he was piss poor that match, winning with a Tony Dorigo FK), to which he grimaced me a cheerful smile, thinking B&st*@d. I couldn't watch game after game expecting to win. I'm glass half empty always. For me it seems the highs are sweeter when not really expected. I can only imagine watching a team and expecting and demanding to win would be extremely frustrating and a pointless grind. A source maybe of the dearth of sportsmanship (amongst the fans) and rage they sometime breaks out in violence. I couldn't do that to myself. Are there two breeds of humans? One who supports faithfully, and those who support faithfully but only when winning. Thoughts please lads and lasses.
Your thoughts are the same as most real supporters, no team is better than yours (win or lose) they are the best and as such will recieve your support no matter if Champions league winners or third division relegation battlers. You sir are a true supporter! and yes, there are two kinds of "supporters".
Only born in 87 did not even invest in football till 1996-97, was sick of all the other kids supporting United, and then the beautiful looking Italian by the name of Gianfranco enchanted me, I adored his football and the gung-ho style of football Chelsea tried to play made me a blue for life. I have been lucky that success has not been absent over the last 17 years, but I also remember being in tears about the club nearl falling through in 03 and at being beaten in the 02 FA Cup, as well as the Moscow Misery. Success and failure come hand in hand with being a fan, you just got to take the bad with the good, it makes the good all that much better.
Dfer--I've been on board since 1959 (saw Jimmy Greaves in my 1st game)! In that time I've suffered 4 relegation's including the one where Flasher Walker scored in the last game of the season to keep us out of the 3rd Division. I do not have a conscience about our being up there with the best now! I have earned the privilege!
At some point in time every supporter is a 'new' supporter. Does it matter whether a kid starts supporting a team because his dad does or because they just won the FA Cup? Some start because they like a colour, some because their mates do, there are lots of reasons. I have never met anyone that has changed allegiance and I have certainly never met anyone that stopped supporting a club because they stopped winning. This 'real supporter' tag has always bugged me because it's used with out any explanation as to what a 'real supporter' is. It's like saying a club has no history when what you really mean is we've won more.
Real support for me is somebody who makes the effort to go and physically watch their team i.e. actually supporting them.
If you're from Dubai and haven't been to Stamford Bridge in your life then I'd assume you're supporting Chelsea simply because they're successful. If you're from England and attended games prior to moving out there, then of course it's a different scenario.
I think it may have been me you are refering to, if so then you have read it differently to what I meant. I meant I didn't like seasons wasted because new managers came in with different idea's which means basically you are starting again. They then leave and we don't. I have been supporting Chelsea since 1968 ish. Lost them for a couple of years when dealing with 3 children, one of whom didn't seem to know the meaning of sleep, and of course we couldn't watch games like we can now via internet, etc For me it is always the game to enjoy if we win then that is a bonus.
Unfortunately I haven't been able to afford to go and watch a game for many years now, again initially because of having children,(spread out over years) any 'spare' money had to go on them, college etc. Then moving away from London, (not as far as Dubai only MK lol) now circumstances again mean I am unable to afford to go. But this definitely doesn't mean I am not a 'real supporter'. My son comes on match days so we watch all the games together, and we both wear out chelsea shirts, and as soon as I get some money that is owed to me the first thing I'm going to buy is two tickets to the next game possible. In the meantime if anyone has a ticket or two going free, and would like to donate them and pay my fare to the Bridge I would be there like a shot. I consider myself a true supporter.
And that's a pefectly valid reason AOD, life is far more important than football and considering you supported Chelsea in '68 my comment definitely wasn't aimed your way! It was just aimed at the johnny come lately types who have actually never been to a game.
I supported Chelsea since 1969 when I lived in London the first time for 7 years. Second time in London was 22 years. Now back in Melbourne, I get up at 2.30am and watch every match, even matches without Chelsea, so I can get a proper look at what's going on. Travelling a lot in Asia, there are heaps of people in shirts of many Teams. Some have never even been to England, but like me, watch games live on TV at all hours. They are true fans, not Johnny come latelys', as seen when 10,000 of them turn out in Bangkok or Jakarta just to watch Chelsea training. I think the Johnnys tag is valid for UK residents only who can realistically go, but don't.
