The British & Irish Football Thread

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by David LFC

Disagree with the first part , Travelled all over England supporting Liverpool .

Second part I agree with.

EDIT; I also agree with what VH says, Travelling over to Liverpool/ Manchester looking for cheapest flights or going by boat costs more compared to a supporter having the club on it's door step.

Also know supporters who would love to go over but again it's all down to money and if you can afford it.

Just my opinion. It seems easy though just picking a giant and then supporting them. May I ask you a question? Why do you support Liverpool?

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Villiam Hayes

That can well be true but in saying that,of course there are people up and down England who support the Man U's and Liverpool's of this world.
Now they be have started supporting or being a fan when the times were good but Liverpool fans have remained I'm sure over the last twenty years and I'm sure many Utd fans will do the same.

And many do travel to the games which would make them supporters,when it's not your home team it could be family related,following the team your dad does,etc.
Also when your not near by,IE:in my case and live in a different Country,money then also becomes an issue.

Now I have been to watch Utd at OT on I'd say between 50-70 times and I have also travelled to see them around Europe including the Champions League final in Rome.

I have since cut back since my daughter was born and the economic situation has continued,what it cost's me to go to two games would buy someone living reasonably close by a season ticket.

This Country like many others around the world has a massive following of teams from the EPL but to go back to your original point,yeah I don't get the whole supporting/being a fan of two teams thing.

I mean I know people here who support either Rangers or Celtic along with an English club.....I just scratch my head.

But your still just picking a top team as a young boy/man. Can't really go wrong if you choose to support Liverpool and Man United. Having family link is of course different.

[Villiam Hayes]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

But your still just picking a top team as a young boy/man. Can't really go wrong if you choose to support Liverpool and Man United. Having family link is of course different.

I started supporting Utd in 1985,we were far from being a top team then,big club but certainly not a top team.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

But your still just picking a top team as a young boy/man. Can't really go wrong if you choose to support Liverpool and Man United. Having family link is of course different.

I know it is hard to separate the real die hard fan from the tourist fan as I would call them but Villiam is a real united fan steedeel.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Villiam Hayes

I started supporting Utd in 1985,we were far from being a top team then,big club but certainly not a top team.

Yep but they were still massive even then is my point. It seems like many people just pick a top four team and stick with them for life. Arsenal, Liverpool Man U are the teams of choice for many I believe. That to me (my opinion) is not really what it's all about. How many lows can Liverpool and Man U go through compared to a team that is not top four size wise. Relegation unlikely, champions league most years is also a safe bet. Always a good chance of massive investment also.

I am not questioning the passion of people who support a club other than their birth place. IMO though, it's a different type of support.

[D-Blitz]

I don't get your argument, Steedeel. It may apply to you and a few that live in England, where typically you will want to support your hometown team, but there are a hundred times the fans outside England and they have to pick a team to call theirs. Naturally, many of us support the teams that we grew up watching and admiring, or the team where our favourite players played, and more often than not these are top 5 teams. For example, I grew up watching Thierry Henry burst onto the scene and he made me a diehard Arsenal fan. I can appreciate good football and will enjoy watching other teams play, but I'll only really support my own club.

This happens mainly due to the severe lack of parity in European football. As much as I love this game, it will never achieve parity with the massive disparity in spending between clubs and the lack of a salary cap or some kind of concrete parity regulations. You compare that to a league like the NHL where a salary cap and draft system are in place - every year a different team can win the cup. There's no team that goes a season with only 10% of their games lost and the playoffs are an unpredictable beast.

The EPL isn't even that bad. Go to the BBVA where it boils down to generally 2 or 3 clubs guaranteed to win the league, or even worse in leagues like the Bundesliga where it's Bayern and once in a while another team challenging. Pretty pathetic to be honest with you.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by D-Blitz

I don't get your argument, Steedeel. It may apply to you and a few that live in England, where typically you will want to support your hometown team, but there are a hundred times the fans outside England and they have to pick a team to call theirs. Naturally, many of us support the teams that we grew up watching and admiring, or the team where our favourite players played, and more often than not these are top 5 teams. For example, I grew up watching Thierry Henry burst onto the scene and he made me a diehard Arsenal fan. I can appreciate good football and will enjoy watching other teams play, but I'll only really support my own club.

This happens mainly due to the severe lack of parity in European football. As much as I love this game, it will never achieve parity with the massive disparity in spending between clubs and the lack of a salary cap or some kind of concrete parity regulations. You compare that to a league like the NHL where a salary cap and draft system are in place - every year a different team can win the cup. There's no team that goes a season with only 10% of their games lost and the playoffs are an unpredictable beast.

The EPL isn't even that bad. Go to the BBVA where it boils down to generally 2 or 3 clubs guaranteed to win the league, or even worse in leagues like the Bundesliga where it's Bayern and once in a while another team challenging. Pretty pathetic to be honest with you.

I guess what I am saying is people who support a team other than their home town/city do not have the emotional attachment of someone that does, IMO. How can they? I see it as simply jumping on the bandwagon.

[Villiam Hayes]

Originally Posted by tob

I know it is hard to separate the real die hard fan from the tourist fan as I would call them but Villiam is a real united fan steedeel.

Thanx tob.

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Yep but they were still massive even then is my point. It seems like many people just pick a top four team and stick with them for life. Arsenal, Liverpool Man U are the teams of choice for many I believe. That to me (my opinion) is not really what it's all about. How many lows can Liverpool and Man U go through compared to a team that is not top four size wise. Relegation unlikely, champions league most years is also a safe bet. Always a good chance of massive investment also.

