God I hate plastic premiership fans

[Port Said Red]

6 hours ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

Depends doesn't it? If your mates father and grandfather originated from Manchester then fair enough. 

However if the father and grandfather is just like the son (you) and not from Manchester then the ridicule is worthy. 

I have a friend who is a Bristol City season ticket holder, but also has involvement with and attends games at York City of all places. I believe it's a familial link, possibly someone who played for York in the past? 

I personally don't support other teams but I do have teams I am more interested in. Kelty Hearts for example, because my late brother lived there at the end of his life and he would tell me about how they were developing and working in a poor community, Spurs purely because Glenn Hoddle was my favourite player in the 70's, but it will always be the team that was within walking distance of my house when I was a boy.

[nebristolred]

It's probably all the more frustrating for us - with Bristol being the biggest city to not have top flight football in recent years, and with us being the largest club in that city, we are probably one of (if not the) most negatively impacted by what you might call 'plastic Prem fans'. Both in terms of them being around, but also in missed opportunities for us.

I do get to an extent that people should enjoy things in the way they like, but I can't help but cringe when top 6 fans pretend to get all emotional at winning X cup for the X'th time. I can guarantee that Trundle's goal in the play-offs for us (and other seemingly 'small' moments to big clubs) meant more to us than to them winning a Xth Premier League. So where's the fun in that for those fans?

Being and feeling part of your club is important. I'd sooner a kid of mine was a Rovers fan than a Man Utd fan (though to be clear, there is 0% chance of either of those happening!).

(There are obviously differing cases - all of that is obviously exempt if you have a family link or similar).

Edited May 20 by nebristolred

[Davefevs]

I like lots of teams for various different reasons.

Liverpool are my other team though.  First game I saw on telly, first live game I went to, etc.

I back the English teams in Europe regardless of rivalry.

[Cityboy1954]

Long story been a Bristol city fan for sixty odd years and always will be met a man city lad on holiday in spain 30 year ago when in leaue one he asked me about ly purple and green shirt i had on said is that Birmingham mate ? we struck up a good two week friendship done a tour of Barcelona stadium the wifes went shopping while me and chris went on the stadium tour when we got home we had preston away he invited me and my mates to stay at his house that weekend had a great weekend in manchester on the piss.That season they played the gas,before playing Gillingham in play iff final i managed to get him and his mates tickets through a gashead mate of mine since then they havent looked back he invited me my Bruv and nephew to travel to Germany monchangladbach as he,joked youl never see Bristol in Europe he was shocked to see how well we played against his team in the cup games had a bet on us to reach premier league  im still waiting :laugh: .so a long story but this is why i have a soft spot for man city his family and my family have become really good friends and chris and his mates attend our away games  with us if man citys away .

[W-S-M Seagull]

14 minutes ago, IAmNick said:

Ridicule? Really? Just because they don't support the team you've decided they should, or in the way you want? 

Why not just let people enjoy things how they want to. This gatekeeping is ridiculous.

The irony here is that because you don't find it funny, you've decided to question why I find it funny. 

Just because you've decided I shouldn't find it funny that generations of families who have no links to places like Manchester or Liverpool and probably have never been there either, doesn't mean I can't find it funny. 

Why not just let people be amused by what amuses them? 

 

[One Team]

People supporting teams doing well as been around for decades. In my time it’s been Leeds in the 70s, Liverpool in the 80s, Man Utd in the 90s etc. A lot of the current generation support Man City for the same reason.

There is a very different approach though if you just say you like a team and watch the them on Sky now and then to going every week. It does grind though when I hear people at the office with West Country accents referring to Man City/Arsenal/Liverpool/whoever as “we” and I find myself knowing more about their teams than they do. 

People can support who they like clearly, but I would always have more respect for a fan of an unglamorous club who is from that place and goes every week. 

Edited May 20 by One Team

[Robbored]

Being a fan of the beautiful game my true and only love is for Bristol City but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other clubs that I enjoy watching particularly PL clubs.

I like watching Arsenal and Liverpool but I don’t support either of them. Yesterday seeing Klopps final game and the appreciation he was shown by the Liverpool fans was awesome and I found it very moving with Klopp himself only just keeping himself together. He’ll be a tough act to follow.

 

[IAmNick]

49 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

The irony here is that because you don't find it funny, you've decided to question why I find it funny. 

Just because you've decided I shouldn't find it funny that generations of families who have no links to places like Manchester or Liverpool and probably have never been there either, doesn't mean I can't find it funny. 

Why not just let people be amused by what amuses them? 

