[Football] I'm a City fan now

[DumLum]

Next door neighbour, about 56, has supported his local club (Southampton) for the last 50 years or so (going to watch games etc). He was passing today and I (kinda cheekily, but I didn't mean it to be rude) asked if he was ready for the Championship next season. 'I'm a City fan now' he replied. I think I laughed a little, although I didn't quite get the joke. 20 minutes later he's still keeping the story going. He wasn't joking, he now supports Man City. He's bought the shirt, and updated his facebook profile (I don't know if that's supposed to be significant, but that's what he said).

He plays football with some friends who don't support their local team - most are Liverpool fans, which really gets his goat, he doesn't seem to like them. He wanted to pick a club that he knew would annoy them, so he chose City. I do see the funny side in just picking a better club. I'd like to see these Liverpool fans' faces. 'What, so you've just picked the best team, and now you're gloating that you're better than us?'. 'Yep, that's what you did.' There's not much they can say really. If I have to listen to an entitled Man U/Liverpool fan in the future I might just say I support Barcelona or Madrid, and point out that we're better and have won far more than them.

He went on to tell me how they've got the best manager etc. Well of course they have, they've got the richest owners. He's very happy with football now, and apparently his wife is happy as he doesn't moan about football any more. I'm still in shock, it's just ****ing weird.

Like others on here I met a good bloke who switched teams. Turned his back on the Albion to enjoy the glory of supporting a massive club.
I wonder if he still supports Sheff Wed.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

Once you start properly supporting a club, IMHO you make an unspoken statement of "till death us do part".
And you stay loyal - for better or worse, in sickness & in health - with that club.
Divorce is NOT an option.

Your only choice is to become estranged if your circumstance dictate that you are no longer able to continue to give your support to your club.

But to SWITCH support to another club is like having an affair, shirley?

 

[Triggaaar]

My brother has spent most of his life living in Spain and used to watch the La Liga matches on tv. He used to have a Madrid and Barcelona replica tops. If Madrid were winning he’d be wearing a Madrid shirt, if Barcelona came back and took the lead, he’d rush inside and change to a Barca kit and vice versa. He was only about 7 at the time though.

I used to support Tottenham as a kid but switched allegiance, as an adult, when I came to live in Brighton and started watching the Albion (it was at the start of the glory days of Ward and Mellor) so I guess I can’t be too much of a hypocrite but it sounds like the OP’s neighbour is a class one dickhead

I think he's a good guy and has just done it because football was making him unhappy. Weird, obviously, but not a dickhead.

I have worked in London for years surrounded by glory hunters. About 5 years ago I started loudly switching teams in the office on a regular basis depending on who was top of the prem or had just won a trophy. I was obviously insincere which only added to the fun of watching a manure supporting idiot from Gravesend implode in frustration when I justified my allegiance using his own logic.

Love it. That's what I was suggesting in the OP - you could just pick a new team after each weekend and there's nothing they can say.

Sadly now Brighton are in the prem themselves it feels disloyal to continue.

It's not disloyal, since you're only taking the piss anyway. Just change to Brighton just before we play, and if we lose walk in to the office the next day as a City fan (as long as City didn't play us).

Although I might switch to Roma or Real should either beat Liverpool, just for old times sake...

Perfect.

 

[Triggaaar]

Today I am an Arsenal, Burnley and City fan. Not sure who to support in the FA cup. A draw and extra time I suppose.

 

[Is it PotG?]

Not sure who to support in the FA cup. A draw and extra time I suppose.

Certainly want Stains to come out of this semi with some form of 'after effects'.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

My brother has spent most of his life living in Spain and used to watch the La Liga matches on tv. He used to have a Madrid and Barcelona replica tops. If Madrid were winning he’d be wearing a Madrid shirt, if Barcelona came back and took the lead, he’d rush inside and change to a Barca kit and vice versa. He was only about 7 at the time though.

I used to support Tottenham as a kid but switched allegiance, as an adult, when I came to live in Brighton and started watching the Albion (it was at the start of the glory days of Ward and Mellor) so I guess I can’t be too much of a hypocrite but it sounds like the OP’s neighbour is a class one dickhead

My Kids (the little ones, not the big one) Are all born in Leigh in Essex so the local team is Southend. They were allocated a team each before birth. The two boys, Brighton, the little girl...Tottenham (my other halls entire family are Spurs STH)

It has panned out like this.

ALL of them are Brighton, especially the little girl, which royally pisses all of the THFC contingent who find their Spurs gifts at Christmas, Birthdays etc. discarded and their entreaties to follow "a proper team" shunned as if it were a rabid dog.

My other halfs Brother who is absolutely Spurs and proud has now seen the error of his ways...to the point that his son, who loves my kids wants to support Brighton because "no one else at school does" unsurprising for Upminster. And he's OK with that.

