How did you decide/end up following your team?

scudzilla

I was brought up a Liverpool fan :eek::eek:, went to see them twice, when i was around 8 or 9, didn't feel nothing, i guess they were forced on me by my dad (who supported Newcastle).

In 1982 i was taken to Old Trafford for the first time for a night game vs QPR (because my Grandad used to play for them), even though UTD were winning nothing it felt right, i felt at home, turned immediately, to the horror of my school mates, it was like "Why ya wanna support them, they win nothing"

Went 2/3 times a season then up until 1987 when i started working in a hotel and cafe as a part timer, then went to every home game, in the 91/92 season i went to every game, home and away.

Had some great memories in the old United Road end, then moved into the Stretford End, just to the left of the tunnel.

Best goal i ever saw at OT? Peter Davenports last minute winner against Liverpool at The Stretford End, the place went mental

BMMachine

because I knew I would be a better person if I supported Liverpool. And I was right

Vicxas

I was a UTD fan when I was a kid just to annoy my family who were all LFC supporters.

But it never felt right. So I went back to LFC

osarusan

My father, who is from Cork, was a big Cork Celtic fan.
My brother was born the day they won the league in 1974. He has often said that decidding where to be was the hardest decision of his life. He eventually took the train from Cork to Dublin ,where my parents lived at the time, to go to hospital. He found out on the train that Cork had won the game and league, went into the refreshments carriage and ordered 11 whiskeys. Turned up to the hospital plastered and insisted my brother be named after one of the players that won the league that day.

Anyway, he saw my brother and myself becoming fans of English football (Liverpool and Man U. respectively, when we were around 12 and 8), said f**k that and took us off to Limerick City to get some live football into us. Without exaggeration, we both forgot our infatuation for English football within a game or two, and were hooked on LOI for life.

The bastard.

CatInABox

When I was growing up my Arsenal supporting brother told me to pick a team in the first division to support, but I didn't really have any interest to be honest. I was only 6 or seven at the time, so I picked the high flying Nottingham Forest.

A few short years later, with me still not interested much, my Liverpool mad cousin came to visit, straight away my brother and cousin got into a slagging match over which team was better, which of course naturally turned into a battle over who I supported.

So, of course, I chose to annoy my cousin and support my brothers team. It turned out that day was the Liverpool Arsenal at the end of the 90/91 season, with Arsenal needing to win by two goals to win the league, Liverpool just needing to stop them to win.

Arsenal went on a "rampage"*, and suddenly, I was an Arsenal supporter for life.

*That's how I remember it, I was only 8 or nine at the time!

Green Giant

It was the last day of the 1994/95 season and a straight shoot-out for the title between Blackburn and Man Utd. My dad, who supports the latter, brought 6-year-old me to the local.

Completely oblivious to him being tortured by Man U failing to beat West Ham, I watched Liverpool defeat Blackburn. My first thought was 'this crowd must be very good if they beat the league winners' and then a Liverpool fan of 20+ years briefly filled me in on their history - as I was 6, his words mainly consisted of "18 titles, way more than anyone else"

While painfully aware of the subsequent irony of that last statement, and also partially influenced by my desire to be different rather than take after the bulk of my MUFC-supporting friends, I was destined to be a Liverpool fan and I would never go back and change that.

Also a keen follower of Southampton, which can be traced back to the magic of Matt Le Tissier and their regular bold defiance of relegation in the 1990s.

ronjo

CatInABox wrote: »

When I was growing up my Arsenal supporting brother told me to pick a team in the first division to support, but I didn't really have any interest to be honest. I was only 6 or seven at the time, so I picked the high flying Nottingham Forest.

A few short years later, with me still not interested much, my Liverpool mad cousin came to visit, straight away my brother and cousin got into a slagging match over which team was better, which of course naturally turned into a battle over who I supported.

So, of course, I chose to annoy my cousin and support my brothers team. It turned out that day was the Liverpool Arsenal at the end of the 90/91 season, with Arsenal needing to win by two goals to win the league, Liverpool just needing to stop them to win.

Arsenal went on a "rampage"*, and suddenly, I was an Arsenal supporter for life.

