When you say you are a fan of a club, what does it actually mean?

[khoitnm]

Well I could understand it from that perspective, and btw I don’t think that there’s a wrong way of supporting a club - just like there’s no wrong way to dance - it can have other people scratching their heads but all that matters is that you get whatever you’re looking for out of it.

This forum’s like the Ritz on a Thursday night, so some of the punters won’t understand it, but you enjoy yourself and carry on doing the pogo eh?

The most constructive response I have until now. Not really easy to find a comment that open to different perspectives like this; this will make the idea is exchanged much easier. Appreciate that, thanks, man!

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

When you say you are a loyal fan, or when you support a club (Man City, Man Utd, Barca, etc.), what do you really mean?
Disclaimer: there's no right/wrong here, I just curious what do you think.

Case 1) You are a fan of the club because of players: it means that because the club has your favourite players (such as KDB in Man City, Bruno in Man Utd, Messi in Barca, etc.), then you become a fan of the corresponding club. And it may also mean that if your favourite player moves to another club, you may as well support the new club?

Case 2) Because of managers: it means that because Man City has Pep, you support Man City; or Liverpool has Klopp, then you support Liverpool; and similarly, when a manager moves to another club, you also follow the new club. As long as the manager stays in the club, you don't care which players will come and go, you don't care who's the owner, you just support the club because of the manager.

Case 3) Because of the board members: it means that you don't really care who are players in the club, who are the manager of the club, you just support the club because of its board members.

Case 4) Because of the club itself? now, you may say you support the club just because of the club itself, it doesn't matter who's the owner, manager, players, the vision, the direction, you still support the club. But what does exactly "the club" mean? Does it mean the "name of the club", the popularity, the history, the culture, or the location of the club? What do we really mean here?

Case 5) Because of the vision/idea of the club: it means that doesn't matter who are the chairman, owner, director, manager, players; doesn't matter what's the location, the victory historical, the money have they spent/save, etc. doesn't matter! The only thing you care about is whether the vision/idea/decisions made by people in the club help the club, the football to improve or not. For example:
- An owner, a director, a manager may make good decisions in the past, but if they are not good enough anymore, then you won't support them anymore.
- A club may be in Manchester in the past, but if moving it to London will help us to improve more, help football to improve more, then go ahead, you still support it.
- A club may change its name from Manchester City to Man London City, but if that brings benefit, then fine.
- A club may be rich in the past, but if spending all of its money on something else, to make it good for human beings, for football, then go ahead.

So, where do you put your support?
Note: sometimes there's no black and white, just a spectrum of grays.

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This is my personal way of "supporting a club":

- When I was a teenager, I support a club because of players: I followed Ronaldo (Brazil) from Inter to Real Madrid, then I supported Real Madrid because of him, Raul, Figo, Zidane, Beckham, R.Carlos, Carsillas... hell, what a team!
- But then, when I grew up a little bit more, I realized Perez treated managers like dirt; they could be sacked right after the champion celebration, then I don't support Real Madrid anymore.

- Then Mourinho appears in Chelsea: at that time, I realized managers is the one who can make a team better than its sum. So I supported a club because of the manager, and don't really care who are players. And I supported Mourinho until I realized he's too toxic; especially with the appearance of Pep. Since then, I support Barca, Bayern, and now Man City (yeah, to be honest, I don't support Man City because of Man City itself).

Now, I support a club because of... somewhere between the manager, board, and the vision/idea (blending between case 2, 3, 4, 5):
- When Mourinho left Chelsea, there's no way I can support Chelsea because Abrahimovich is not much different from Perez, and I don't see the long terms in his decisions. But if Pep leaves Man City, I may still support Man City because of the board, the decisions we made, the vision and the strategy. Just to be clear, I may still follow Pep when he leaves (maybe to Bresica if he chooses Italy).

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Oh, hi mod, could you help to move this thread to the "General Thread", I think it's more suitable?

Definition of a plastic right there, no genuine fan can change allegiance at the drop of a hat.

 

[WinnipegCity]

None of that applies to me.
I don’t even think that deciding to support a club is generally such a “thought through” process.
Unless maybe if you had no initial interest in football . . then decided one day that you should support a team . . and then graded the merits of various clubs to help you make your choice or something?

I just supported City from as young a I can remember, not down to a particular anything, just a holistic sense of supporting City.
And none of my family were into football either, so I wasn’t educated to it or cajoled into it.
That was the way it was is all.

This is exactly what happened to me.
I support my local hockey team the Winnipeg Jets, im a die hard Jets fan from as early as I could remember. Makes sense because it’s my hometown team. No matter how bad they are they will always be my team and we are season ticket holders.

For City I didn’t follow Epl at all. My brother and best friend were/still are Spurs fans. They encouraged me to pick a team, I didn’t want any big name team like United because I didn’t want people thinking I was a glory hunter. They suggested City to me because they had just been taken over and could be future contenders. So that was it been City since then. Had they known what City would become they would have never suggested it.
My kids on the other hand have no choice, if they are to follow anyone it will have to be City in my house. I’m starting young my daughter is two and at bed time she will ask me to tell her the story of aguero
“City was down 2-1 and we were entering stoppage time ....”