 

[Gabbafella]

I work with some right bumholes when it comes to football.
One lad grew up 'supporting' Chelsea but then changed to Spuds a couple of years ago because he thought they had a better future ahead of them.
I also work with two Arsenal 'supporters' who have seen fewer Arsenal games this season than I have, and I've only seen one. My boss is 'having a time out' from football until Arsenal start getting better results, the other guy only knows the results on a Monday morning when I tell him how his team played. It's all really plastic and pathetic.

I didn't get into football until I was about 13/14yrs old. Went to my first Albion game in the early 90's when we were really shit, and I've never looked back. I couldn't ever imagine following another team, even if we had gone out of the league and ceased to exist as a club I don't think I would've followed another team. All that travelling to Gillingham, getting soaked at the theatre of trees, the whole Falmer saga, the promotions, the relegations, the epic journey over the past 25+ years, I couldn't just give that up to say I supported one of the top 6 clubs.

 

[Triggaaar]

I work with some right bumholes when it comes to football.
One lad grew up 'supporting' Chelsea but then changed to Spuds a couple of years ago because he thought they had a better future ahead of them.

It's mental. A proper Chelsea fan wouldn't like Spurs one bit.

My boss is 'having a time out' from football until Arsenal start getting better results, the other guy only knows the results on a Monday morning when I tell him how his team played. It's all really plastic and pathetic.

Your boss is pathetic, but the other guy who doesn't know the results, I'm sort of ok with that, as he simply isn't a football fan, he just sort of likes Arsenal. If you're not a footy fan, fine, no problem. But I'd always thought of my neighbour as a proper fan. Plays a lot still, is knowledgeable about his team, the owners, the plans etc. His son is about 18 and a Saints fan - how can he now look is son in the eye?

 

[Weststander]

How did they feel when both teams met and We won?

Silent on the subject. They were expecting to spring up to celebrate with thousands of other covert Gooners as Ozil made it 0-4, but were stunned by the turn of events. Bitter sweet, more bitter than sweet, on the day.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

His son is about 18 and a Saints fan - how can he now look is son in the eye in the middle of his head?

Edited for you Trig.

 

[Triggaaar]

I know plenty of blokes in this area who completely switched to Arsenal, well into their adult years, in the George Graham era and continuing since. They definitely had no affinity to Arsenal before that; instead being fans of the Albion, Ipswich, Leeds etc. A very touchy subject if it ever gets mentioned.

Some of them have since become Amex s/t holders, but love Arsenal first.

C****

 

[martin tyler]

Today I am an Arsenal, Burnley and City fan. Not sure who to support in the FA cup. A draw and extra time I suppose.

I think a Chelsea fan just about but I’d like saints to be 3-0 up with 10 mins to go before getting pegged back to 3-3 after having a good player sent off when giving away a last minute penalty. In extra time Chelsea destroy them 8-3 but only after another 2 saints players are sent off.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

There's a real interest in Brighton round here (Essex) as, obviously we're quite thin on the ground.

Obviously beating West Ham, Arsenal and the draw with Spurs has increased our local appeal as pretty much everyone round us supports one of those three.

I get a lot of blokes chatting if I'm in a BHA item of clobber, hat, polo or hoodie...not shirt as I'm a grown man.

Generally were well liked and most have good things to say about us as a proper club who've had it hard.

I have honestly only seen one gimp in a Palace shirt since I've lived here...at least they're absent with their comedy outfits and silly badge.

 

[Weststander]

C****

Do you know anyone who switched to Arsenal as adults, or Chelsea for that matter?

In my entire childhood in the 70's and early 80's, at huge Sussex schools, there was only ever one Arsenal kid in that entire time, and zero Chelsea. Those who loved football were fans of Brighton and/or Liverpool, and a few/solitary QPR, Spurs, Ipswich, ManU and CP! (a London family who moved south).

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I always think people should support their local club - but I think we're lucky we're from a place with a great football club to follow - it makes that decision easier. Living down in Cornwall you realise that its not that simple for many people - some kind of follow Plymouth, but its over an hour away, in Devon and not particularly exciting to support. Then there's Truro City, which are a cocky little club with delusions of grandeur buried down the football pyramid - unless you're from Truro they're not very likeable. So hardly a surprise that most people support Chelsea, or Liverpool, or United. Just the way it is.

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

Do you know anyone who switched to Arsenal as adults, or Chelsea for that matter?

In my entire childhood in the 70's and early 80's, at huge Sussex schools, there was only ever one Arsenal kid in that entire time, and zero Chelsea. Those who loved football were fans of Brighton and/or Liverpool, and a few/solitary QPR, Spurs, Ipswich, ManU and CP! (a London family who moved south).

Chelsea, in the 70s, were a very small team. Which they still are in terms of hardcore.

A trip to Stamford Bridge is full of hoorays and Japs.

 

[Triggaaar]

Do you know anyone who switched to Arsenal as adults, or Chelsea for that matter?

I don't think so. I know a Brighton fan who was an STH at the Withdean, who moved to Manchester and wanted to watch football, so started supporting City as his second team - before City got taken over with the money. I've no problem with that. Much like we have people who've moved to Brighton, and want to go to games so started supporting Brighton as their second team - I've no problem with that either.