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Prompted by recent events, a little nostalgia and the picture of Don Rogers I wonder why people support the teams they do ?

My Dad was an East Fife fan and later, when we had translators, I also discovered he was a pretty keen Rangers fan too.

Between 1967 & 1970 we lived in Cyprus - I went to a forces school but lived in a mainly civilian area in Limassol. I didn't really know anything about football but during my time there some big kid told us we were all Arsenal fans, he seemed to take it pretty seriously so it seemed wise to give him my 100% support.

We returned to the UK in 1970 as, even though invasion was some years away, things had already become quite unsettled in Cyprus with an assassination attempt on Archbishop Makarios and an increasing number of violent events between the Greek and Turkish Cypriots. I was 8 when we left but remember Cyprus and the events of the time quite well.

Funny how the mind works but from my first year back in the UK I can only remember 2 events - I remember desperately trying to stay up with my Grandad to watch the Ali-Frazier fight - I can't even remember if it was on the radio or TV but it was quite an event as a whole bunch of family were together to experience it. My Grandad had boxed for the Army in his younger days and was a massively keen boxing fan - he really wanted to share his passion with all of us and since he always gave us some change out of his pocket it seemed the decent thing - to try and enjoy what he so loved. We buried him yesterday - 98 years old. Fair play.

The second memory followed quickly - Charlie George came on my telly looking like a glam rocker and smashed it in the back of the net , man I loved that guy nearly as much as David Bowie at that time. Not sure I knew a whole lot what was going on but I knew my team had won the cup. Think I was indifferent to the League title that accompanied it as you had to be a proper fan to appreciate the league. There was nothing much around of the league on TV to capture the imagination of an 8 year old at that time.

Anyway, obviously an Arsenal fan, born and bred - still like to pay homage to the big kid who led us to be Arsenal fans - 8 years later, in 1979, we moved to London. Incredible thrill to be able to just get on the tube and rock up with a few quid to watch them - happy days.

Should be a really interesting thread when the lolapool and manure fans from the SE come on board to explain their reasons

I lived in Norfolk as a kid therefore I support Norwich, it was that or supporting my dad's team Exeter. Pretty easy choice given we were a top flight team at the time, who had a couple of seasons finishing top 4 and were in the title race till March time.

I also support Queen of the South because I liked the name when the classified results come on the TV/radio..................

I'll be one of the lolpools then ;D

My parents hate football, so I didn't get into it until I move up to the juniors at School.

A kid I became mates with loved football and supported Liverpool, so I started following them!

I'd love to know why we support any football team. It's ridiculous when you think about it.

I remember walking with my Dad to Watford v Oxford, 1st game of season after 1986 world cup.  Said to my Dad "I don't care who wins as long as there are goals."  How wrong I was.

Remember lots of shouting in the first 5 mins and thinking it was a great atmosphere, and then remember the adrenaline surge when John Barnes broke clean though and the rapture when he slotted the ball under Alan Judge.  Absolute bedlam.  Been hooked ever since.

Of course after that good season, Taylor left and Watford promptly went through a decade of terrible football for my first ten season tickets.

Newcastle fan; glory supporter

I was born in Norwich and then lived in Lowestoft as a toddler

My father was a sales rep for Royal Insurance and the family moved with his job to Leicester

I was 7

For my birthday in 1974 my uncle took me to Leicester v Luton, a 0-0 draw, sitting underneath the odd exec boxes (which were brand new then) at the small end of the ground

Peter Shilton was in goal, in an all white kit

I remember Keith Weller one on one with the keeper, and him saving it

I remember Lenny Glover skinning his full back down my end

That was that, next went back for my 8th birthday and so on

40 years later, its Leicester v Burnley tomorrow and I will park almost to the spot where i first watched them on the car park next to the student flats that now occupy the Filbert Street site.

Lived in Middlesbrough all of my life and went to a few games when I was a very small kid with my parents but the team were absolutely dire and got relegated and nearly went bust.  I started supporting Man Utd.  When I was 11 Boro were in what was the 3rd division and on Christmas Eve my Dad came upstairs and asked if I fancied going to watch them on Boxing day.  Given that the alternative was probably the sales with my Mum I jumped at the chance but when we got to the bus stop we waited and waited until after about 90 minutes we finally accepted the buses werent running that day and went home.  We decided to try again a couple of days later when they played Newport County and I fell in love with everything about it.  After that game in 1986 me and my Dad never missed a home game together until i went to university in 1994 and he has probably only missed a handful since despite us moving to Cumbria in 1989 and not having a car so having to take a 6 hour each way train ride.  When I get back to the UK now the first thing I do is look at the fixture list to see when I can get to a game.   Bernie Slaven is still the biggest hero I ever had and it still stings a bit when arbboy reminds me of the time Leicester spoilt our promotion party in 1988.  Daft really isn't it but once the bug has got you.......

