Swindon Town Vs Southend - Official Match day Thread

[Barry Scott]

I agree totally but there is another point here which most lower league fans seem to miss totally.......

These Man Ure/Cheskli/Arse fans etc DO support thier team, many of them have grown up supporting these teams even if they don't live anywhere near the town/cities that they follow.

That doesnt mean that they dont actually support their own teams, because they obviously do, even if its from afar or in a pub etc, its still THEIR team.

If I lived in Manchester and one of my Man Ure supporting mates asked me if I wanted to go along and support my local team (lets say Man Ure) I would categorically say no I don't want to watch them because they are not my side, even if I lived there.

Why is it so different with the armchair fans supporting other clubs?

Absolute bollocks.

I'm sorry, most armchair fans, aren't real fans. They're fair weather, plastic, glory-hunters who have no idea what it's like to trek halfway across country, sit in the cold, drink shit coffee, eat a crap pie and then drive home for 3 hours after you've lost, feeling like shit. That's what a fan is. That's what support is.

Watching a telly does not constitute being a supporter. Some cunt who sits in an armchair, who bemoans a loss for 20 minutes to his other plastic subscribing mates, with no idea what football is really about, is not being a supporter. It's just a social tag that allows them some sort of sense of belonging. They appreciate football, they enjoy football, they might have some affinity with a club, but unless they're from the area, or have been attendees on some level on a regular basis, they're simply not real fans. They're not even fans.

When one of my Premiership supporting mates starts talking about "their" loss at the weekend, I want to punch them. They're clueless lovers of televised football, who's opinions are almost completely invalid. Television fans only regurgitate what the pundits and commentators say. They didn't see the game, they didn't see player x running off the ball all the time. Or player x working the channels to make room for someone else. They saw a 16:9 rendition of something that's only a shell of what you see in the flesh.

[Spencer_White]

If we were in the bottom half of the Championship then perhaps we would be? Very few teams would get 5 figure crowds in League Two. FACT.

We are a long way off 5 figures for normal games. I was comparing it to games last season when we still managed to get 8400 against Leyton Orient. We never dipped below 7000 from February onwards despite falling apart on the pitch. Over 8,000 for McDons and Notts County despite being basically relegated.

Theyve killed the home walk up numbers with the prices and negated any Di Canio effect.

[Reg Smeeton]

Absolute bollocks.

I'm sorry, most armchair fans, aren't real fans. They're fair weather, plastic, glory-hunters who have no idea what it's like to trek halfway across country, sit in the cold, drink shit coffee, eat a crap pie and then drive home for 3 hours after you've lost, feeling like shit. That's what a fan is. That's what support is.

Watching a telly does not constitute being a supporter. Some cunt who sits in an armchair, who bemoans a loss for 20 minutes to his other plastic subscribing mates, with no idea what football is really about, is not being a supporter. It's just a social tag that allows them some sort of sense of belonging. They appreciate football, they enjoy football, they might have some affinity with a club, but unless they're from the area, or have been attendees on some level on a regular basis, they're simply not real fans. They're not even fans.

When one of my Premiership supporting mates starts talking about "their" loss at the weekend, I want to punch them. They're clueless lovers of televised football, who's opinions are almost completely invalid. Television fans only regurgitate what the pundits and commentators say. They didn't see the game, they didn't see player x running off the ball all the time. Or player x working the channels to make room for someone else. They saw a 16:9 rendition of something that's only a shell of what you see in the flesh.

Very true....followers is a better word than fans.

[leefer]

Well if you live in Australia and you support Swindon i would say you are still a fan surely?

[wheretherealredsare]

And Russia ... and Thailand ... and USA ... and China ...

[Costanza]

I find that the television and plastic football fans tend to be the loudest. They're also the creepy ones who say bizarre things on radio phone-ins.

I mentioned this on TEF years ago but there was a kid at university who supported Southampton and Manchester United while being a replica shirt wearing season ticket holder at Plymouth and also followed his hometown team of Bournemouth. The guy had a lot of love to give but it bugged everyone (none of our business but it was irritating).

Also, there's a guy at work who has Sunderland AFC everything. Mugs - gold chain - mousemats - wallets - wears the newest shirt on dress down Fridays (!) etc. I asked him once whether he went to the game and his reply was "Oh no I haven't been for 20 years! Why go when I can watch it on Sky or on a feed down the pub".

Each to their own. I've spent the last 5/6 years going to football matches as a neutral. When I go to St. James' Park, Stadium of Light, Gateshead International Stadium and so on I don't experience anything close to what I feel at Town games.

[leefer]

I find that the television and plastic football fans tend to be the loudest. They're also the creepy ones who say bizarre things on radio phone-ins.

I mentioned this on TEF years ago but there was a kid at university that supported Southampton and Manchester United while being a replica shirt wearing season ticket holder at Plymouth and also followed his hometown team of Bournemouth. The guy had a lot of love to give but it bugged everyone (none of our business but it was irritating).

Also, there's a guy at work who has Sunderland AFC everything. Mugs - gold chain - mousemats - wallets - wears the newest shirt on dress down Fridays (!) etc. I asked him once whether he went to the game and his reply was "Oh no I haven't been for 20 years! Why go when I can watch it on Sky or on a feed down the pub".

Each to their own. I've spent the last 5/6 years going to football matches as a neutral. When I go to St. James' Park, Stadium of Light, Gateshead International Stadium and so on I don't experience anything close to what I feel at Town games.

