To not understand the allegiance that some people have to sports clubs?

[MuseumofInnocence]

I have some friends and family who are fans of certain sporting clubs (I'm referring to football mainly). I can sort of understand it for those who have some connection to the club (maybe they grew up near the club or their parents did), but I have friends who became fans of clubs hundreds of miles away when they were children, have been a handful of times to a game, but act as if they're the biggest fans ever.

Am I unreasonable, or is this weird?

I started supporting Manchester Utd in 1985, my boyfriend at the time used to go to matches and this was a way of spending time with him. I'd always watched football though, at a local level, with my Dad but this was the first time that I found myself getting behind a team and I loved it. When me and my boyfriend split up I carried on going to games and 34 years later I still go.
My 18 year old son supports them and has come to games since he was 4, he doesn't always have time now though due to work so I go on my own. We live about 70 miles away.

I admit I've never been to a game

definitely not a glory hunter then?
supporters, you know, support God that's funny.

I 'chose' my rugby team when they were doing very well and a very good player was playing for them (Shane Williams I'm looking at you). They've since not been so good and my 'local' team have been much better. I can't switch allegiance though :)
Dread to think how much I've spent following the international team around :/

Did you bother reading my whole post RomanyQueen1 or did you just pick out the bit you wanted? If you'd bothered to read it you would see I explained why I don't go.

Do you realise that a glory hunter supports teams because they are doing well? If I'd wanted to be a glory hunter back in the mid 80s I wouldn't have picked United!

In my eyes it’s wxtr immature behaviour. It’s just a sport.

Do you realise that a glory hunter supports teams because they are doing well? If I'd wanted to be a glory hunter back in the mid 80s I wouldn't have picked United!

I assume you mean the mid-1880s, you cannot mean the mid 1980s.

I think a myth has grown up around Manchester United that they were a small unsuccessful club in the 1980s. They hadn't won the title for a while (since 1967) but from 1982 onwards, they came 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th, 11th, 2nd). Essentially, they were a consistent top 4 club.

In addition to that, they won the FA Cup in 1983 and 1985. If you were looking to support a big successful club in the mid 80s, Manchester United is the sort of team someone would support.

God op you're coming across as insufferably snobby. Football's just for those tribal proles eh?

I don’t understand it at all. Getting personally emotional about the achievements / failures of a bunch of people you’ve never met and have nothing to do with you, as if they’re your own. It’s batshit.

If I picture someone with a passion for art and a real interest in renaissance art (say), that seems more fulfilling than an obsession in a particular sports team

Yeah because people definitely can’t do both

God op you're coming across as insufferably snobby. Football's just for those tribal proles eh

I don't think you've understood my point. I'm not talking exclusively about football, and I'm not talking about those who enjoy supporting football/rugby/cricket teams.

@MuseumofInnocence - You seem to know a lot about Manchester United considering you 'can't understand the obsession'.

I was brought up to support Aberdeen as that is where my family is from, where I was born and the family have been supporting them since they were formed. I still do - drinking out of my team mug at the moment! — though I'm not dedicated enough to trek to matches from where I live now. I still keep up with the social media and TV. They were very successful nationally and in Europe in the 1980s, so much so that Man United poached Fergie from us. It's the only professional club in the city so there's none of the sectarian or other rivalries and it's also said that you can tell when Dons' fans are excited by the rustle of sweetie papers! 😀

It's a background tribalism, not to the fore, but it's most definitely born and bred in me! Any Scotland matches though.... That's passion.

Considering you look down on anyone who has any interest in sport then you seem to know about Man Utd OP.

You do also realise that coming 3rd etc doesn't mean they actually won anything other than 2 FA Cups?

I don't think anyone ever claimed Man Utd are a small club. You do also realise that it's possible to be a big unsuccessful club?

I think Google was OP's friend Willisleepeighthoursagain!

There is some connection between success and support too for some. No coincidence that the teams with the most success in the last 50 years have the biggest fan base, both domestically and globally. People as well as being tribal also like to be associated with successz

Surely the amount of joy that sport brings to it's fans is equal to the pain it causes to those around said sports fans. I agree with sink girl, it's batshit.

Surely the amount of joy that sport brings to it's fans is equal to the pain it causes to those around said sports fans

er, no. Letting yourself be 'pained' by other people enjoying themselves is your problem and your problem only.

I've just found out that the glory supporter I mentioned upthread (Leeds, Liverpool and Man City) has also been an Everton and West Ham fan. Bizarre.

Considering you look down on anyone who has any interest in sport then you seem to know about Man Utd OP.

Nowhere am I talking about anyone who "has any interest in sport". You're misunderstanding.

Plus, I am interested in, and know about football.

You do also realise that coming 3rd etc doesn't mean they actually won anything other than 2 FA Cups? You do also realise that it's possible to be a big unsuccessful club?

. Honestly, if I were to go and visit my local football club and offer them the chance to win two FA cups in a three year period, and consistently come in the top four of the top flight, I think they'd take it.

I don’t understand it at all. Getting personally emotional about the achievements / failures of a bunch of people you’ve never met and have nothing to do with you, as if they’re your own. It’s batshit

So using your logic, no one should be interested in anyone or anything else? As your statement could apply to:

Strictly, Great British Bake Off, Dancing on Ice, Eastenders, Coronation Street, any member of the Royal Family, characters in books, characters in films, any celebrity, actors, singers, anyone on Instagram.... yet all of these have "followers" so why not give them shit too?

What the fuck is the point of this thread if the OP actually enjoys football!

What the fuck is the point of this thread if the OP actually enjoys football!

Sigh, I guess I wasn't clear. My question was not is it reasonable to enjoy football, which is how it is being interpreted by some. I wasn't even specifically talking about football. I was talking about primarily about those who become mega fans of clubs, without any connection, or hardly ever going, and I elaborated it later to say I was talking about those for whom sport became central to their identity, and I would say obsessed.

There's nothing wrong with never going to see Arsenal play and being a fan though? Why on earth would anyone have a problem with that? Getting tickets is difficult and expensive for a start.

There's nothing wrong with never going to see Arsenal play and being a fan though?

Did I say there was?