Growing up in Donny I went to work in a local spar aged 14, for a few hours on an evening twice a week after school. Two of the lads who worked there were Donny fans, prior to this I was an armchair Spurs fan, mainly down to Glen Hoddle and the third kit a purple number that was bought for me by relatives on birthdays. Within a week of working in the shop, the lads asked if i was going to join them at a Tuesday night game at home to Walsall (I am not sure if Eso had tipped them to go up/down or mid table this year but it was a minimum of a combination of all three!!). I think they had started the season well and we had won our first 4 games, they had a chap up front called Stuart Rimmer (maybe the right name, may have forgotten it) who had scored 5 in 4 and it was going to be a belter. The 'Pop Side' was buzzing and nothing beats the taste of a night game under lights, we won 2 nil and I was hooked. On the Saturday we travelled to York on the train, now this was a whole new world, travelling to new places with friends, I was now in deep. So deep that in the following 25 years there have been more tears than good times, apart from the clubs who have gone into liquidation I would see our journey as the most turbulent. Playing Barnet at home on a Weds afternoon in front of 600 because we could not afford to pay for the floodlights, the chairman trying to burn the ground down, losing 9 nil away at Exeter after fielding a 15 year old keeper who's headteacher had to give him permission to play, dropping out of the football league with the lowest ever points total..... however, living the bad times, made the good times taste so sweet.

Born in glasgow, lived there til nearly 11. Was taken to celtic from about 3 years old. I knew nothing other than supporting celtic. There were no other choices 😀

Other early memories:

1) Waking up an hour early before school to watch Midweek Sport Special which had (hopefully) been taped on the betamax.
2) Pre internet trying to find out scores when on family holidays abroad, which normally involved trying to decipher jumbled messages from elderly grandparents.
3) Liquid mud pitches with no grass on them.

  

Born in Stoke, so I chose Stoke over Port Vale. I never really understood why someone would support a team from a city they don't have any affiliation to.

Ceefax

Midweek matches

Pages 304,305,306,307

usually three pages per division, and you had to wait for your team to come up on 304 1,2,3 etc

Page 312, football news...checking it every day to see if your team had a mention....

Haha - yes Tighty!  I remember if you were on page 2 and there weren't any goals but Nottingham Forest had moved to page 3 that meant there had been a goal on page1 as space was used to detail the scorer.  Cue a nervous wait for the pages to trundle round if you were playing Villa away.

Aforementioned United fan.

My mum and dad came from India and had no interest in football. My mums youngest brother who was 19 at the time had chosen to support Man United after getting into football. I went around his frequently and just followed his lead.

He told me I went round for the 1985 FA cup final and was cheering with him at the tender age of 5. However my first clear memory is Atkinson getting sacked and Fergie taking over. First memory of a game was the 3-3 FA cup final draw when Hughes and Wright got a brave a piece.

Ceefax knew how to build the tension. I swear 95% of the time you wouldn't land on the page showing your teams result

None of my family and nobody else's family I knew followed football where I was born - in Peterborough, so I had no affiliation.

We moved down south when I was in junior school and a girl I fancied supported Manchester United - so I did as well. It pretty much just stuck.

Moved from Cyprus to moray around 77/78 Aberdeen were the closest league team so chose them, added Southampton when kegan came back from Hamburg as I admired him as a football player added Scunthorpe to my list of teams to follow due to them being the team that discover kegan also follow Lossiemouth as lived 200 yards from there ground for 6 months when I came back from Cyprus I was a season ticket holder at Aberdeen for years before I joined up then used to go to home games after my wheelchair basketball sessions, also been to see saints a couple of times, one day I will get to an irons game

In what way?

gossip 338

All of my Mum's family, who I grew up with, are from Liverpool - my Grandad even had trials for them back in the early Shankly days (late 50's). Unfortunately he did his cruciates just after the trial and back in those days, that was it. Needless to say the entire family is Red. One or two of us have had flirtations with Everton and most of my generation want both teams to win (except for Derby Day, that has to be a Liverpool win) every weekend, but we are all Liverpool fans.

Didn't everyone's grandad have a trial but got an 'injury'?

I always thought that was a line they fed you when you were young!

Born in Brighton, supported ever since. Helped by fact my grandfather has had season ticket for about 60 years, and my dad for about 30.

Don't really understand the point of supporting teams you never see play to be honest. I have no interest in watching my team from a TV! It's not the same buzz. But I guess if my family weren't big fans I would have ended up supporting southend as moved there when I was 10. Did go to a lot of games there but was more just a social thing with friends.

Born and bred in the fens, didn't have the required 13+ fingers to be a Lincoln fan, so it had to be Poshies.