 

[WinnipegCity]

I picked City arbitrarily 13 years ago, but I’m of the view point you do not switch clubs because they are no longer good or because of players managers etc. that is common in North American sports for example Lebron James fans cheered for Cleveland, Miami and now cheer for Lakers. I don’t like that.

Though I picked City arbitrarily they have a significant impact on my mood. If they win it can make my weekend and if they lose it can ruin it. I have managed to travel 6000+ kms to visit Etihad on 5 occasions.

 

[Shaelumstash]

Oh, now I aware that you are absolutely right, in your case, when you grow up in England which has the most popular teams in the whole world. So supporting the hometown team to compete with other teams is already absolutely a joy.

And to give a bit more context why I don't have a fixed club to support, let me copy from my other comment: "it's because I'm not born in Europe, and I doubt anybody here hardly ever heard of a club in my country; so it's very natural to have interested in other top clubs in the world, and I think that makes my thought not fixed in a particular club", and that's why I also support a lot of other popular players, managers.

I’m genuinely not sure if you’re taking the piss or not.

But assuming this is a genuine thread, I would say there’s a difference between a supporter and a fan.

Supporters like the vast majority on here had absolutely no choice on their team, they were born in to it and will stick with the club until death. More like a religion or family than liking a particular brand.

I guess “fans” could mean people like you describe who change clubs depending on players, managers etc.

I am a bit like that with basketball. Michael Jordan was my hero as a kid and I followed the Bulls. Then when he left I took more of an interest in different teams at different points, Charlotte, Dallas, Philadelphia, Golden State, Brooklyn.

I wouldn’t even consider myself a fan of any of those teams, but I sometimes have a team I like and will watch their games and check out their results. And that’s ok.

But you mustn’t compare that engagement with the engagement of a supporter. They’re completely different things.

It’s like comparing how much you love your mother with how much you love Tiger King.

 

[Maly]

Santa?

Clause?

 

[LongsightM13]

I want to be kind and welcoming. But is this a fucking wind up? Is this another #TopRed on a fishing trip?
No option for ‘Because it is your local club, to the extent that when you were too young to go on your own, you would kick a ball on the street outside on Saturday afternoon and hear the goals being cheered’

 

[not my fault!]

I was born a blue and I’ll die a blue. We were here during the bad times with no trophies no success of any kind and when everyone outside our collective wanted us to succeed because they knew we wouldn’t.
Going with my dad (rest his soul) and going now with my kids. Following us home and away and back again knowing in all likelihood we’d lose. You didn't pick city if you’re a genuine fan, city picked you. It’s in your blood, your heart, your soul… If we never won another trophy again I’d still love and support this club.
It’s a family, complete with its nutters, not rights and characters and we’d not have it any other way. It’s our City, our town and our passion. Players are a bi-peoduct, managers too. They come and go but we are the only constant regardless.
THAT is what a true fan is, that is what the majority here are. We have shed blood, sweat and tears for this club, we have spent our last pound, have lost friends, girlfriends and arguments galore over this club. We have protested, celebrated and never given up the belief. There’s a reason the club use the #Together because that’s us, that’s the fans, that’s what a “real“ fan is, and that’s Manchester City Football club!
*Drops mic*

 

[Robinhosthumb!]

I was born a blue and I’ll die a blue. We were here during the bad times with no trophies no success of any kind and when everyone outside our collective wanted us to succeed because they knew we wouldn’t.
Going with my dad (rest his soul) and going now with my kids. Following us home and away and back again knowing in all likelihood we’d lose. You didn't pick city if you’re a genuine fan, city picked you. It’s in your blood, your heart, your soul… If we never won another trophy again I’d still love and support this club.
It’s a family, complete with its nutters, not rights and characters and we’d not have it any other way. It’s our City, our town and our passion. Players are a bi-peoduct, managers too. They come and go but we are the only constant regardless.
THAT is what a true fan is, that is what the majority here are. We have shed blood, sweat and tears for this club, we have spent our last pound, have lost friends, girlfriends and arguments galore over this club. We have protested, celebrated and never given up the belief. There’s a reason the club use the #Together because that’s us, that’s the fans, that’s what a “real“ fan is, and that’s Manchester City Football club!
*Drops mic*

And that"s all that needs saying, nice one Blue

 

[Magicpole]

It's a part of your family history. You are brought up on it. You cannot change it. People who change clubs because of glory hunting are cunts and not football supporters. You stick with them no matter what. You love them. Apart from family stuff your club is next in line to fuck you up emotionally. There is no escape. There is no vaccine. You can have 200 different partners, you 8nky have one club. They make you feel part of something, you fucking love them. You never go a single day without worrying about something to do with them. Not one fucking day. It's brilliant. And even if it isn't, you can do fuck all about it. In fact, less than fuck all. Probably even less than less than fuck all actually. They belong to you and you belong to them no matter what.