What made you support (insert team name here)

Mr_Roger_Bongos

Or did your team pick you!!? I was discussing this with a friend and the reason he began supporting Chelsea was Zola. So i wondered were alot of people like him, or did people watch matches, or attend matches, or see an inspirational moment before choosing their team??

Suggested format for the thread - Put the team you support in the title then tell us why!!:

Manchester United F.C.

One of the 1st reasons i started following United was becasue my dad supported them, and therefore they were always on t.v. in the house (late 80's, early 90's). My uncle was a die-hard fan who had a season ticket in the 80's, despite living in Ireland, and he would being me back programs and the odd badge or picture.

I watches matches during the 1990-91 season with out really appreaciating good goals, but when Mark Hughes scored his second against Barcalona in Rotterdam i knew it was something special. Obviously it's been alot easier for me to support them through the 90's due to success, but i believe that even if they got relegated (and i realise how unlikely this is) i'd still support them.

Just out of interest, does anyone living in Ireland have a season ticket to their club??

MrJoeSoap

Shelbourne, beacuse they were the first EL/LOI Team I saw.

Southampton, because of Le Tiss, and because I was on a team called Southampton in the mini-leagues.

Mr_Roger_Bongos wrote:

Just out of interest, does anyone living in Ireland have a season ticket to their club??

Yes, Shelbourne.

casanova_kid

I started supporting Manchester United when I was about 5 or 6, around the time of 1993/94 season. All my friends supporting them was one reason, the other was Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona. I've never been what you'd call a die hard supporter but players like Keane, Scholes and Rooney have kept me interested.

mike65

FA Cup final 1974

Liverpool 3 - 0 Newcastle

Seemed like a safe bet

And if anyone should ask why, they don't know nuttin' about football!

Mike.

Roar

cork city, the ground is minutes from my house..

man united, as my dad who was a united nut dressed me head to toe in united gear since birth..

wheres me jumpa

Manchester United.

I was named Gary Daly because it sounded like Gary Bailey, a United GK back in the day. I really had no other choice!

chiller

have family in manchester my dad is the biggest united fan ever so have been supporting them 21 years now. if they got relegated id still support them. sure no success in three years unless u count the carling cup and i still believe they can match chelsea any postiton in the park.

Davei141

Dad was a Liverpool supporter, i started supporting them from around the 94 period, was only about 5. I survived the god awful 90's and im still here.

casanova_kid

chiller wrote:

i still believe they can match chelsea any postiton in the park.

You're delusional then.

MrJoeSoap

chiller wrote:

if they got relegated id still support them.

Well theres a true fan if ever I've seen one!

chiller wrote:

sure no success in three years unless u count the carling cup

Ah yeah, sure its only a league cup. Three years? How do you cope!?

and i still believe they can match chelsea any postiton in the park.

Not sure what you mean by that. United can clearly still beat Chelsea over 90 minutes, but luckily league titles aren't played over 90 minutes!

Cheers for that post, needed a good laugh!

PHB

Man Utd:

I don't remember, I just remember supporting them

My dad insists that it was because I saw a Leicster vs. Man Utd match, and since he kinda supported Leicster, I instantly took up Man Utd, but I think that's a lie.

arbeitsscheuer

Arsenal
Because my brothers did, mainly my elder brother Pete who used to have a kickabout with me every day when we got home from school. I also only just really got into football (as in, watchin EVERY game I could on TV) during the '94 World Cup, which was an amazing tournament. First proper season of supporting the Gunners woulda been 94-95; I remember crying after Nayim's last minute goal in the CWC. I was 10 at the time.

Shelbourne
They played Sligo Rovers in the semis of the 96 FAI Cup, and happened to stay in the same hotel in Donegal that we were staying at. Weird reason to support a team, I know, but I watched the final at Lansdowne (pretty dull game) and then went to the replay at Dalymount with my dad, which was an absolutely amazing match. 2-1 to Shels, penalty save from Gough at 1-1, fantastic performance from Rutherford... So I was hooked there as well.