*That's how I remember it, I was only 8 or nine at the time!

88/89 season

CatInABox

ronjo wrote: »

88/89 season

Ah, even younger then!!

It's not the first time I've been corrected on that, but it just seems to be stuck in my head!

CHealy

My Dad would have followed Leeds so growing up and wanting to be like him I followed suit, used to wait the week just to watch Match of the Day, we used to do this thing where we would try go the whole Saturday before getting any of the scores (this would have been the 90's before smartphones or any of that) so that night watching MOTD was fantastic.

But my real passion was for Cork City. Again my Dad would bring me as a young fella, he would head up into the Shed End with his mates, and all us kids would be down the front, far enough away not to hear most of the carrying on in the Shed, but close enough that he could always have an eye on me. As time went on and I got into my teenage years we slowly waded our way onto the terrace until we were fully part of it, great days. Obviously the terrace was knocked and I never had kids to do the same, but to this day, theres still a group of about 10 of us who go to the games and are some of my closest friends and it all started as kids down the front of the Shed while our Dads were up the back.

Chris The Hacker

Used to live beside Highbury.

geeky

I properly got into football relatively late, around 14. At that point, all I'd really been exposed to was Jack Charlton's Ireland. I really thought pelting it up the field and seeing what happened was how the game worked.

But then I watched Gianluca Vialli's Chelsea in the cup winner's cup, 97-98. Not only did they do this marvelous trick of passing it along the ground, they had such classy players, and there was so much drama in their run to the final. It was only when I found myself cheering at Mark Hughes' winner in an improbable come-from-behind win that I knew I was hooked.

Of course, I learned about the unsavoury element in the fanbase, Dennis Wise being the filthiest player in many a year, and Ken Bates. But nothing has grabbed me quite like that first experience of seeing football played in a beautiful way.

smackbunnybaby

Named after a day of the week.
Owl as an emblem.
Blue and White stripes.

An easy decision for an 8 year old.

enda1

Used to follow Cantona who happened to play for Leeds. Followed him to United who became my team then. I was seven at the time of his transfer.

Omackeral

I have family in London so I support Charlton, said no one ever.

CSF

My friend got me to go to a Champions League qualifier in 2000 against a team from Macedonia. It was a depressing nil all draw. I didn't go to games for a number of years after that (I was 13 and had nobody to bring me) but still called myself a Shels fan, then when I was old enough to get the bus by myself must have been about 2003/4 I started going to all the home games, and then started going to all the away games in our first season in the First Division.

ronjo

Got a football stickers book for the 79/80 season and my dad kept asking me did I get any Arsenal players when I got new stickers.

He followed them because they had so many Irish players..... Brady, Stapleton, OLeary, Jennings, Rice, Devine and Nelson.

Losing two cup finals in a week as an 8 year old was very hard to take.

Nuigforce

Sunderland.. because at the age of 8 I lloved Quinn! that and at the time i didnt understand the step up to premier league and assumed walking away with the then first division in 98/99 would lead automatically to winning the premier league :pac:

Vanolder

I followed Utd until Abromovich bought chelsea and supported them until Mourinho got sacked and went back to Utd- But with Fergie gone and Utd doing bad I went back to Chelsae this year.

DeanAustin

I have family in Carlisle and they had a bunch of Irish players when Roddy Collins was there so I support Tottenham.

Vurnon San Benito

My uncles followed them, then I fell in love with the club that is Newcastle United - everything about it; the passion of the supporters, the stadium, the players (Shearer, Cole, Ferdinand) had me awe struck.

Still feel the same sentiments, despite some of the shít that is gone on with the club in recent years.

P_1

Got diagnosed with diabetes in 1994 and as part of the 'you're not some kind of freak' section of the diagnosis it was pointed out to me that Gary Mabbutt was the captain of Spurs and also a diabetic. Decided to support Spurs as a result (the signing of a certain German striker may have also influenced that decision).

dfx-

Father supported Rovers in the 50s/60s, going down to the Waterford games of the 60s. So Rovers were going to be the choice when young in mid-late 80s.

And thankfully when I had the chance to go/choose by myself when older, Pats were playing in far away Harold's Cross and not Inchicore which would've been and still is the nearest ground to me. So Rovers it was.