First game was Phil Chard's last for the club, before he made the move to Cobblers, which is obv unforgivable.

Too many highlights to list, but being brought a coke by Martin Pike and Errington Kelly at Peterborough station has to be the pick.

Brighton fans will remember Errington Kelly smashing an orange ball over Perry Digweed in the FA Cup after it bounced off the dug-out six-yard line. Jumpers for goalposts, isn't it.

This.  But why do you suppor them now?

Celtic now is not the Celtic I grew up supporting, and its definitely not the same club my great-great grand parents got involved with when they arrived here from Westmeath.

#LivingWageNow
#Backtheteamsacktheboard

I'm from the United end of Sheffield but none of my immediate family liked football, however my Uncles & Cousins (who are all from the Wednesday end) are all die hard Owls, so I only had one choice.

But short answer, duh I'm from Sheffield so I support Sheffield Wednesday.

(It's shit)

Why wouldn't i? I don't like all the politics involved, happy to start a celtic thread if you want and discuss it there. I'd find it educational maybe, if nothing else.

My family are from the Weds side of Sheffield and I can remember sitting on the drive as a kid  and listening to the roars from Hillsboro and we knew when a goal had been scored as could hear the cheering. Went to my first games at about 10 years old and loved it, when I got to about 13 I used to go to Blades home game one Saturday and Owls the next. I can remember the first game that stood out a mile, think it was Sheff Utd 7 Northampton 3 and I decided then I was going to be a Blade.  

I still went to some Weds games too, can clearly remember loving a striker called Carl Shutt who came thru the non league ranks to play for Wednesday. I was at an Owls game the day Last suspect won the Grand National, I'd bet it at 66/1 and think Shutt scored a few goals in a win over Birmingham and I remember thinking days don't get better than this. Must have been about 14 or 15 then.

I think I only picked Utd because of that 7-3 game and because the rest of my family were Owls fans, tho I've paid for my stubbornness over the years .

The house I grew up in was called Highbury.  My Dad named the house, he painted the barge boards red and white.  He even planted red and white flowers in the front garden.  I had been to two games before I was 3 and two cup finals before I was 5.

I never remember any pressure, but it was never a decision, it just was.

So who do you support then? 😀

Hate football, what kind of nutter takes a 3 year old to a football match  ;nana;

Fleetwood obv.  No other team plays at a ground called highbury and in red and white afaik.

My mum lived in Baron's Court which was adjacent to Craven Cottage when I came home for school holidays one time, I think I was about eight so I naturally became a Fulham supporter. Although in the 2nd division, they had a great team with Johnny Haynes, George Cohen, and Alan Mullery who were all England internationals, plus a few others who's names I remember clearly like Tony Macedo and Graham Leggat.

The next time I came home for school holidays from boarding-school my folks had moved to Sheffield as dad was involved in the cutlery business. I had been a little under the weather after consecutive bouts of German measles(whatever happened to them?) and flu, so mum took me to Blackpool for a week's recuperative sea-air at at the Grand Hotel where it just so happened that the Arsenal team were staying.

The Arsenal team had arrived a few days early for their game with Blackpool the following Saturday as they had all just had their polio jabs. George Swindin was the manager and he became friendly with my mum who was both a looker and a charmer, while I spent most of my time in the snooker-room playing doubles with Billy McCollough, Joe Haverty and a few others. Tommy Docherty was Arsenal's new record-signing from Preston for the princely sum of £43,000, but mum didn't like him.

My dad arrived for that weekend and we were all invited to the match with Blackpool which Arsenal won 2-1 notwithstanding a certain Stanley Matthews playing for them. I travelled on the team bus to the next Arsenal game away to Blackburn Rovers which Arsenal also won 2-1 and one of the players told me that I was their lucky mascot.

When I went back to school for the winter term the other boys were more than a little surprised to learn that despite Fulham having been promoted to the first division I had not only defected to Arsenal but I was their unofficial mascot too.

Another great story, well done Ralph.

You must have thought you were the dogs bollox when you got invited on the Team coach?

Great thread Dewi.

Celtic has always been more than a football club too the many, especially those who went week in week out through the bad and the very bad times. 

It's not just politics.  But go ahead and start the thread, sure there a few Celtic fans on here and positions will be polar no doubt.

I was brought up in the suburbs of West London so basically was a choice between:

Chelsea - yeah, right
Fulham - Don't make me laugh
Brentford - Now you're being silly

Or the team including Bowles, Givens, Stainrod, Francis, Wegerle, Byrne and Sir Les (not at the same time admittedly)

Not really a choice, was it?

I remember hearing this rumour a few times that Stan Bowles was such a sick degen that he sometimes used to ask people in the crowd for racing results during games.

Born in Leeds, dad a big Leeds fan I didn't really get a choice & always thought it strange when other kids didn't support leeds as we lived about 5mins from elland road.