 

It would have been a lot quicker to just say you don't know what ridicule means.

[exAtyeoMax]

I don’t really care but I do get a bit annoyed when people from overseas ask who your prem team are, I just put that down to ignorance of UK/English football culture. The same how I would view foreign leagues.

An English friend of mine doesn’t understand people supporting lower league teams. I guess he only watches for the level of football 

[Bob Taylor is GOD]

I can enjoy a chat about football with a fan of an EFL team, but I wouldn't even try to talk about football with a Plastic Premier League fan - They just don't have the same experiences as us.

[Puckle_red]

36 minutes ago, Robbored said:

Being a fan of the beautiful game my true and only love is for Bristol City but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other clubs that I enjoy watching particularly PL clubs.

I like watching Arsenal and Liverpool but I don’t support either of them. Yesterday seeing Klopps final game and the appreciation he was shown by the Liverpool fans was awesome and I found it very moving with Klopp himself only just keeping himself together. He’ll be a tough act to follow.

 

I found it weird, cringeworthy. Just like Liverpool. 

[22A]

A few years ago a lady where I then worked announced "I want to get a Manchester United shirt" to which I replied  " I didn't know you're from Manchester".

"I'm not, I'm not even interested in football, but I am involved with corporate sales. It's essential therefore I am seen to be associated with winners".

[fatchers]

What I used to find annoying was the plastic manure fans coming into work after a game, saying WE this or WE that. I used to ask what part of Manchester they come from.they come from Bristol.. I'd also remind them that the last time I went to old trafford Mabbut scored a hatrick as WE ( City ) won.

[BanburyRed]

Back in the day when we played Stockport County, our motto in the car was 'gloryhunters to the left, real fans to the right'...relating to the M60 split. Bit more of a soft spot for City over United, given where City have come from, but the PL (with a few exceptions, Blackburn & Leicester being the obvious exceptions to the rule) is a glorified Gentleman's Club.

[W-S-M Seagull]

34 minutes ago, IAmNick said:

It would have been a lot quicker to just say you don't know what ridicule means.

Do you need some help understanding? 

[W-S-M Seagull]

4 minutes ago, fatchers said:

What I used to find annoying was the plastic manure fans coming into work after a game, saying WE this or WE that. I used to ask what part of Manchester they come from.they come from Bristol.. I'd also remind them that the last time I went to old trafford Mabbut scored a hatrick as WE ( City ) won.

I can't really get my head around people saying we as if they are part of something when they've simply choosen a team to 'support' by watching them on TV. 

I suppose I don't really mind those who make an effort to actually go to the games. But that is a very small number of people. 

But the whole we thing when these people couldn't even find these grounds on a map is bizarre. 

[cotswoldred2]

15 hours ago, sticks 1969 said:

Now this will take some beating…

saw a guy wearing a Man Utd shirt this morning and asked if he was going next Saturday?

he never had a clue what I ment till I said it’s the FA CUP final , unfortunately he is working but would have loved to have gone 

absolute bellend 

What's wrong with Rugby fans?

[MarcusX]

11 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

So? My mate is a Man United fan and Bristolian.  Supports them cos of his dad and grandfather.  

We’ve got Liverpool and Man City fans on this forum.  Seems odd to me but each to their own.  Too old to be caring about such matters

I agree, the older I've got the less I've cared (and I'm only in my 30s!)

People support teams for all manner of reasons. I've said before, I'm not from Bristol and have never lived in Bristol. Swindon would have been my local team but I followed my Dad.

I live even further from Bristol now. If somehow we become a successful team in the next 20 years then my kids will (hopefully) be non-locals who support a team 150 miles away and they may be the "glory hunters". Ok City success is doubtful but you get the point...

I do however think that fans who never go to games will never properly understand what it's like to support a football team and especially those who have never experienced proper lows.

 

[SecretSam]

Having said how little time I have for plastics, then confessed my son's a plastic Seagull, I must also add that when I was very, very young (we're talking under 4), I wanted to support Chelsea...because we lived on Chelsea Park in Easton, so Chelsea were the only team I knew.

[One Team]

45 minutes ago, W-S-M Seagull said:

I can't really get my head around people saying we as if they are part of something when they've simply choosen a team to 'support' by watching them on TV. 

I suppose I don't really mind those who make an effort to actually go to the games. But that is a very small number of people. 

But the whole we thing when these people couldn't even find these grounds on a map is bizarre. 

