Why do some people pretend to support certain football teams?

B_ecke_r wrote: »

plenty of Celtic "fans" in Ireland.

Takes me back to circa 1999 when i saw a lad in a local pub wearing a celtic jersey with "Popes 11" on the back.

Same establishment few years later, another lad "Eire 32"

bnt wrote: »

When I lived in London I tried to pretend to like football teams, to see if it made a difference to how I fit in there. But how to choose which team? I had no family history with English teams, so I started by looking at location. I lived in Earl's Court, so who's the local team? Chelsea, since Stamford Bridge was just down the road? Maybe, but what about Fulham is closer than Chelsea (the suburb)?

Then I moved to Muswell Hill in North London, and there are two famous rival North London teams. So I got out the map and a ruler: which team's ground was closer? White Hart Lane (Spurs) or Highbury (Arsenal)? They were both an equal distance away from me. At that point I thought I might as well pick one and go to the match, but when I looked in to getting a ticket, it was instant sticker shock.

Turns out I wasn't that interested after all, and have still never been to a football match in the UK. I've been to an ice hockey match in Denver and a baseball game in Houston, that'll do me.

London is a tricky one BNT, thanks for adding this contribution, it is a very relevant one.

London is massive, quite literally. I often see it as an entirely different country to the rest of the UK. It is a bit like a little principality subsumed within the island itself. No other city in the UK can really identify with this. The population is diverse. For example a lot of Jamaican Yardies are more likely to be found attending the Oval for a game of cricket in June, as they are to be found at the Den in Millwall, even though they all live in Peckham. It is a cultural thing underneath it all.

I can remember attending Upton Park when Paul Ince made his first appearance there after selling out to Castle Greyskull, in I think 1989. I will never forget the tension in that stadium that day. The entire first half was essentially a chorus of boos from the Hammers fans. Ince rarely left the circle, he was terrified. They were hurling half filled plastic soft drink bottles, coins, flares, west ham jerseys, dirty condoms and you name it at the poor guy. Every time he tried to touch the ball the booos and the wanker gesticulation was everywhere. I was an independent observer, but for fear of getting lynched I even faked a cockney accent and joined in.

The fans were constantly chanting " you'll never make the station, you will never make the staaaaayyytion , oh you will never the staaaayyytion.....

never make the station , oh you'll never make the station , you little xxxxxxxx, you never make the phucking staaaaaaaytion " etc etc.

Ferguson took him off after 50 minutes, he was in tears.

I went home, quite shell shocked myself let me tell you, Upton Park is one of the scariest places I have ever been to. I was living in Islington at the time. The tube was tense and there was a lot of scraps and violence going on, I was terrified at times.

That night when I at home watching the highlights I distinctly remember that the crowd interference had been muted from the game. You could not hear any of the bile that the crowd were shouting at him, I mean some really racist stuff including aping etc. They managed to avoid showing most of the missile throwing, but the pitch looked like a halting site on a bad day with the amount of litter and shight all over it.

The real point I am making here is that if you are living in London, but your not from London... your never really from there at all. I got lucky travelling with a work colleague who was a Hammers fan. But I never returned to Upton Park again. No thanks.

IAMAMORON wrote: »

But I never returned to Upton Park again. No thanks.

I'm a West Ham fan. Spent years living in Plaistow. Back in them days it was proper east end. Mad shop. I remember scraps up and down the barking road (It's a long road)

These days (obviously they are gone now) it has changed. Huge bangladeshi/pakistani population in the area.

I miss the Boleyn and it's namesake pub.

Anyway, to your point, that was a proper football ground with real fans and that is why i still follow them today. Although i only get to them maybe 4/5 times a year i would class myself as a proper supporter even though i don't attend every game