I agree,watching the Town eclipses any other matches i have seen....and i have seen plenty.

[Only Me]

Absolute bollocks.

I'm sorry, most armchair fans, aren't real fans. They're fair weather, plastic, glory-hunters who have no idea what it's like to trek halfway across country, sit in the cold, drink shit coffee, eat a crap pie and then drive home for 3 hours after you've lost, feeling like shit. That's what a fan is. That's what support is.

Watching a telly does not constitute being a supporter. Some cunt who sits in an armchair, who bemoans a loss for 20 minutes to his other plastic subscribing mates, with no idea what football is really about, is not being a supporter. It's just a social tag that allows them some sort of sense of belonging. They appreciate football, they enjoy football, they might have some affinity with a club, but unless they're from the area, or have been attendees on some level on a regular basis, they're simply not real fans. They're not even fans.

When one of my Premiership supporting mates starts talking about "their" loss at the weekend, I want to punch them. They're clueless lovers of televised football, who's opinions are almost completely invalid. Television fans only regurgitate what the pundits and commentators say. They didn't see the game, they didn't see player x running off the ball all the time. Or player x working the channels to make room for someone else. They saw a 16:9 rendition of something that's only a shell of what you see in the flesh.

This quote made me laugh.

There are a lot of good points raised, but the "I want to punch them" was quality

[SirWinston]

Absolute bollocks.

I'm sorry, most armchair fans, aren't real fans. They're fair weather, plastic, glory-hunters who have no idea what it's like to trek halfway across country, sit in the cold, drink shit coffee, eat a crap pie and then drive home for 3 hours after you've lost, feeling like shit. That's what a fan is. That's what support is.

Watching a telly does not constitute being a supporter. Some cunt who sits in an armchair, who bemoans a loss for 20 minutes to his other plastic subscribing mates, with no idea what football is really about, is not being a supporter. It's just a social tag that allows them some sort of sense of belonging. They appreciate football, they enjoy football, they might have some affinity with a club, but unless they're from the area, or have been attendees on some level on a regular basis, they're simply not real fans. They're not even fans.

When one of my Premiership supporting mates starts talking about "their" loss at the weekend, I want to punch them. They're clueless lovers of televised football, who's opinions are almost completely invalid. Television fans only regurgitate what the pundits and commentators say. They didn't see the game, they didn't see player x running off the ball all the time. Or player x working the channels to make room for someone else. They saw a 16:9 rendition of something that's only a shell of what you see in the flesh.

I'm in agreement with a lot of this.  If I meet someone and they tell me they're a ManU/Chelsea/Arse fan, I pretty much switch off from their views on football, whereas if they told me they supported Hartlepool/Donny Rovers, I'd be quite happy to talk to them about it for ages.

I also like the sound of player x with his running off the ball and working the channels.  Does anybody know if he is available?

[Costanza]

Huzzah for be a purist eh fellows! I only support Swindon because my dad did. Luckily for me he supported his local side.

In fairness, I know plenty of "glory" supporters who talk a perfectly good game.

[janaage]

Deary me, aren't we all full of self importance, footballing martyrs. Live and let live lads, some people prefer to watch their football on TV, some prefer to go out in sub zero conditions watching far inferior quality of football paying a month's TV subsription for 90 mins of mind numbingly boring football. That's life, different strokes for different blokes.

Seriously lads, there's more important things in life that work you to the point of wanting to hit people.

[Notts red]

I guess it's easier to follow or support man.u etc now because they are on the telly nearly every week. It's strange as both my brothers both over 40 support man.u they both really like their football both playing and watching, one has been to old Trafford about 3 times and the other probably never. I've often tried to get them to come to a town match but they immediately think the standard is shit so now I've just given up asking them. We can watch a live game now pretty much every day of the week on tv which has killed off much chance of getting the new fans to come along. It's seems more fashionable now to watch a live game down the pub with your mates than to support your local team.

[Saxondale]

I find it funny that the one of my best mates I was in a band with in the late 80's and another really good mate from the same period are now Manure fans despite having never ever shown the slightest interest in football all the time I knew them back then.  In fact they found my interest in football plain weird.  However sometime during the mid 90's they decided they've always been 'football fans' and always loved Manure.

Suffice to say we now avoid the subject for fear of me getting a little tetchy.

[Dozno9]

I think the guy who works in my office in Andover and 'supports' Man Ure has a less weighted opinion than mine. He has never been, knows fuck all about anyone past the first eleven and makes bullshit comments and takes the piss out of us. He can royaly fuck right off.

That might be a purist view, an arrogant review maybe but arm chair fans of top prem clubs simply support a company, a PLC who give them fuck all recognition. How about the odd pre- season friendly in the home counties, oh no they're in Asia/America/Africa*

* delete as appropriate.

When you sit in the pissing rain amongst 200 fellows, 250 miles from home then I'll listen to your opinion. Offer me your views on Rooneys hatrick from the comfort of your sofa whilst sporting a pair of slip-ons and I'll be off.

[leefer]

I think the guy who works in my office in Andover and 'supports' Man Ure has a less weighted opinion than mine. He has never been, knows fuck all about anyone past the first eleven and makes bullshit comments and takes the piss out of us. He can royaly fuck right off.

That might be a purist view, an arrogant review maybe but arm chair fans of top prem clubs simply support a company, a PLC who give them fuck all recognition. How about the odd pre- season friendly in the home counties, oh no they're in Asia/America/Africa*

* delete as appropriate.