[Palace] An amusing take on Crystal Palace FC - and its fans

[Buzzer]

True football fans have respect for other football fans - whether they have been going to games for 10 months, 10 years or 50 years.

Calling others plastic or JCLs is simply showing disrespect for football fans and disqualifies those showing such disrespect from being considered true football fans themselves.

The only qualifications for being a true fan is supporting your club through thick and thin and getting to matches when you can. It's got sod all to do with respect for other clubs or other fans.

 

[Creaky]

The only qualifications for being a true fan is supporting your club through thick and thin and getting to matches when you can. It's got sod all to do with respect for other clubs or other fans.

You left out the adjective when you defined a "true fan".

You may have a case if you mean a true club fan - a football fan however does have respect for other football fans and clubs.

 

[Buzzer]

You left out the adjective when you defined a "true fan".

You may have a case if you mean a true club fan - a football fan however does have respect for other football fans and clubs.

SJLM was talking specifically about Brighton fans. Your two replies to him don't make sense unless you're still referring to Brighton fans. Confirmed by the fact that you mention views on JCLs etc. That's an acronym invented here by Brighton fans about Brighton fans.

But that aside, someone who supports their local team, goes to every game he can but doesn't respect or care much for opposition clubs, their fans or what he regards as fairweather fans in his own club ISN'T a 'true' football fan? Nah. I don't buy that argument.

 

[Creaky]

SJLM was talking specifically about Brighton fans. Your two replies to him don't make sense unless you're still referring to Brighton fans. Confirmed by the fact that you mention views on JCLs etc. That's an acronym invented here by Brighton fans about Brighton fans.

But that aside, someone who supports their local team, goes to every game he can but doesn't respect or care much for opposition clubs, their fans or what he regards as fairweather fans in his own club ISN'T a 'true' football fan? Nah. I don't buy that argument.

You are suggesting that a club fan can't also be a football fan - that's total rubbish!

Not respecting or caring much for other clubs, fans and football in general is precisely the attitude being shown by owners of clubs that are totally disregarding FFP regulations and disqualifies someone who may well be a club fan from being a football fan.

Not caring if other clubs fold, in some cases cheering when it looks like they are close to doing so simply weakens football in general.

Gloating when another club's game has been called off at the last minute meaning travelling fans have had a wasted journey is NOT being a football fan

You can have a rivalry with other clubs and fans without degenerating into childish name calling, attaching of labels and derogatory generalisations.

 

[Buzzer]

You are suggesting that a club fan can't also be a football fan - that's total rubbish!

What's rubbish is you assigning that opinion to me. I have clearly said nothing of the sort. In fact I said the exact opposite. I asked about your arbitrary distinction (note the question mark) and then completed rejected it. The implication is that I think that what you refer to as a 'club' fan is de facto a 'football' fan too. Supporting your club and going to matches when you can are the only attributes that I think are relevant when defining a football fan. Your arbitrary qualities such as respect, humility, empathy are all good personality traits but there are plenty of true football fans who have none or just some of those. They may not be the kind of fan you want to sit next to or be associated with but it's not for you to tell them they aren't true fans.

Can I ask (respectfully) that you read my responses in future before replying?

You can have a rivalry with other clubs and fans without degenerating into childish name calling, attaching of labels and derogatory generalisations.

You really don't get football, do you? Football is just pantomime writ large. EVERY club has a rival, EVERY club's fans take the pee out of their rival fans. The name-calling, the pantomime villains, the pee-taking songs are a major part of what makes it so tribal and so much fun. In the absence of success with their own team most fans compensate by indulging in schadenfreude. Some people take it too seriously, some take it too far but they're fans nonetheless. They just think differently to you.

By the way - I rip the piss mercilessly out of SJLM and he does likewise with me. And we're good mates. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

 

[Creaky]

What's rubbish is you assigning that opinion to me. I have clearly said nothing of the sort. In fact I said the exact opposite. I asked about your arbitrary distinction (note the question mark) and then completed rejected it. The implication is that I think that what you refer to as a 'club' fan is de facto a 'football' fan too. Supporting your club and going to matches when you can are the only attributes that I think are relevant when defining a football fan. Your arbitrary qualities such as respect, humility, empathy are all good personality traits but there are plenty of true football fans who have none or just some of those. They may not be the kind of fan you want to sit next to or be associated with but it's not for you to tell them they aren't true fans.

Can I ask (respectfully) that you read my responses in future before replying?

I disagree with your assertion highlighted every bit as much as you do mine.

I don't see how someone who can be happy to see another football club fold can be called a football fan

You really don't get football, do you? Football is just pantomime writ large. EVERY club has a rival, EVERY club's fans take the pee out of their rival fans. The name-calling, the pantomime villains, the pee-taking songs are a major part of what makes it so tribal and so much fun. In the absence of success with their own team most fans compensate by indulging in schadenfreude. Some people take it too seriously, some take it too far but they're fans nonetheless. They just think differently to you.

By the way - I rip the piss mercilessly out of SJLM and he does likewise with me. And we're good mates. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Of course making fun of rivals is part of the pantomime of football rivalry but there is a line between chants such as "7 nil to the Albion" when we beat Blackpool 6-1 or even the "you dirty northern . . . ." but when you see and read some of the hate filled words and actions coming from so called fans then I think they have lost the right to call themselves football fans as their actions damage the game.

With regards to SJLM you obviously respect him as a football fan which is all that I was suggesting others who want to be called fans of the game rather than just a club should do.

 

[algie]

You left out the adjective when you defined a "true fan".

You may have a case if you mean a true club fan - a football fan however does have respect for other football fans and clubs.

Rubbish. I'm BHA through and through and couldn't care less about any other club

 

[Buzzer]

I don't see how someone who can be happy to see another football club fold can be called a football fan

Well...at least you've stopped putting words into my mouth.

And I think you can be a football fan and want clubs to go under - or not even care if they do. I want Pompey (or a club like them) to fold. I truly do and I want them to fold for the betterment of English football. If a big club went under it would be the biggest wake-up call to everyone in football (fans, owners, potential owners, the FA/FL, the creditors) ever and I think it would create a seismic shift in attitudes about clubs being too big/too important to fail. And if a big club like Pompey did fold then, even more than Aldershot or Wimbledon before them they have enough latent support to rise rapidly through the football pyramid and be back up where they belong.

The world will keep turning but English football will be able to hold its head up for once and acknowledge that it doesn't operate outside the usual social norms. It's been long overdue and I think it would be very, very good for English football.

but when you see and read some of the hate filled words and actions coming from so called fans then I think they have lost the right to call themselves football fans as their actions damage the game.

Does saying or doing hateful things about your rivals damage the game? It's a moot point. Considering the penalties imposed and the restrictions now in place and modern attitudes of what is and isn't acceptable banter are the toughest they've ever been then using your argument it would follow that the modern football fan is a much better and 'truer' fan than the average fan of yesteryear and football in general was much worse in the past than it is now. I'm not sure that's the case at all (some things were much worse, some things were much better) and it could be argued that certainly some of the actions to remove the excesses have sterilised the game to football's detriment - all-seater stadia, restrictions on away travel, policing of games.

Your definition of a 'true' football fan is flawed because of these arbitrary attributes you assign to this mythical beast. Football fans come in as many different varieties as you get different people and so the only thing that they have in common is that they support their football club.

 

[Se20]

Hopefully the Chelsea blogger was at the game on Saturday.
Non stop singing, brilliant weather, and a fine battling 3 points.
I await his next blog with interest.