I am glad I support a club for the right reasons

[ted1965]

So yesterday we once more lost to that world brand name Manchester United and I am sure there was delight on the streets of Beijing, Ulan Bator, Bangkok, Nairobi and other far away places where the brand has reached and gathered in it’s crop. Though was there real passion amongst these far flung supporters of the self proclaimed biggest club in the world I would imagine about the same level as 5 days before when they added the meaningless, sorry prestigious title of world champions having beaten the unheralded club champions of South America who very few would have ever heard of until their shock triumph.

The point of my post is about real passion for a club and not just attaching yourself to a club because they win and therefore it makes you feel as if you’re a part of some success. That isn’t what makes a true supporter, it would be easy to just change your club like your underwear and support whoever happens to be in vogue this season. What joy that must bring to constantly be associated with success and never having to deal with actual football issues such as the agony of relegation, the stomach churning moments when the side you have in your blood are sliding downhill faster than a downhill racer at the winter Olympics and you can see no way back for them. The solution for these soulless people of course is to immediately switch their allegiances to the new champions and therefore solve any feelings of pain in one stroke.

The highs and lows of being a football supporter can’t be alleviated by merely jumping from horse to horse depending on whether they are more likely to win that year or not. It’s in the blood, you become immersed in a club, it becomes the escape from reality and for 90 minutes you can behave like a complete lunatic and with no possibility of being taken into care for your actions. That’s what supporting a club with your heart and soul is about, it’s about passion, a desire to succeed but in many cases never quite achieving all you hope for. It doesn’t matter as it’s your club and no matter how they perform you’ll stick with them because a real supporter can’t contemplate changing it’s like your kids you may not always like them but you love them no matter what. That’s what many so called supporters of the bigger clubs will never understand, it’s easy to say I support Manchester United when they are taking all before them, it’s a damn sight more difficult to say I support Rochdale for the last 30 years and wouldn’t think of changing irrespective of results or league position.

That’s why we are loud and proud of our club, it seems to have shocked some that we have such passion for the club. Well it’s simple we understand when you’re moderately successful compared to the recent past then you’re going to take that cup and drink from it with large and gleeful gulps because you know only to well how short lived the cup being full can be.

These new breed of football supporters are soulless individuals who’s knowledge of their club is limited to 5 or possibly 10 years at best, the good times those moments when they have been on top. They know little or nothing of other clubs and they obviously know little about the game itself. It’s not a passion it’s a fashion accessory like a brand named shirt or shoes, they support a brand named club.

I was speaking to someone who claimed to support Manchester United and asked them how long they had been following them, since about 1995 they told me, they were in their 40’s like me. So I asked how come you didn’t support them before that and they came back with oh I was a Liverpool supporter before but changed when they started to lose. In one statement we have the true meaning of why they support a club.

I myself have gone through many agonies supporting Stoke City just like every other supporter who reads and posts on here and all those who don’t. it’s not a fashion accessory it’s a way of life it’s the reason I love football so much that dream when you’re in the lower reaches of the league pyramid and hoping one day you’ll once more see the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool run out alongside the Potters and at the same time realizing that you’re delighted to support a club for the right reasons, passion, desire and a realization that success is fleeting but true supporters are for life.

I am so glad I don’t support a club like United simply for prestige or because they win I support my club because they are my club and nothing would change that and thank God for real supporters up and down the country who feel the same because without them football would be dead in the water just another branded item in a store a soulless garment that can simply be bought rather than earned through blood, sweat, tears of joy and despair.

Proud to be a Potter and proud of those who like me support a real club for the right reasons.

[blurtonboy66]

Good post that ted and straight to the point,

[Cyprusdelilah]

Nice read.

[stokie63]

well said ted another fantastic post u realy do talk sense.

[BristolMick]

Good post Ted but you let yourself down a bit in the penultimate paragraph when you called them "United". I am sick to the back teeth of the media and everyone calling the Manchester clubs just by their second name like they're everyone's local club!

Call them "Manchester" instead...like they are club that means fuck all to us and we are not even quite sure if they are the ones who play in Blue or Red. Respect is a two way street and we could start by respecting them just as much as they respect us and the rest of football!

BM

[Pugsley]

What's this obsession with Man Utd glory hunting fans? You go on as though they have no real fans at all. I can tell you they have, and plenty of them. It's only to be expected that with their success and global branding they will attract these type of people. If Stoke won the Prem a couple of times we would get the same. Just ignore them ffs.

All we are getting is 'we're more holier than thou' coz we support a 'proper' team. Fuck me, it's embarrassing, along with the moronic chants yesterday. People should take a chill pill, calm the fuck down and talk about how Stoke are going to survive in this division with the lack of quality the Manager has assembled.

[stokeoptimist]

A footy club is for life

Not just for Christmas......... ;D