What's a "plastic" ?

[chaileyjem]

It comes up a fair bit especially when talking about the 15K extra fans from last season. Is it supposed to be "fair weather" fan compared to the devoted Withdean 1997-2011 supporters. ? But surely there must have been a big turnover of fans from that period. (stopped going, younger fans joining, families fed up with rain, turned off by football/relative lack of success, back again for Cardiff /promotions)
Sometimes its used by opposing fans. Albion fans are "plastics" said a tweet from a Palace fan just then.
Its basically meaningless isn't it.
I bought a season ticket last year which meant that i went to nearly every home game for the first time since 1984/5 (i was a STH from 1974/5). Am i a plastic ?

 

[leigull]

It's basically a term Palace fans like to use in order to make themselves feel better about us overtaking them in the attendance/league position stakes.

 

[peterward]

I think its meant to mean fair weather arm chair Premier league club fans who go to watch football at a local club but will soon disappear if the going get tough as they're not really fans of the club they're watching.

15000 Plastics at Brighton is a myth they are mainly returnees and sussex fans, but ask Steve Parish (palace chairman) if he would like to add 15000 plastics into the empty seats at piss poor supported palace and he'd bite your arm off.

Brighton are now a bigger and better supported club than palace, and palace fans need to find some form of insults to try and mask that fact, they cannot simply admit the truth

 

[Mellotron]

Congratulations! You are the 1,000 poster to start a thread questioning the definition of a Plastic.

Sorry, you are new. That was a bit harsh. No you are not a plastic.

 

[pipkin112]

It comes up a fair bit especially when talking about the 15K extra fans from last season. Is it supposed to be "fair weather" fan compared to the devoted Withdean 1997-2011 supporters. ? But surely there must have been a big turnover of fans from that period. (stopped going, younger fans joining, families fed up with rain, turned off by football/relative lack of success, back again for Cardiff /promotions)
Sometimes its used by opposing fans. Albion fans are "plastics" said a tweet from a Palace fan just then.
Its basically meaningless isn't it.
I bought a season ticket last year which meant that i went to nearly every home game for the first time since 1984/5 (i was a STH from 1974/5). Am i a plastic ?

This should clear it up for you.

What is a plastic fan?

 

[Silent Bob]

I think its meant to mean fair weather arm chair Premier league club fans who go to watch football at a local club but will soon disappear if the going get tough as they're not really fans of the club they're watching..

15000 Plastics at Brighton is a myth, but ask Steve Parish (palace chairman) if he would like to add 15000 plastics into the empty seats at piss poor supported palace and he'd bite your arm off

Exactly. People don't realise (or don't want to) the amount of people coming back, or getting season tickets compared to going to Withdean occasionally or only going to away games. I'm sure there are plenty of 'plastics' too but they are in a minority.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Somebody who supports a club that they have no historical or geographical connection with.

 

[Return of the Rev]

Only a plastic would ask what a plastic was

 

[Don Quixote]

Plastic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[StonehamPark]

Plenty of my old school mates decided to join ship last season when they had spent the last 20+ years supporting Man U, Aresenal & Chelsea...
They didn't 'return', BHA was just more convenient and attractive then ever before.
Fair enough, support is support.

 

[AMEXican Wave]

A 'plastic' is a fan who supports a Premier League team from miles away, and never goes to watch them live. Simple as that.

Palace like to use it as an insult to us, because they really and genuinely can't, or don't want to, understand our high crowd levels.

They are barrel scraping, and basically being, well, thick.

 

[glasfryn]

I think the term refers to the people who would usually support Man Utd/Chelsea/Liverpool etc, but since the Amex have claimed to be Albion fans.

This is different from converts, because the "plastics" will disappear back to their armchairs when the Albion aren't doing so well.

there could be something to that
I always thought that "plastic" meant that they might pay to see the Albion with plastic
I have supported the Albion for over 50 years
and doubt I will see many games this season due to
illness
lack of funds
so I will continue to listen to "player"

if this makes me a plastic then so be it

 

[wardy wonder land]

I believe that the term "plastics" stems from plastic paddys in reference to the high numer of people that go out to "celibrate" paddys day in plastic green hats

they are not true oirish - but like to be included in a large guinness marketing bandwagon

Fixtures JCL JCB

It's basically a term used by people who consider themseleves to "true fans" or Uber fans in order to make themselves feel superior over other clubs / less committed fans etc

 

[northstandsteve]

Welcome and enjoy... both the good and not so good.

 

[Diego Napier]

Somebody who supports a club that they have no historical or geographical connection with.

Hmm....using your definition, is there a point in time when they stop being a plastic (e.g. after 5/10/20 years, after 5/10/20 away games)?

 

[halbpro]

This should clear it up for you.

What is a plastic fan?

Yup, in particular Triggers Twin's post is spot on.

Someone who supports a club that they can never watch live because they live too far away and only support them because they want glory.

Can be at any level, but the important fact is that they don't go and see them play in person, only watch on the telly. Hence accusations of our improved numbers being due to "plastics" are odd. Saying they're just "fair weather fans" would at least make sense, but I still wouldn't agree with it.

 

[Kumquat]

Just to put this one to bed…..

"A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids that are moldable. Plastics are typically organic polymers of high molecular mass, but they often contain other substances. They are usually synthetic, most commonly derived from petrochemicals, but many are partially natural"

 

[chaileyjem]

thanks !. i should have realised this might have come up before. Ta for pointing me to previous threads. !

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

A derogatory term used by some football fans to describe some of those they deem to be less valid supporters than themselves.

 

[The Buttery Biscuit Base]

It comes up a fair bit especially when talking about the 15K extra fans from last season. Is it supposed to be "fair weather" fan compared to the devoted Withdean 1997-2011 supporters. ? But surely there must have been a big turnover of fans from that period. (stopped going, younger fans joining, families fed up with rain, turned off by football/relative lack of success, back again for Cardiff /promotions)
Sometimes its used by opposing fans. Albion fans are "plastics" said a tweet from a Palace fan just then.
Its basically meaningless isn't it.
I bought a season ticket last year which meant that i went to nearly every home game for the first time since 1984/5 (i was a STH from 1974/5). Am i a plastic ?

Withdean was from 1999...