I think there's a fair few that mix up their first game with when they started supporting. The family's always gone, and took me in around 1969, but I didn't start going regular until a few years later, about 74 at a guess. It's generally easy to spot the ones that were regular, as their faces are familiar, even if you know very little about them. Like you and many others, life meant I was less regular at various times over the years, and I look likely to be drifting away at the moment.
I went in the north stand seats for league games in 1963-1964, west stand seats for 1964-1965 and then for 1965-1966 onwards I was in south stand until we started going in Kempton around 1970 (I think)
Yes i always found playing football more enjoyable than watching. Watching your team is always there when you stop playing.
I was going to put something like that, but had to dash away quickly when I was writing the reply....