Crystal Palace
Local team when I lived in Beckenham. Not much choice really, but I still follow them and hope they get to the Premiership again this year. First football match I went to was at Selhurst Park on boxing day 1994-1995, Oldham were the visitors and the buggers pegged back a 2 goal deficit at half-time to salvage a draw...

That's the 3 anyway. And if any of them play eachother my answer's the same: I'm up for whoever's the underdogs!

Zebra3

Was always gonne be Shels as it runs thorugh the family. And it doesn't get any better than going to watch your team away in Europe. Representing your club, your city, and your country with pride. :cool:

Mr_Roger_Bongos wrote:

Just out of interest, does anyone living in Ireland have a season ticket to their club??

Of course I'm a Reds season ticket holder.

A snip at €180.

20 Times 20 Times

season ticket to celtic
season ticket to dundalk

kensutz

Bit obvious one for me Norwich, because I have sense. Picked one at random because most people support Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton etc. Didnt want to be one of the crowd so decided something different. Supporting them 18 years, home and away season ticket. Been through the agony and the ecstacy. Also caught on sky sports last season when we got relegated. Which can be seen below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8suSptxhZHY

MrJoeSoap

kensutz wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8suSptxhZHY

Thats class, fair play!

kensutz

See ya at St Marys next season if you fancy going over to it

MrJoeSoap

Yeah will definitely be heading over a few times next season, hopefully for a couple of Pompey games!

Might head to a few away games too, I'll give you a shout if the Norwich game is at a suitable time!

KdjaCL

St Patricks Athletic

Been going since early 80s, how do fans cope with no trophies for 3 years? I would give up and support Chelsea or something.


VFL Bochum used to stay close to the ground, they had a nice kit too




Kdjac

ullu

Liverpool

I'd paid no real attention to football until I was 7 and we were on the verge of qualifying for the World Cup. I knew Liverpool had a few Irish players (Aldridge, Houghton, Whelan, Staunton) so I started following how they were doing without knowing anything about the structure of football competitions or differences in quality between teams. Then they beat Palace 9-0 at Anfield and it suddenly clicked with me what football was all about.

Mr_Roger_Bongos

kensutz wrote:

Supporting them 18 years, home and away season ticket. Been through the agony and the ecstacy.

Now that's support! I take it you live over there?? Either that or your a lotto winner or more recently euro millions winner!?

MUFC recently put season tickets on sale and i just wish i has finished uni because i could get a job over there to cut the cost of going over every week! How can it be financially viable to own a season ticket in ireland for a premiership club and get the use out of it!!

mike65

Kensutz lives in Waterford I belive.

Mike.

kensutz

mike65 wrote:

Kensutz lives in Waterford I belive.

Mike.

In the same estate as you Mike. So yes I'm living in Waterford, fly over every week

Rikand

Blackburn Rovers

1992, all my friends supported soccer teams, except for me....one of my friends sat me down with the league table near the start of the season and told me to pick a team, so i picked blackburn....have followed them ever since

kensutz

Mr_Roger_Bongos wrote:

Now that's support! I take it you live over there?? Either that or your a lotto winner or more recently euro millions winner!?

MUFC recently put season tickets on sale and i just wish i has finished uni because i could get a job over there to cut the cost of going over every week! How can it be financially viable to own a season ticket in ireland for a premiership club and get the use out of it!!

I only missed 4 games last season, 3 being in Florida during hurricane Frances and Birmingham at home due to an operation. Was told by doctors not to fly over to the Fulham game but defied orders and went and suffered relegation

mike65

kensutz wrote:

In the same estate as you Mike. So yes I'm living in Waterford, fly over every week

Thats what I thought. So you're the bastard waking me up at 6 am on match days! Vroooooom!

Mike.

kensutz

Nah must be someone else lol. Match days I'm normally found over in England somewhere getting ready to be humiliated.

Pigman II

Bohemians.

My local EL team. They look like AC Milan (and play like Real Madrid ) . What more could you want?

but i believe that even if they got relegated i'd still support them.