Followed Chelsea's fortunes since 1970 while still in school but couldn't wait till i finished in '77 so i could start going to the matches. First match was Pool away. They were European Champs. We lost 2-0...they had Dalglish, we still had Chopper and John Phillips in goal ! Still have that programme somewhere in the attic. Have been coming over to the Bridge about 4 times a season since. Remember one game against Cardiff in the old 2nd division with an attendance of 13,000 but the atmosphere was still great. Always stood on the 'shed' and that particular day i think there were more of us on the shed than the rest of the stadium put together !!! Have already been over twice this season (Mourinho's first game back) and the 2-2 against the Baggies. Could that be the point that gets us over the line...you never know ! Just to finish Dfer, my opinion on all this debate about what constitutes real support for a club is pretty meaningless. I would never put myself out there as a better fan than any other Blue even if they never went to a match. We all feel for our Club in different ways and as the French might say viva la difference !
I do know some fans who have changed allegiance. I know one guy went from Man U to Chelsea and he complained bitterly to me that everyone in forums called him a plastic. I knew a guy at college who was staunchly for his local Port Vale team, but these days he is solidly Man U and furthermore utterly denies ever supporting Port Vale as if to do so would be a slur on his character, unfortunately bears have long and accurate memories. Especially when the first time you meet someone is when they are a new sixteen year old sub in your team who is moaning that he wants to play. A captain who cajoles you to leave central defence to 'let him have at least 15 minutes'. You're winning 2-1 and hurting from a severely physical centre forward who thinks your legs look like a football, so what harm could it do, capt left the decision to me, so I come off and watch as within five minutes he is nutmegged for one goal and hopeless out of position and no pace to stop a second. We're losing 2-3 with 5 minutes left. We have a substitution left. I limp back on and swear I'll kill him unless he gets off the pitch right now. (OK I guess the ref wasn't taking that much notice) Capt shakes his head at me but I growl back. Port Vale boy leave pitch in tears picks up his bag and heads right home there and then. We win game 4-3 with 4th goal scored with last kick of the game. Always a Man U fan my furry white butt! AngOrDev I wasn't criticizing anything you said (even if it was you), the sentiment just struck some sort of chord. I'm not as adamant as Drogs over who is a supporter. One of the truest Chelsea fans I know has only seen Chelsea play live once and that was recently. She was the founder and chair of the Official Indonesian Chelsea fan club. When Chelsea played in Thailand pre-season in Bangkok she flew from Surabaya to watch the game last summer. She has Chelsea tattoos, not just a scarf. She hopes to go to the Bridge one day. Her current idol is Ivanovic's bum. I know another fan in Western Denmark who has never seen Chelsea play at the Bridge, again I know no other truer Chelsea supporter. These fans watch games online and TV at crazy times for them and go to work after....or even at work as Mike, a lawyer in Pasadena, does virtually every match. For years, when the fastest internet connection was between 28k and 56k I'd steam radio commentary using the then very basic voice chat rooms and a mic plugged into my computer and set up in front of an FM radio, for Chelsea fans all over the world, who would religiously listen and type during games. Many of them had never seen Chelsea anywhere. Too poor and/or too far away, but they'd go to say a Brazilian all night internet cafe and log into ChelseaMatchDayChat as it was called and listen to Zola score in Sweden, or imagine what Tromso in the snow looked like.
Dfer. I quite agree. Many fans worldwide are not just wearing the shirt because they had been marketed to. Here in Dubai there is an almost fanatic support for Man City and Abu Dhabi. Well, if you're not City in Abu Dhabi you're in trouble! People really support their teams here. Some are in it because of the name on the shirt but most actually care an will be able to talk about football and more importantly their team better than most of you.
Been supporting Chelsea since 1967 .my first game as a 7 year old was against villa and i decided to support the winners we won 3-1 although was 1 down at half time glad we turned that around Used to go 3 or 4 times a season when i was at scholld, then when i started work hardly missed a home match for 4 seasons then i got married and moved out of london so could only do about 6 matches a season These days work commitments and cost mean i havent been to the Bridge foe 3 years, but still consider myself a big fan
I'm sorry but they are. They wouldn't even know who Chelsea are if it weren't for Roman. I won't criticise the way they show their support as it's very committed, but it's all for the purpose of glory and due to the fact we've been successful over the last 10+ years. Same applies to the fans here in the UK who have done exactly the same. Yes and are supporting City because someone bankrolled them and they won a load of trophies, I don't see how that is a beacon of true support? I have no problem with people from abroad supporting big clubs in England, it's a very valuable stream of income and of course if you're a football fan you should support somebody in a league you are interested in, but I can't see how their support is equal to that of someone who grew up around and supports their local team and pays to go home and away every weekend.
