Do you want the glory hunters/tourists?

[citygirl77]

I,ve been a supporter since 1976 through thick and thin, ups and downs, I've not always gone to matches but I turn to the back pages of any newspaper to see what MY team has done good or bad, I went all through the seventies and well into the eighties and I have started going back to the matches and I still get the BIGGEST buzz when MY CITY team comes on the pitch and I go home feeling good, because I have been to support my club win or lose. So I think you can support your team at the ground or in your living room, as long as you support for the love of your team and not just for the fame and glory.
PLEASE don't let us become one of these hasbeenclubs, where ex supporters say :- Oh Ye I USED to support them !

U know who you are !

 

[cyberblue]

I prefer to think of them as new fans we all started supporting City for a reason .Why would a new fan prevent a reular from getting a ticket ?? .I went to Barcalona & watched them play Villareall .What is wrong with a Barca Fan visiting Manchester watching City ? . The Athmosphere is dire now it cant get worse

 

[Timmmmahhhh]

Out of interest, how many times does a "tourist" have to come to CoMS before he/she is a fan?

 

[Ducado]

In all my time of supporting City I have always found City fans to be welcoming of anyone who chooses to support the club.

I really don't like this insular attitude of some fans, supporting City is good enough for me, no matter where you come from or how you came to the decision

 

[KentBlue]

When the long-awaited success finally starts happening there will inevitably be a lot of glory-hunters jumping on the bandwagon: it's only to be expected. Also, given our location a lot of our new 'support' will come from you-know-where.

But so what?

Genuine supporters like us Bluemooners (and others) know we've been supporting the club for years and years. Our collective consciences can rest easy because we really were there when things were grim. We haven't just latched onto God's own club because of the new-found wealth. I mean, FFS! Most of us can well remember the dark days playing the stiffs in the lower leagues. We experienced it. Plastic supporters won't have a clue what it's like to be a real supporter because they are, by nature, extremely fickle. They were rag fans last week, this week they'll be Chelsea fans, next week it'll be Arsenal and so on.

The real hardcore football fan stays with his/her chosen club for life.

Personally, apart from my work, everything I do revolves around Man City F.C. Sad? Maybe. Obsessed? Probably. But that's the way it is with me, and that's the way it'll always be.
I wake up in the morning thinking about recent scores and how they'll benefit (or otherwise) City. I think about injuries to key players, forthcoming games - anything to do with the club I've supported since I was a boy, in fact.
I spend an unhealthy amount of time on places like this talking City with other obsessives (sorry, fans!). And I do this because I love my club.

Glory-hunters will not understand this. They will never ever experience what it's like to be a genuine supporter, and for this I pity them.

Regardless of success or otherwise, you make the choice of the team you wish to support and you damn well better stay with it, because that's what real football fans do.

Anyone who doesn't is NOT a real football fan.

 

[Damocles]

Genuine supporters like us Bluemooners (and others) know we've been supporting the club for years and years. Our collective consciences can rest easy because we really were there when things were grim. We haven't just latched onto God's own club because of the new-found wealth. I mean, FFS! Most of us can well remember the dark days playing the stiffs in the lower leagues. We experienced it.

It's this attitude that I hate, that somehow you are a 'real' football fan just because you were there in Division Two. You think you're better than people because of this? You aren't.
Your money is no different to the money of what you term glory hunters.

Do you go and watch the lads train at every given opportunity? Do you go to every reserve and youth game?

If not, then you aren't a real football fan, you're a glory hunter, only wanting to see the first team and never showing your true dedication to the cause.

You're one of those guys who divide sets of fans in to 'real fans', 'glory hunters' and the like, and it's pathetic. The rags do this, and we fucking hate them for it.

 

[samharris]

It will happen, its inevitable..Dont worry about who is or who isnt a true fan its no ones decision to make tbh..
As long as you know of your true support and those close to you,isnt that what really matters..
If someone decides they want to support City for reasons known to them I welcome it cos their money is as good as mine no more no less.

All these new supporters cannot be glory hunters cos it takes years of winning things to attract that sort of fan...

 

[KentBlue]

It's this attitude that I hate, that somehow you are a 'real' football fan just because you were there in Division Two. You think you're better than people because of this? You aren't.

I think you misunderstand me, mate. I'm certainly no better than any other supporter, and I wouldn't for one nano-second suggest otherwise. But the OP was asking the question do we want glory hunters. I'm saying that basically, there's nothing we can do about it. If people want to latch onto the club then they will do so.

My argument was that here-today-gone-tomorrow supporters will never be able to experience what being a fan is all about. The highs and the lows, etc.





Now let's stop bickering. Don't you understand what I'm trying to say Damocles? I love you. There, I've said it. I wanted to keep our relationship a secret but you forced it out of me. Now the whole world will know that you and I are an item.

 

[mrbelfry]

Not bothered who you are or where you come. If you are blue you are blue end of. I'm still not sure why it is a bad thing to take a photo at a football match. Many of the long distance fans on here will tell you that it costs them a huge amount of money to come and support our team. If they wanna take a photo what's the problem?

I live near the swamp and drive past it too and from work most days. From early in the morning there is always someone at the ground and on a match day the place is heaving. I hate being stuck outside Stretford High for 1 hour if I time the traffic wrong but I must admit to being a touch jealous on Wednesday and cannot wait to experience the anticipation of a big match against a European giant. The big crowd is part of that experience even if it is made up of ignorant red muppets.

An influx of tourists and daytrippers is not such a bad thing. What we have to do is create an excitement and enjoyment about the place so that we affect their experience and they become diehard. Even when the team isn't performing well we can still leave an impression by being welcoming, good humoured and self deprecating. This is what I see as typical city (along with the ability to turn victory to defeat). We need to mentor, mould and instruct the newcomers into the City way rather than become bitter and entrenched.

I'm not particularly impressed with United fans who don't know who the Busby Babes nor will I be particularly impressed if some one claims to be pure blue and not know who Bert Trautmann, Billy Meredith, Franny Lee, Brian Horton, Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee, Tuert, Kinki, Goater, Dickov, Uwe, Quinny, Glauber, Edghill etc are BUT nobody is born with a innate understanding of what it means to be blue - it is communicated and taught and explained by those who have it running through our veins. You can't be born blue - you catch it like a virus.

Let's make sure we are contagious so that at least when the trophies come and go, our owners move on, Garry Cook is assassinated by an indignant blue, Jose get's us relegated and MJ makes his comeback then there is a little bit of us in strange little outposts all over the world.

 

[bridgeblue]

It makes me laugh when this comment is rolled out, why should it matter who comes into the stadium, as Cyber stated in this thread, its not as if us regular fans are creating a great atmosphere at the moment are we.
Every fan has to attend his or her first game at some point,we should welcome them to our ground and make sure they want to come back.