More just a reflection of the pulling power of the all consuming Premier League, and to be truthful 'twas ever thus. There's nothing weird about supporting both a top flight team and your local club if you happen to live outside of that corridor that stretches from Lancashire to London via the West Midlands, indeed it is considered perfectly normal to do so. I'm a case in point. As the name suggests I grew up just outside Exeter. The nearest top flight sides to me geographically were Chelsea and Villa (both about 150 miles away in different directions). As a kid I would get taken to watch Exeter City, or occasionally Yeovil Town (and I still follow both and go and see Exeter 3 or 4 times a season), but they were very much my second love. Then (circa 1970), as now, television was mammon, and every kid at school wanted to support a club they could see on the box, talk about in the playground and so forth. The only difference between then and now is that the field has narrowed. I supported City, largely because I loved Francis Lee, my mates supported Spurs, Chelsea, Stoke, Derby, Leeds, Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, West Ham and so on and so on. Nowadays everyone supports one of just 6 clubs.
As City fans we love to goad the rags for their armchair support in places like Lowestoft and Okehampton, but it's reality for huge swathes of the country, and IMO a conceit on the part of those who have had the good fortune to have been brought up a stone's throw away from a Premiership ground, to taunt them for it. Good fun though, and I even join in myself!
There's no shame in 'favouring' a big club hundreds of miles away, but I still think it's a bit odd to call your local club 'My second team' & to say you 'support' another club with which you have no connection. No offence meant.
Those small provincial clubs will remain just that until they can count on the unswerving support from those born a stones throw away.
I mean I 'Favour Celta Vigo, Napoli, Fiorentina & Inter because they play in shades of Blue, but I wouldn't say I support them or nor would buy their shirts. I'd probably try and take in a game if I was ever local when a match was taking place, but I couldn't support them as I do my local team City. I've only got enough room for all the disappointment & joy I've had & suffered for one team. If I supported two, it would either dilute my support for both or be lop sided toward one or the other, however it's not in my nature to split my loyalties because I'm an all or nothiing type of guy.
About 3 years ago, I had to go to Nottingham for a weekend on business, & not fancying the drive, I took the train. I was fuckin shocked to see it was FULL of Rags heading home to Nottingham after a match at Old Toilet!
I kept quiet most of the way & logged onto Bluemoon to chuckle over the latest Pellegrini wars, when one of the Notts Rags must have caught sight of my tablet & asked me if I was a City fan. I said yes & I asked him if he was Forest or County which started some great banter for the rest of the journey.
The main one who was sat at my table tried in vain to explain why he'd passed Forest, County, Derby, Stoke, Crewe, Sheffield Weds/Utd, Leeds, Bradford, Udders, Chesterfield, Stockport, Bury, Bolton, Oldham, Rochdale, Wigan & not to mention City, so he could support ManUre, but all he could say is he supported them from being a kid, but on the International break, he always tries to take in a County game or two, mostly because his Dad & Granddad supported them.
People used to ask me how the fuck I could support City when ManUre were sweeping all before them? But I always told the bastards that I'd live to see the day that the rightful order of things would be restored one day & City would again finish above them.
I felt like the last man standing, but I didn't give a shit, more because of the law of averages rather than logic that we'd finish ahead of them again in my lifetime
How I always saw the 'My local club is my second club' is like this: Just imagine if I rocked up at my neighbour's door and asked if I too could become his son's Dad, because his boy was doing better than mine?
This is what City mean to me. They are mine, for better or for worse. We could end up playing at Hough End, in the South Manchester Sunday League & I'd still go, because they're mine. The analogy may see extreme, but that's how I truly feel, hence why I've never understood how anyone could look past their local club & covet another.
Just because one supports his local club, it doesn't preclude him from enjoying the PL or even having a favourite out of the ritle challengers, but no way could I personally go a step further & support another, I'm sorry but I just couldn't do it.
Just imagine how big Forest or County could possibly be if their home town fans supported them instead of ManUre, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal or Spurs?
