I knew about half and half scarves but I never knew about half and half shirts. What's this all about anyway.? When I began going to the football, some people used to still wear a shirt and tie under their coat. Some of them wore scarves to show their favourites. The scarves became super popular. My Mum even knitted me one which I still have. Certainly nobody wore football shirts to display their allegiance. Then they started appearing too. I understood that. You loved your club that much that you wanted everyone to know straight away. You may have looked a bit of a twerp while walking down the High Street, as the rest of the local population shied away, but you were tolerated. You were part of a separate species and a tribe. Now it is pretty much the norm or nearly so. These days the media plays a huge part and it has given rise to the non-local fan. I have long noted the changes in supporters as I'm sure others have too. One can listen to BBC Radio 5's 606 programme, for example, to find Bob from Southampton is actually a Liverpool fan [and he has a Hampshire accent too] or Lee from Swindon is an Arsenal fan. This happens all so often and it's the sign of the erosion of local football support. People now find a connection with clubs across country or across the world and they genuinely think they have something substantial. This is discounting those that have a family connection through geography. And now we have the half and halfers. These are the ones with local allegiance to one team and a media allegiance to another. Or they may even have no local allegiance to either team they display on their backs. First we got the half and half scarves, which I personally thought was just a way for a supporter to record a memorable match, like an FA Cup Final. But now we have the half and half shirt. What the hell are these people doing.? Where is football support going when it becomes that disconnected.? Are we going to have the thirds and quarters shirt next.? Don't say it can't happen. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-34714661
Not for me and I am a football shirt wearer. As for the non-local fan, two reasons: 1. We have far greater media coverage and access to way too much football, so a fan can be a fan anywhere (nothing wrong wit ha fan being from anywhere), and 2. We are a far less indigenous nation (by town/county) than we used to be. We move around (homes) far more than we used to.
What confuses me is who can afford to cut up a football shirt these days! I believe there 3 types of 'idiots' doing this. 1. Those who are trying to antagonise other fans. 2. Those who have combined shirts in an attempt to make something funny usually with the combination of player names 3. Those who genuinely support two teams or are commemorating a match between those two teams.
Serbia, Croatia, Norfolk, Brecon, Swansea, Cardiff, Kent - yep we get about a bit! (Island Saint - Maldives? )
Adelaide - Australia, Southampton, Cardiff, Winchester, Plymouth, Fareham, Horndean, Denmead, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Horndean, Glen Rock - New Jersey, New York, Brussels, Johannesburg, Winchester, Southampton and Winchester ...... Certainly do!
Remember that feeling when looking at old Saints shirts and assorted paraphernalia back in '09 and wondering if you saved it all whether collectors would be buying it up as football history in the future? Had the club gone to the wall then match days for other clubs would have passed me by. MOTD & The Football League Show would have no longer been on "Series Record" and Radio 5 would have been silenced. I realised then that my way into football was The Saints. The thought of tainting any of my precious shirts by wearing them as "half and half" would have been dismissed as insanity. That is not to say there aren't clubs I "look out for" when the scores come in. Nor that I don't respect the loyalty shown by fans of other clubs, especially living where I do and seeing the incredible loyalty of Chester City fans. But when it comes to showing my colours, I am a Saint. It is part of who I am. So, simply, I don't get it, boss.
You put series record on MOTD?! Far as I'm concerned MOTD is only on when we win....or come back with a draw possibly. Doesn't exist otherwise.
The media doesn't exist if Saints lose...no watching MOTD and no buying of Sunday and Monday papers. Not one of those people interested in football for football's sake.
I always record it on Sky and delete it if we lose. I'm fed up enough without suffering watching it. I only watch MOTD if it's not on Sky for some reason because they only show short highlights usually as an after thought at the end. As for half and half I don't get anything football related which is half and half. When we reach the League Cup final I wouldn't even consider getting a scarf with another team on it. I want one with Saints all over it thank you.
When I started going to football, all the players had centre partings and walrus moustaches, shorts as worn by Baden Powell, and all the games were played in black and white. Comentators spoke like Mr Chumley-Warner, and the crowd clapped politely when the visiting side's captain lead his team out. Even back then though, everyone hated pompey.
I am what you would call a non-local fan (born Colchester, live in London) but still try to get to as many games as I can. I dont agree with things like support who you are local too (I know people are not saying this) I have always been a saints fan and never has where I am based came into it. Onto the half/half stuff. Not a fan of either scarves or shirts. Have always had all saints shirt/scarves and would never buy a half/half one. The shirts in particular look very silly
If we were to play Inter Milanin a CL final, I could envisage buying a half n half scarf. If we lost I'd probably cut the Inter bit off though.
sacrificial limb I'm being more subtle. As a nod to the respective teams Dutch contingents I'll be wearing my half Saints half Sunderland "Vehest" on Saturday.