Fair play to ya ya mad thing!

Mr_Roger_Bongos

kensutz wrote:

I only missed 4 games last season, 3 being in Florida during hurricane Frances and Birmingham at home due to an operation. Was told by doctors not to fly over to the Fulham game but defied orders and went and suffered relegation

WTF!! That's Mental! Fairplay to you, you should have nominated yourself last season for the Budwieser Fan of the Month competition!

kensutz

I was up for Norwich fan of the season but the 3 finalists were picked because they lived in Norfolk and 2 had tattoos. To be fair the winner was a guy who had a condition which I think is life threatening and he was in his 70's.

Lemlin

Blackburn. My first memory of the PL was watching them stuff Villa 3-0 in 1993. Villa were second in the league then so I decided why not support them. I didn't want to be another sheep who supported Man United either.

Two years later Rovers won the Premiership, then there was relegation and now Hughes seems to be finally sorting the club out for the first time in a decade. Have supported them through it all.

anonymous_joe

United. Started supporting them around 94/95. Cantona was the coolest footballer I'd ever seen. And of course, Denis Irwin! Hero! Best full-back in the premiership at the time.

Roddy23

All my mates growing up supported Liverpool, as they were the most successful team around. I was always different and when I watched Arsenal who were the underdogs go to Anfield, and score those two goals, my mind was made up. The auld lad was a staunch Forest supporter, and always tried to convince me to turn to the dark side. After that game at Anfield, that was that, and I have supported them ever since, plus it p1ssed off me mates. Been through the good and bad times with Arsenal (first ever time at Highbury was when George Graham was sacked, and we then beat Forest 1-0, Chris Kimomya). Thankfully the good times have more than outweighed the bad times.

WhiteWashMan

my old man played for charlton, but was a spurs supporter. i inherited my team from him.
ive supported spurs since 1979, when i was 5 years old.

since then, i have followed them through every season, through every win and lose. every week. and yet, have only seen them a handful of times.
some people would say im not really a supporter...

RefulgentGnomon

Shelbourne - I was fascinated by their Euro run in '04 and got to witness it all, got hooked. Get to as many matches as I can.

mike65

WhiteWashMan wrote:

my old man played for charlton,

Intrigue!

Mike.

Limerick Dude

Newcastle.
i cannot remember how i started supporting them especially with everyone around me being a man u or liverpool fan. started supporting them when i was about 5 or 6, during the kevin keegan era, earliest memory was keegan's famous interview 'i would love it i we beat them LOVE IT' also i remember my cousins slagging me off because man u bought andy cole after us! and also when we thrashed man u 5-0! PHILIPPE ALBERT!
went to my first game last season, when we beat liverpool 1-0 at sjp thanks to a laurent robert free kick! i would do anything to go to shearers testimonial so if anyone is selling their ticket get in contact with me!
been through the joy, tears and the roller coaster ride that is being a newcastle fan and will be for the rest of my life!

county

stockport county

brought up in stockport


man utd


just a couple of miles down the road,my dads a big red

blu_sonic

Gerry Oliver RIP
My family ties.
being a southsider.

but mostly Gerry Oliver, how I miss him too!

Kingp35

Leeds United fan because my dad supports them and naturally I took after him. Used to bring me playing football and I remember I used to run around the pitch pretending to be Vinnie Jones. Leeds were not in the top division when I started supporting them so I remember my mates didnt know any of their players. Also the fact we were all about 5 might have something to do with it.

Bray Wanderers fan as well because they are my local team. Family owns 4 season tickets.

Seaneh

Athlone Town F.C.
Local club, were massive, always play football rather than sky ball like a lot of teams in the LoI (longford, kilkenny anyone?) Know most of the squad.... no brainer really.


A.C. Milan
around 89 I started getting into watching fopotball more, was playing for a while before that (was still only 5!) and I remember thinking that a lot of the players in the english league were very avrage and not techincal players,
Saw a Milan match on channell four, all those great players, espically the defence and just fell in love with thier free flowing attacking football, this was the team that invented the pressing 4-4-2 which is basically the standard perfect football formation now because it allows width without sacraficing defensive duties! perfect team, perfect football.