Real Madrid choked in the final game - final 13 minutes - of the 1991/1992 season away to Tenerife and as my brother was a Madrid fan, I've followed Barcelona ever since.

Both my father his sister and an aunt on my mothers side all supported Liverpool so I have supported them too from before I can even remember.

Past30Now

markesmith wrote: »

8 years old, May 1984, watching UEFA Cup Final in my Granddad's house. I backed the team in white, with Hoddle, Ardiles and the rest. 30 years of ups and downs, but never regretted it for a moment.

An Aunt of mine and her then boyfriend went over to the 81 FA Cup final and came back with a Spurs hat and pins for me and my brother. They duly won the Cup the following year again. Fortunately a team in red won the FA Cup the following year, and they (to a nine year old) seemed like the best team in the world. Norman Whiteside and Bryan Robson were my first footballing idols. Thank god Spurs didn't get three in a row.

Diabhal Beag

Initially followed United because of Ruud Van Nistelrooy and realized at an early stage that I had no connection at all to them in the same way you'd support your local hurlers and your county. Went to my first Galway United game when I was 10 and felt a proper connection. Was a regular before they went down and hope to go to many a Galway FC match in the near future.

losthorizon

Im from Cork so I follow Cork City - Da ta!

massdebater

massdebater wrote: »

The coolest kid in my primary school class started supporting Newcastle so a few of us copied him. He doesn't care about soccer anymore while the rest of us are stuck with Joe Kinnear and co

Killinator

My dad supports Chelsea and blue is my favorite colour so it was an easy choice at about 7 or 8 years old:)

Ah, how much fun it was to be called a plastic fan/ bandwagoner when Roman arrived.

Still I do remember one occasion when going football training at underage,
I put on a Chelsea shirt and a couple of comments were passed about the Roman and the bandwagon but a Utd supporter quieted them with :" in fairness lads, he's always supported Chelsea".
That was nice

beardo81

Have family in Liverpool so had a connection there from a young age.

Plus I'm a masochist so supporting Liverpool gives me a regular fix there too.

keano_afc

All the kids in my class supported Liverpool and I didnt really want to. It was 1987 and Arsenal were playing them in the Littlewoods Cup final so I though "why not, Arsenal it is then". If they hadnt won I think I still would have supported them, it was quite a niche thing at the time to be an Arsenal fan. Think it turned out ok in the end.

Skylinehead

keano_afc wrote: »

All the kids in my class supported Liverpool and I didnt really want to. It was 1987 and Arsenal were playing them in the Littlewoods Cup final so I though "why not, Arsenal it is then". If they hadnt won I think I still would have supported them, it was quite a niche thing at the time to be an Arsenal fan. Think it turned out ok in the end.

Yeah everyone in my class was either a hangover fan from the Liverpool success or one of the United fans who magically popped up after they started winning things. I supported Arsenal because my two uncles forced me to

I believe they started supporting Arsenal because of Pat Jennings and Liam Brady.

Left Back on the Bench

I must've been terrible in a past life so spurs are my team

Leftist

i watched liverpool beat united 4-0 in 1990, i think it was the same day as cork won one of the gaa finals.
everyone was a liverpool supporter because of their success, so i opted for the underdog.
over the years i have watched liverpool turn into a joke.

little did i expect i would also have to see the reverse happen in 2013/14

Liam McPoyle

Circa 89/90 in national school a couple of lads I was friends with supported United cos their Dads did and pretty much all my cousins supported Liverpool so that was my decision made.

Pretty damn happy with it all in all.

:pac:

dr.kenneth noisewater

Seeing Peter Schmeichel score in 1995 got me into Utd, was amazed to see a keeper score!!

Fozzie Bear

Leeds United (God help me).

Was born in Leeds and raised for the first few years of my life in Beeston which is next door to Elland Road, before the ould pair moved back home to Ireland. We could see the grounds from our front window and Da used to pass by on his way to work and go to the odd game. Always followed them for as long as I can remember which was difficult in school to say the least! All the band wagon jumping twats who changed from Liverpool, to Man U, to Arsenal (week by week it seemed) had a great time looking down their nose at me with my lowly 2nd division team and ripping the pi$s. My Christmas's all came at once in 1992 I can tell you...