Exactly this. I don’t get how you can have anywhere near the same emotional connection with a club if you aren’t from that area and perhaps have generational allegiance. Football clubs always used be about community of course; I appreciate that’s changed a lot these days but I don’t see how a Bristol born and bred person can have the same connection with, say, Liverpool as City (or even the Gas).

The “yeah, but what’s your Premier League team?” I get every so often when asked who I support, normally from said typical fans. When I was on holiday last year I met a group of Boro and Rotherham fans, needless to say they didn’t ask me the “what’s your Prem team?” question. 

Edited May 20 by One Team

[supercidered]

15 hours ago, David Brent said:

Exactly, there’s a difference. Everyone has their own reason for deciding which team to follow. 

It's proper embarrassing for any persons own reason being that they support a team because they win all the time. 

[Oh Louie louie]

The first live game I recall watching live on TV, was man city Vs Chelsea around 1984, and they were both in division 2!

[Rob k]

13 hours ago, Keep the Faith said:

I don’t really care who people support in theory. The only issue I have is with how it affects the little ones. I coached my boys’ under 6’s this year and you can really tell the difference between those who watch premier league football and those who don’t. They are rolling around and asking for free kicks when they are 6!

Not much difference in the championship now i don’t think these days 

[Oh Louie louie]

I sat by one of the Chelsea team that day in the Williams once, David speedie, what a piece of work he was! Somebody said he was crambs agent 

[ExiledAjax]

1 hour ago, MarcusX said:

I live even further from Bristol now. If somehow we become a successful team in the next 20 years then my kids will (hopefully) be non-locals who support a team 150 miles away and they may be the "glory hunters". Ok City success is doubtful but you get the point...

Likewise, I live near Leicester now. When the boy gets to school I suspect a lot of his mates will be Leicester fans and he may want to go with that. I wouldn't blame him, and tbh it would be convenient if he decides to support a club 30 mins drive away rather than one 2.5 hours away. I'd like him to support City, but am willing to accept if he goes for the Foxes.

But I'd say that really what is meant by "plastic" is the failure to put any effort in. The armchair critic, or fan, who selects a team they've no connection to, then never goes to a game, never learns the club history, and is loud when the team wins but silent when it loses. That's very different to picking a club to which you don't have geographical or consanguineous attachment but then actually attend games and take a real interest.

We have "plastic" fans by that definition. I'm sure we do. Not as many as a club like Liverpool or Man City, but a few.

Edited May 20 by ExiledAjax

[Bris Red]

4 hours ago, And Its Smith said:

“so, who is your Prem team?”
 

 that tickled me. It's so true though as i know plenty of City fans some even City season ticket holders that genuinely have a team in the Prem that they claim to 'support'.

What would become interesting is if we do ever reach the Prem, genuinely who would these people support when we play Arsenal United Liverpool etc?

It's sad so many people in this City are like this but unfortunately that is what happens when almost the entire history of Bristolian football has been played out of the topflight with not a single piece of meaningful silverware to show for either us or the pikeys down the road.

[supercidered]

2 hours ago, 22A said:

A few years ago a lady where I then worked announced "I want to get a Manchester United shirt" to which I replied  " I didn't know you're from Manchester".

"I'm not, I'm not even interested in football, but I am involved with corporate sales. It's essential therefore I am seen to be associated with winners".

I hope she kept the receipt then!

[Mr Popodopolous]

14 hours ago, Robbored said:

In 1968 I was at Senior School when Man Utd won the European Cup - the very next day at school numerous other lads ‘supported’ Man Utd - most of them had no idea where Manchester was.

By then I’d been to AG several times so was already a City fan and aged 13 couldn’t understand why these other lads suddenly ‘supported’ Man Utd.

It was a number of years before I realised that these lads wanted the prestige of being associated with a successful club - something that didn’t happen to me until 1976!

It’s still the same these days. Young lads wearing PL club shirts for the exact same reason.

It's true but I reckon it is more prevalent now.

[Glen hump]

I go a watch rangers a few times a season and was there in 2022 when they went through against rb Leipzig’ ( best atmosphere I’ve ever been in by a mile) but it doesn’t come close to watching city .

[Robbored]

4 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

It's true but I reckon it is more prevalent now.

Undoubtedly it is. Wandering around Nailsea Farmer market on Saturday I saw two lads wearing a Man Utd and Spurs shirts. I also saw another lad wearing a football shirt that I didn’t recognise although it looked similar to a  Brighton shirt and I looked closely at the badge and asked him which team it was ‘Porto’ he said. 

I’ve not seen a Porto shirt in Nailsea before………..