Swansea City F.C.
Few summers ago (5 or 6) me and my cousin spent a summer in swansea with some family and went to a few preseasons, visited friends again in the winter went to some league games, and have been over and back a few times most years since! Love how they play, the vetch was a legend of a ground and now with the liberty we have a premiership class stadium (world class infact) for a premiership stature club!

Ruu_Old

Blackburn Rovers probably from just before the 93-94 season. My mate got me into supporting them, would go over to his house and would watch the games seeing as he had Sky. Still supporting them and always have through thick and thin (bastid Graeme Souness)

Töpher

Mr_Roger_Bongos wrote:

Just out of interest, does anyone living in Ireland have a season ticket to their club??

Plenty. You'll find them in stadiums around the country, usually at the weekends. Sometimes they get to watch football, interesting game so it is, though I often wonder why they play with uneven teams and non-spherical balls! :rolleyes:

Shelbourne:
Grandad was close friends with Tony Donnelly and my dad used to take me to games when I was small. Still go to the games week in week out, and nothing beats it. Highlight of the week, every week!

Hereford United:
Family from there and watched them when I used to be over there as a kid. Haven't seen them play in years, except on the telly, but keep an eye on scores and plan on seeing them again soon. Might go over for the play offs, maybe. Not really a supporter then I guess, I suppose it could be said I take an interest.

Aston Villa:
Took a fancy to them when I was smaller due to the Irish players there (I think). Really only look up the scores or watch them on the telly, so its not really support, a fleeting interest perhaps.

MrJoeSoap

Einst&#252 wrote: »

though I often wonder why they play with uneven teams and non-spherical balls! :rolleyes:

And no match officials, don't forget !

iregk

Milan
Late 80's during the Silvio takeover. I was brought up in a house that didn't pay any attention to broken leg brand of football played in England. Grandfather used to show me old videos of the great Milan sides of Nordhal, Rivera and Liedholm. Fell in love with them and have been supporting them ever since. A member of the Milan fan club and go over quite often. Also was an internation member of FDL before the break up.

Chelsea
Noticed around 89/90 that nobody in school knew anything about Italian football and to be in on the conversation you needed to follow an english team. Brother in law whom I was always quite close to supported Chelsea and I followed suit.

Shamrock Rovers:
Being going since I was in nappies! Nuff said.

dirkey_wynne

Man Utd

Must have been about 8 or 9. The local shop in my village in Cork has a mad big Utd fan owner - he's chairman of the Cork branch of the supporters club (used be anyway, presume he still is). He used have players over from time to time. One time he had Russel Beardsmore, he was signing balls and giving them out. His bird was gorgeous (i was starting to notice birds then, course at that age I wouldn't admit that) and something went off in my head. Play for Utd, get a savage bird. That was the start of it.

Garret

Manchester United

Neither of my parents were football fans so my main influence came from one of my cousins and my uncle - both die hard united fans

Iago

Manchester United

Started playing football in '82, I was a goalkeeper, had blond hair and my name was Gary. Uniteds Keeper at the time was Gary Bailey and I picked up the nickname. Started following them from there, my dad was disgusted, he's a Nottingham Forest fan but there you go.

Went to my first game in Old Trafford in '84, and since then I've gone over too many times to count, I've seen them play in Spain, Italy, Poland, Germany all over Europe really.

I think what hooked me as I started to understand the game better was the fact that they always tried to play attractive football, the history of the club and the heart behind it is immense. It doesn't matter what league they play in or how badly they do, they'll always be the biggest team in England and in my opinion the biggest team in the world.

MrJoeSoap

chiller wrote:

sure no success in three years unless u count the carling cup

Actually, thinking about this... does the FA Cup in 2004 not count either?

Or is it just your maths?

Töpher

'05?

MrJoeSoap

Einst&#252 wrote: »

'05?

They lost to Arsenal on peno's last season.