There has been discussions with QPR fans that they hate us which is true but we at the moment don't think much of them. I think it will be a fiesty occasion when we play them but who do you consider our main rivals? I have created a list of possible teams but if I miss any that you think we dislike more do say: Tottenham Arsenal Fulham QPR Man Utd Liverpool Leeds Millwall West Ham Out of them, I hate spurs the most closely followed by the gooners...
Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal are about on par for me. Normally varies a little depending on what's going on at the time i.e my dislike for Liverpool grew during those champs league meetings etc. QPR are kidding themselves if they think we really care about them anymore. It'll be tasty at Loftus on the day but they'll soon be forgotten. Arrogant maybe but playing us will be a cup final for them where as for us it will be a game to look forward to, nothing more.
I'd like to add that if QPR can stay in the division for a few seasons and we have a few tasty games against them, I'm sure the old rivalry will grow again however, having not played them consistently for so long they are hardly gonna take spurs' place at the hated head table just yet.
QPR will never be a big rival. Up until the late 60s we had never even played them in a competitive game. Everyone has their own opinion and some perhaps for sentimental reasons but I wouldn't even list QPR in my Top 10 OF teams I hate or consider rivals. Like above, Spurs, West Ham, Arsenal and Liverpool are all on par with me. I don't hate either but Fulham for me is a bigger game than QPR because they are our local rivals and I have a lot of Fulham friends. In terms of out and out rivals I would say the following: 1. Spurs 2. Liverpool 3. West Ham 4. Arsenal 5. Leeds 6. Millwall 7. Man Utd 8. Barcelona 9. Fulham 10. Leicester City (Always been tasty, plus I hate them for that Guppy goal). QPR for me would be on par with Charlton and Palace in that it is a London derby that you never really want to lose, but if you win it's just oh well, good result etc
QPR would have been a big game 20-30 years ago but things have changed so much since then. As I said, the Loftus Road game will have a tasty atmosphere but I'm more concerned about beating teams that will be challenging for the title and C.L places. It's a great time for their fans but they can't believe we care as much about them as they clearly do about us.
I completely forgot about Barca... Really dislike them after those incidents when we last played them. Couldn't believe the scum after that!
I suppose it was of an era but two teams we sort of had a friendly rivalry with was Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley. I remember a game against Barnsley coming up once and thinking to myself we need to win this to prove we're back. It wasn't just that epic league cup tie with Wednesday with Paul Canoville scoring as he came off the bench, but for several seasons we rivalled them in the league and got them in FA and League cups and there always seemed to be more than four goals a game. Ever since I've had a soft spot for Wednesday and was not happy at their demise much like Forest (not at all L**ds). Liverpool was the team to beat much as today Man U is the team to beat. Many school friends supported Liverpool for no other reason than they were successful. The other half Arsenal for the same reason (the double in 71), which being in South London, the place and fans the Arse abandoned for the North, I found extremely irritating. You could count the Chelsea fans in the playground on one paw. My Dad was an Arse fan all his life.
Scary thing is they do, go and have a look, I've been ripped apart and accused of being a WUM for suggesting otherwise. Back in the days local derbies meant a lot more anyway. Even back in the day West Ham, Arsenal and Spurs were always the rivals, nothing has changed. QPR and Fulham had more significance 20-30 years ago simply because of where the two teams were at. We hadn't even played QPR in a competitive match till 1968 and Fulham were in a separate division. I've met Chelsea fans that don't like Fulham (although few and far between) but I've never come across one that has ever talked about disliking QPR.
It's the same now. By all intents and purposes everyone on my Dad's side of the family should support either Fulham, Chelsea or QPR, yet nearly all of them support Arsenal with a few Man Utd and Liverpool. A lot of Arsenal's success comes from the late 90s at a time where the PL as a global brand began to expand. I can guarantee over the last 5 years Chelsea have more attracted more newer fans than Arsenal, because of that drought. A lot of my mates and family have given up watching Arsenal games completely. My cousin wouldn't miss an Arsenal game but in recent years has just become increasingly frustrated and disillusioned. This is what happens when you support clubs because of success. It's tainted IMO. Support a club for a reason, not because they win. That's why I can't stand United and Liverpool fans particularly when they harp on about European trophies yet they couldn't even name you 3 players in the Treble winning side or in Liverpools case who the 3 scorers were at Istanbul.