BeepBeep67

1974 my Grandfather (rest his soul) sat me down to watch Liverpool v Newcastle in the FA Cup final. He was an Arsenal supporter, but told me to keep an eye on this Heighway lad from Ireland. Liverpool fan ever since, son now has Suarez and Gerrard posters all over his room.

dundalkfc10

I live here!

major bill

Liverpool because of me Dad.

Got properly into LOI when I was about 11, however I always liked Shels as a young kid when I realised what football was...think it was the name, Irish team names always had me drawn to the League table in the Sunday paper when I would look at the sports section.
I got taken to my first match the 2000 cup final between Bohs and Shels in Tolka. I was in the Bohs end cause my uncles were big supporters at the time. Loved it, the colour, the chants, the little packed ground, great day. I wanted more.
Bohs beat Aberdeen away in Europe the following August and I pestered me father to bring me to the return leg in Tolka, what happened next was one of the best European nights in Bohs History, Atmosphere was brilliant...I was hooked.

Still support Bohs to this day but wouldn't go over as much as I should. Some great memories down the years and have made some great friends and associates. each to their own but I think it's a great lil league and it certainly made an impact on my life.

Eirebear

Decide? I didn't.

grenache

This game was the clincher for me....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5nqSpSCp-c

Keane was absolute beast that day, dragging us to Wembley almost single-handedly. And with Limerick man Tommy Gaynor also a regular in the team, Forest was an easy choice for me as a 7 year old. I got an unmerciful slagging from the sisters after Spurs beat us in the Final, which made me even more determined to support them.

wandatowell

http://www.11v11.com/matches/leeds-united-v-arsenal-21-november-1992-20955/


Saw Arsenal lose 3-0 to Leeds and couldn't get enough of them.


Christ they were poor that day, dunno why I chose Arsenal though.

Glico Man

My Dad and Uncle brought me to a Southampton vs Liverpool game at the Dell when I was about 4/5. They're both Saints fans, and because I was a little sh!t back then, I just cheered on Liverpool to annoy them. And pretty much everyone around us. Have been a supporter of the Reds ever since.

Am a Barça fan because of my Grandad. He moved out there in the late 80's and became a season ticket holder. My dad brought me over for a visit and we ended up going to a game where I was mesmorised by Stoichkov, Romario, Guardiola, Amor and co.

srfc19

My Dad visited Manchester once, so it was only natural that I grew up a mad Stockport County fan.

smileyj1987

It was Saturday 07 of December 1996 that I became a Liverpool fan . I had jerseys and the likes before that but it was after my first trip to Anfield I was hooked . We lost 1 - 0 to Sheffield Wednesday that day .
The best bit of that day was meeting John Barnes and Robbie Fowler .

kop77

my mother bought me a LFC schoolbag like this one back in the 80's when I was a nipper in primary school .... been following them since then,

it was either this one or an Arsenal bag that day.... thank fcuk she picked this one!!!

bradlente

Deleted User wrote: »

Because my dad did. First proper memory is Nayim from the halfway line.

Wow a Zaragoza fan,Nice to see some variety in here:D

PirateShampoo

I was given a choice when I was around 10 to follow either Manchester United or Liverpool, this was in 1990 so I picked United purely on the fact my mate followed Liverpool.

Turns out my Grandmother also followed United for years because she felt sorry for them after Munich.

brinty

Was an Everton fan from 4-7, dunno why??? Then on my 7th birthday (in 1987, so i'm not a glory hunter :rolleyes:) my dad and brother made me one of those scrapbooks on a pin board about Manchester United and got me a United school bag and been supporting them ever since...

My second team though is more funny, Grimsby Town. I used to love hearing the classifieds everty saturday and always loved how the guy said they name. Tried copying but it kept coming out Grims-berry town and i stuck with them ever since..C'mon the marriners, lets get back to the football league this season

AgileMyth

PirateShampoo wrote: »

I was given a choice when I was around 10 to follow either Manchester United or Liverpool

Thats answers the question for about 95% of Irish people.