Why do you support your football team

[celtic]

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? 😀

[Nakor]

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 

[redarmi]

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? 😀

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

[Karabiner]

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.

[tikay]

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?

[RED-DOG]

Great thread Dewi.

[Kmac84]

Born in glasgow,  Was taken to celtic from about 4 years old. I knew nothing other than supporting celtic. There were no other choices 😀

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

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.

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.

[The Camel]

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?

[Karabiner]

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.

[sovietsong]

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.

[Eso Kral]

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

Click to see full-size image.

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

[Chompy]

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

[Longy]

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.

[Matt.NFFC.]

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

[The Camel]

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.

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.