According to you ALL United and Liverpool fans are glory hunters. Well since your attendances have increased significantly since you have become successful again you could say the same about Chelsea fans. But that isn't right is it? People who have been there for years like yourself would take offence to that claim. United have had the best average attendance for the past 50 years near enough. I'm not sure all of them have been there just for the success have they?
Just generally speaking. At the end of the day domestically most of our fans are based within the M25 or 20/30 miles or so of SW6. United have more fans in London than in Manchester, more fans in Birmingham than Manchester etc One United fan I was listening to when you last played Liverpool didn't even know they had won the treble, speaks volumes really....
But since your recent success and new found riches your attendances have gone up and you have suddenly gained a new fan base in Asia? I doubt you had one of them 10 years ago. Children all over the country walk around with Chelsea shirts and I am pretty sure if you go on to have the same success United have had for the last 20 years then you would garner a lot more of these types of fans. Then I seriously doubt most of your fan base would reside within the M25. You can't call these people football fans though. But generally speaking idiots will use these people as being the stereotypical United fan. I bet more people in Asia support Chelsea than people living within 30 miles of Stamford Bridge so does that mean most of your fans are glory hunters?
They just want to be identified as following the winning side. It's what most people do who know little about football hence Liverpool & United. They'll argue to inpunity and always repeat the mantra 'We won more than you' 'Well we won more UCL's than you' Kinda makes you proud to be a Chelsea fan doesn't it. please log in to view this image KTBFFH
Not all of them, but your need to increase the stadiums capacity hasn't been born out of you being **** either has it?
It doesn't matter. No fan would support Chelsea or Arsenal just because they win etc as they would do with United and Liverpool as post-WW2 the former have never had sustained periods of success like the latter. I'm willing to bet a higher % of our fans have either: A) Been to a Chelsea game B) Invested in the club in another way i.e Buy shirt or merchandise C) Watch Chelsea games either occasionally or regularly. I know many United 'fans' that couldn't even name you a current United player or even know what position Wayne Rooney or Ferdinand play on the pitch. Not all United fans are like that but the vast majority support them just because it's good to be part of a winning culture. I can understand why clubs like QPR, West Ham, Charlton and Milwall may be unattractive to the London based "Mancs" but when you have clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal or even now Spurs on your doorstep it seems odd. I remember when I was younger asking countless United fans why they supported them only to have them reply "because they're the best". Call me a football snob but now Chelsea are competing with them for top honours and have great footballers etc on par with them it makes it all the more sweeter. The amount of times I used to get teased at school because United and Arsenal were that much better than us and now the tables have turned completely
Even in the 70's and 80's United were the best supported team in the country and this was when they were finishing mid table every season. They increased their capacity because they had the money to. It's not as if United had poor support when they weren't very good and then suddenly everybody wants to come and see them. They have had a core of supporters who have been there forever. Of course with success you will gain many hangers on but United have never had trouble filling Old Trafford.
The beginning of your post would apply when comparing Chelsea with fans of Doncaster Rovers for example. The more success you get the more hangers on you will get jumping on the bandwagon for success. So I bet that: I'm willing to bet a higher % of Doncaster fans have either: A) Been to a Doncaster game B) Invested in the club in another way i.e Buy shirt or merchandise C) Watch Doncaster games either occasionally or regularly. That's just the way it goes. These people aren't football fans. They just want to feel part of success. Why do you think all these Chelsea Malaysian fans have suddenly started supporting you? Why when Crawley come to Old Trafford did they bring 9,000 fans with them? I bet Crawley have never had 9,000 fans at one of their games before. Proper football fans are all the same. They support the club because they love the club they grew up around, are part of a community and because it was instilled into you as a child from your family. These people from London or Birmingham who choose United or Liverpool shouldn't be known as the stereotypical United or Liverpool fan because generally they are clueless about football.
Also what will you say when in 20 years time and Chelsea have had the same success as United have and they suddenly have the most fans in the country?
United have had great support but it has no doubt been helped by the success they had in the 50's and 60's and then again in the 90's onwards. Also, the successful northern teams tend to pick up a lot of the Irish fan base as well (see Liverpool and United in particular). Nothing wrong with this as such, as all clubs that have sustained success will pick up glory hunters along the way. I just can't take southern United/Liverpool fans that seriously to be honest. We could all go and support the best but it does feel sweeter to have had the hard times (80's!!) and gradually got better to the point we are at now. I'd feel the same about a northern Chelsea fan generally.
