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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think people should support their local football teams, rather than premier league ones?

171 replies

HuwEdwardsBottom · 07/10/2023 21:18

Is it wrong that I silently judge people I see in a Man City/Liverpool/Man United etc shirt when they have a local team on their doorstep? Might not be premier league but still doing good things.

My local football team were absolutely dire for a very long time. They were also very badly run and suffered dreadful financial problems but they’ve also always had a very strong and loyal following both at home and away. Things have changed a lot in the last few years and we now have good owners and are doing well but you still see the glory hunters out and about in their premier league kits and I’m like why when you have all of this happening on your doorstep? We are literally miles away from all premier league clubs. I can’t fathom it out at all.

OP posts:
Rockbird · 07/10/2023 21:22

My father and his father are lifelong Arsenal supporters, they are from the area. I'm an Arsenal supporter despite living elsewhere because it's the family team. Of course if my local little team are playing I'll cheer them on, but I'm a Gooner and so are my kids. You have no idea what someone's background is.

50lessfat · 07/10/2023 21:23

I go to every Royston Vasey match.

Softnatural · 07/10/2023 21:23

I support a lower league club and love the comminity of it, but it's not the same as watching the top game. You may as well say why go to the West End when you can watch amdram, why buy Elton John tickets when you can see a pub singer.

Dragonsandcats · 07/10/2023 21:24

Softnatural · 07/10/2023 21:23

I support a lower league club and love the comminity of it, but it's not the same as watching the top game. You may as well say why go to the West End when you can watch amdram, why buy Elton John tickets when you can see a pub singer.

Yes this, why do you care?

MajesticWhine · 07/10/2023 21:25

YABU - odd thing to be concerned about.

MatthewsMumFromTikTok · 07/10/2023 21:26

You can do both

Radical idea I know!

Original poster
HuwEdwardsBottom · 07/10/2023 21:27

It’s no more odd than 90 per cent of the drivel that gets posted on here @MajesticWhine 🙄

@Rockbird that’s a fair point and one I hasn’t considered.

OP posts:
PandaExpress · 07/10/2023 21:28

I support one of the 'big four' We live in a town outside of the city, so do have a local team in the town. But my parents grew up on the doorstep of the stadium. My family have had season tickets going back as far my great grandfather. We support them as a family. My DH supports them, my kids support them. When its a big match the whole family gathers together for it. Why would I stop supporting them because my town has a team?

Softnatural · 07/10/2023 21:28

Actually if there's anyone "at fault" it's the small clubs for not doing more to attact the business of fans of bigger clubs who live locally to them. Most of the small clubs' marketing (including mine) is woeful and then you have the fans who critisise "plastic" fans who attend sporadically. Make it easier and more welcoming and most fans of football would go to their local clubs now and again.

Raincloudsonasunnyday · 07/10/2023 21:29

You’re judging people for enjoying football for the sport, rather than for sportsmanship or community-building. Which is ridiculous.

PinkiOcelot · 07/10/2023 21:29

I don’t support either. Not a football fan.

piintheski · 07/10/2023 21:30

we support the premier league team that my family has supported for generations, even though we live hundreds of miles away now, and actually many family supporters live on different continents.

YABVVVU to think you can dictate who supports who.

And anyway, we still enjoy a trip out to see the local team, as well as supporting our premier league team, and it is an entirely different experience, not having the same emotional investment, it is a lot more relaxed. No way we would feel the passion for the local team that we do for the one we have been brought up with and lived our life with though

BoohooWoohoo · 07/10/2023 21:30

I'm not a footie fan so might have the wrong end of the stick but I assumed that people support the team that their parents/grandparents liked rather than where they live which can change regularly if you are a renter or have a job that can take you all over.

MrsMitford3 · 07/10/2023 21:31

We are Arsenal season ticket holders.

My FIL started supporting them when he moved to North London.
My DH aged 4- used to go through the turnstiles on his fathers shoulders.

My DS used to call his grandfather after every game.
I love the family support-
but we also supported Wycombe as DC did an after school session with them-you can do both.

Melonportal · 07/10/2023 21:31

My local football team is a premier league team.

kitsuneghost · 07/10/2023 21:31

Most support both
My DP went to 2 games today. A premiership team and a local team.

Original poster
HuwEdwardsBottom · 07/10/2023 21:32

@PandaExpress do you live in Wigan or Stockport?

OP posts:
SamW98 · 07/10/2023 21:32

I agree with you but I was born in Stratford to parents from Plaistow and grew up on the shadow of Upton Park so there was absolutely no choice in who I support, it was there from birth.

Things have changed due to wall to wall coverage on sky and the like where kids choose their team because they win rather than because it’s a community thing.

Luckily my DS has never wavered from his support for WHU and continued the family tradition - from both sides

PandaExpress · 07/10/2023 21:33

Softnatural · 07/10/2023 21:28

Actually if there's anyone "at fault" it's the small clubs for not doing more to attact the business of fans of bigger clubs who live locally to them. Most of the small clubs' marketing (including mine) is woeful and then you have the fans who critisise "plastic" fans who attend sporadically. Make it easier and more welcoming and most fans of football would go to their local clubs now and again.

Yes this! We support a big club, but would happily go to watch the local team too. We have twice in about 5 years. But only because it was advertised all over Facebook. Our local team makes no effort to advertise matches. And yet we get comments on the towns Facebook page, from one of the clubs officials, making snide comments about nobody coming to the last match!

PandaExpress · 07/10/2023 21:35

HuwEdwardsBottom · 07/10/2023 21:32

@PandaExpress do you live in Wigan or Stockport?

Neither. I'm a Liverpool fan, not Man Utd 😆

GCSister · 07/10/2023 21:35

Because it's a family team.
My DS supports the team his dad supports.
His dad grew up in the city of the team he supports and that didn't change because he moved a few miles down the road.

SouthLondonMum22 · 07/10/2023 21:43

I can understand the desire to watch higher quality football although I'm not a fan of the premier league in general because it is predictable and there's such a huge difference between the top teams and the newly promoted teams. I just don't find it interesting or exciting, I think we all know that Man City are probably going to win it...again.

I really enjoy the Championship, I find it more exciting because it's generally more unpredictable and I really enjoy the play off games too. There's just something about it, especially when an underdog like Luton can be promoted against all of the odds.

As for local teams, it goes back to higher quality football and how much money bigger clubs can throw at things. It also helps that the bigger teams like your Man City's and Arsenal's also generally have players from the national team.

Original poster
HuwEdwardsBottom · 07/10/2023 21:54

@PandaExpress oh sorry lol!

Im not talking about people who’ve moved somewhere from out of the area where there’s a bit club. I’m talking people who’ve always live in the area, parents, grandparents etc.

OP posts:
LlynTegid · 07/10/2023 21:54

If your family have lived in the area then fair enough. If one of your friends or family played for a club or were employed by them, reasonable too.

Not otherwise.

SuprisingHorse · 07/10/2023 21:56

Not necessary their local team - but a team they do have a connection to other then just happened to be good at the stage they were getting into football.

Each to their own, but I don’t see how someone can have the same connection to a football team from an area they’ve never been (Kent based Manchester United & Liverpool fans, I’m looking at you).

I was a ST holder at my home town club for years - even when I moved over 200 miles away. If DS likes football when he gets older, I hope he supports the same team… despite having a ‘big’ team on his doorstep. Although nobody can accuse him of being a glory hunter 😂