I am not questioning the passion of people who support a club other than their birth place. IMO though, it's a different type of support.

Massive?this was a team finishing mid table and had only had a few F.A. Cup wins in the past twenty years.
Utd weren't in the European Cup,hell they were hardly in Europe,thay hadn't won the league from 1967.
I had plenty of low's growing up and the Liverpool fans made sure I never forgot it.

As for investment,Utd have never had such luck,the Glazer family have done nothing but land Utd with severe debt,Utd have never been that lucky to be in the situation Chelsea or City find themselves in.

Are Madrid not supported outside the capital?are Bayern not supported outside Bavaria?I could go on,answer is of course they are and the "big" clubs will always have massive support.

Hell I'm not sure I ever recall anyone wearing a Man City shirt in the past in this Country and now I see too much of them.

As for having some superior supporter rights because you come from that town or city just isn't correct.
I am positive I am a bigger Utd fan than some who live in Manchester and own a season ticket.

[tob]

Steedeel you are wrong I have supported Arsenal since 1986 [ 6 years old] because I am not from the town or city in this case country is rubbish talk.

[gvortex7]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Here in England, you support your home town club. If you don't, IMO, you are a glory boy, pure and simple. Anyone can attach themselves to the Liverpool's and barcas of this world, however, that is just being a fan not a supporter. To a true supporter, supporting several clubs is an alien concept.

That's your opinion, but that does't make it a fact. I told you before that's your English way of thinking. BTW, I don't see anything wrong with being a fan of a team as opposed to a "supporter" as you call it. For example I'd support Everton quite often if I was in the neighborhood, but since I'm 4000+ miles away, that's kind of hard to do.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by gvortex7

That's your opinion, but that does't make it a fact. I told you before that's your English way of thinking. BTW, I don't see anything wrong with being a fan of a team as opposed to a "supporter" as you call it. For example I'd support Everton quite often if I was in the neighborhood, but since I'm 4000+ miles away, that's kind of hard to do.

Nothing wrong with that but like I said its a different thing. I think a lot of people in the north east live and breathe football (Newcastle included of course) and it is 100 percent tribal, it really is.

[David LFC]

Title race wide open now, Horror tackle from Ramires that should be more than a 3 game ban.

Makes the game tomorrow even bigger for us.

[Wes Blu-ray]

Originally Posted by David LFC

Title race wide open now.

Agreed.

[tob]

Aston Villa did us all a favour tonight so tomorrow games should be interesting.

[D-Blitz]

To the Arsenal one nil! To the Arsenal one niiiiiiil!

Never gets old.

[David LFC]

Waking up with a sore head

Dominated the whole game, 3 penalties could have had couple more.

Fair play to Clattenburg had the balls to give them, If that was Webb it would be a different story.

Master class again from Gerrard

Roll on to Cardiff now!!!

[Villiam Hayes]

Originally Posted by David LFC

Waking up with a sore head

Dominated the whole game, 3 penalties could have had couple more.

Fair play to Clattenburg had the balls to give them, If that was Webb it would be a different story.

Master class again from Gerrard

Roll on to Cardiff now!!!

Nothing like St.Paddy's day to cure that.

We are shocking,there's not much more to add to that,we look a total mess.

Some favourable fixtures ahead for you's David,the highlight of my season will now be cheering on anybody but Liverpool to win the league.

[David LFC]

Originally Posted by Villiam Hayes

Nothing like St.Paddy's day to cure that.

We are shocking,there's not much more to add to that,we look a total mess.

Some favourable fixtures ahead for you's David,the highlight of my season will now be cheering on anybody but Liverpool to win the league.

We have City and Chelsea both at home aswell, Mourinho will park the bus at Anfield but I'm confident we will break them down the way Brendan has us playing.

As long as Suarez and Sturridge and Gerrard stay fit we have a good chance.

Full credit to Brendan really has turned the club around with his man management got this tactics spot on with the diamond in midfield.

Moyes looked out of his dept on the touchline, loved the banner David Moyes Is A Football Genius

[Villiam Hayes]

Originally Posted by David LFC

We have City and Chelsea both at home aswell, Mourinho will park the bus at Anfield but I'm confident we will break them down the way Brendan has us playing.

As long as Suarez and Sturridge and Gerrard stay fit we have a good chance.

Full credit to Brendan really has turned the club around with his man management got this tactics spot on with the diamond in midfield.

Moyes looked out of his dept on the touchline, loved the banner David Moyes Is A Football Genius

I think Moyes is out of his depth,that's part of the problem,him and his back room staff.
People keep saying "ya can't blame it all on him" but his tactics are wrong,the way he has us lined up ain't right,Fellani was a bad buy and to be honest so will Mata be if he is going to play him out wide.

Anyway it should be an interesting end to the season,both at the top and the bottom,at least for the first in many years I can sit back and relax and watch other people stressing.

[tob]

Originally Posted by Villiam Hayes

I think Moyes is out of his depth,that's part of the problem,him and his back room staff.
People keep saying "ya can't blame it all on him" but his tactics are wrong,the way he has us lined up ain't right,Fellani was a bad buy and to be honest so will Mata be if he is going to play him out wide.

Anyway it should be an interesting end to the season,both at the top and the bottom,at least for the first in many years I can sit back and relax and watch other people stressing.

I would see what he does during the summer but he does have a big rebuilding job on his hands.
The result and performance yesterday shows united are getting worse and show no sign of slight improvement in performing.
I get the impression villiam the player's don't know what moyes wants from them you can see that with van persie.
But I can't believe that you can relax and watch other people stressing you love to be in the position where Liverpool, Arsenal , Man.city and Chelsea are.