I grew up in Walsall (in before) and the first match my Dad ever took me to was Aston Villa vs QPR and after coming away from there I decided that although all the boys at school supported Villa as they were the only League 1 side as it was at the time I chose to support Walsall as that was the town we lived in.

This was around the mid 80's and Walsall had a tremendous reputation at the time for cup runs with teams not loving coming to "Fellows Park" (before they moved to the Bescot Stadium) due to the tight nature of the pitch and the fans hated it as the away end was completely open and in the team at the time we had for a league three/four side a potent strike force of Nicky Cross and David Kelly (Fanboy!) and it coincided with my rise from County Football to looking for a YTS contract with a league club.

For 5 years I followed them home and away with my brother an have fond memories of travelling on the away coaches with a few pounds and wondering which service station they would stop at so we could eat and then from the age of 14 I remember standing behind the goal on the edge of the "chanters" and joining in but never feeling brave enough to start a chant myself until over the course of travelling with them I worked my way into the group and then loved the feeling of starting a chant that everyone else joined in with, with my personal favourite being "Everywhere we go...."

After David Kelly left for bigger and better things (West Ham and then Newcastle) and as I was then an aspiring Goalkeeper (in before) my new hero was this man
(http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j327/esokral/Fredbarber.jpg)
Fred Barber seen here at Wembley for Chompy's lot who was a real fans heo and came out for matches wearing this old mans mask and had joined from Everton where he obv couldnt displace Big Nev and I loved him as he A) played for us and b) was less than 6ft so as a short goalkeeper myself I studied his positioning, movement and his communication and modelled myself on him which only got me to conference level.

The best games I ever went to (no particular order)

Walsall vs Liverpool home and away in the League cup semi final when we drew at Anfield iirc and lost at home in the second leg in a match where the waist height wall in the away end collapsed part way through the match.
Watford vs Walsall FA Cup where I think this was already the 3rd replay (those were the days) and it was a 4-4 draw with John Barnes scoring a worldie for them and then we lost the 4th replay back at Fellows Park :(
Beating Stoke in the playoffs
Losing the first leg of the playoffs to Bristol City but being 3-0 up after about 30mins of the away leg to go through

The things I remember about football in those days were
Puma Kings
Adidas Copa-mundial's
Goalkeeper Bags in the corner of your net
The camorarderie of fans travelling to away matches with your scarf outside your back windows
Bovril at half time at home matches

Barber an absolute legend and a very good keeper for us.

Wow Fred Barber, there's a name I had forgot. Used to watch Peterborough quite a bit when he was keeper there, pretty sure that photo of him is from the early 90s (I forget which year, want to say 1992) playoff final against Stockport when King Ken Charlery scored twice to send Posh to the 2nd flight for the 1st time.

Nottingham born, and living just down the road all my life, dad and cousins all Forest fans and I went to my first game aged about 12.  We played Everton in the League Cup and won 1 - 0 with a Lee Chapman goal.

It just felt right to follow Forest, as I remember all the fuss and excitement growing up.  No other team/badge/colours/players gripped me as Forest was in the blood.  I had all the usual stories from family growing up, about away days both home and abroad, and let's not forget, we were actually quite good in the late 70's and early 90's.

I took my 5 year old lad with me for his first game against Reading the other week and we won 4 - 0 (I was delighted as I hope it clinches it for him).  He seemed to enjoy it but it's early days.  I won't be forcing any team on him, but I'll do my bit to encourage him to do the right thing if he indeed does like football.

I'm very much of a "support your local team or where you were born type person".  It counts for nothing as you can follow who you like, but anything other just seems alien to me.

And as for all the Man U/Liverscum/Chelsea fans around here.....pfffft

I don't know if it's an urban myth, but he used to have a mate in the Loft with a radio, and when it was time for the big race he used to try and win a corner so he could listen to it.

Probably not true, but a funny story.

"If he could pass a betting shop like he passes a football he'd have 100 caps for England" Dave Sexton once said.

Steve Welsh (I think), Marcus Ebdon, Noel Luke, Bobby Barnes. Lil Fuccillo up front. Good team that, Charlery, Adcock, Halsall, Worrell Worrell Worrell Worrell Sterling on the wing. Such a shame about Chris Turner though, still our best manager ever for me and a St Neots lad too. Apparently Adcock wanted the world the season after and things gradually went downhill.

RIP Belle Vue.

Missed out on the bad times and got the cheapest intro to football with quid for a kid. Still remember meeting the players, getting a photo with the legendary Ian Durden. I was a mascot for a 0-0 vs Woking too. First time in the Pop stand, was a playoff game vs Chester the year after Kevin Mcintyre had left after we paid for his knee surgery. Not sure I saw a kick in that game but I'm sure I learnt some new swear words.