nPower Football League Thread 2011/12

[Adam]

Is it just me who uses the words 'support' and 'fan' in opposite weight of meaning to this?

[Matt]

They both mean the same thing, they both mean that they're your team. The concept of having more than one team seems absurd to me - excluding local sides that play non-league, I guess.

Edit: Also fan is derived from fanatic, isn't it? So it'd be wrong to use it to say you're a casual follower of a club... Though I guess most scum fans fall into that category, so :/

[TEOL]

Giving away a 2-0 lead is become the expectation with Ipswich at the moment. I think there needs to be major consideration about Jewell now. He was given a fair bit of money to build this squad and things just aren't working.

Speaking of 2 goal leads, our youth team beat yours 3-1 last night. Although now that you're a Spurs fan you probably don't mind too much .

That's a bit stranger, 'cos our youth team is usually quite good. A few people I used to play against/went to school with and are in the youth team. Hahah, I think I explained it badly. I'm an Ipswich supporter, but Spurs are my Premiership team. That's allowed, right?

Fuck off traitor.

Wait, do you even like football?

I do for the purposes of mocking you

[Dingle]

In my defence - although maybe you guys weren't referring to me - I did say 'support'. As I've said before, I don't really have a team per se, so I just go where the football is enjoyable. Except Real Madrid, for whatever reason I very much dislike them.

And Split, you may have a good youth team, but we're easily the better side on paper.

Edited January 15, 2012 by Devil In Jouzy City

[Jimmy]

Okay, how would you describe me then? I had no idea it'd cause a problem. I'm from Ipswich, I've supported Ipswich since I was a kid - I don't go to too many games because I can't really afford it and I'll catch them when they're on tele. I have a strong interest in the Premier League as it excites me much more than the Championship does. My favourite team in the Premier League is Tottenham, I enjoy watching them play football because it is very, very entertaining. I've never been to a match but this season especially, I've watched every game they've been on TV, and I've streamed a few. I want them to win the title; get annoyed when the lose and consequently want other teams to lose so them can win the title. I get enjoyment out of this.

So, because I love the Premiership and the club I've supported since a boy isn't in that division, I'm not allowed to form an attatchment to a team that is in that divison? And because they entertain me and I'm a fan of their football, I'm supposed to watch a bunch of their games, talk about them on here - but I'm strictly not allowed to call myself a fan?

Maybe I'm missing something. This doesn't effect my interest and support for Ipswich, but it heightens my involvement with the Premier League, which in my opinion is the best league in the world.

I'd rather see Ipswich promoted then Spurs crowned champions; but in an ideal world, both will happen.

...This season.

[Matt]

To be honest, I was mostly just ribbing you. But I do find the idea of supporting a team in the Premier League just to support one to be weird. Maybe that's because I expect my actual team to get there eventually.

[Jimmy]

Oh that's where we differ, I totally don't have that expectation.

[Adam]

I personally was just on about the (honestly tiny detail of) meaning of the words 'supporter' and 'fan' in the context of referring to football teams we like. Fan is indeed derived from the word 'fanatic', I've just always used it to mean the 'secondary' teams I like to see do well, and have always said that I "support" Doncaster because they are the team that I have a major emotional and financial investment in.

I personally don't care if you support all 92 football teams Split, each to their own!

EDIT: And that's a good point, when I started to go and watch Doncaster they were a midtable Conference side, so it was only natural as a 5 year old that Premier League teams helped hold my interest.

Edited January 15, 2012 by AdamDRFC

[IAceI]

When people heard I support Sunderland I used to get asked, "But do you support a big team too?" ... Still do sometimes.

For some people up here it's unfathomable that you don't support at least Man Utd, Liverpool or Newcastle. I've met some helmets who support two of them three simultaneously.

I've always said I have no greater respect for those fans who travel the length of the country to watch their team, even when they aren't successful. It's a completely different world when I go to watch Carlisle play at home and there's some Leyton Orient, Wycombe Wanderers or Brentford fans taking up about 50 seats in the away end. And then you get the 15 year olds stood next to me chanting; "You're supporting is fucking shit" and "Is that all you take away?" When they've never been to an away game in their life.

Sure it's alright for me as a Sunderland fan, even in the Premier League we do relatively well and matches are doable. But for those fans of League One and below, hell even the Championship I suppose, who go to some of the lengths they do to follow their team are something else. Heroic or stupid. Probably both.

It's why I feel for Darlington fans, some of them will have travelled all over England watching their team and only for it to end up being destroyed. I'm sure there will remain those loyal bunch who are there when it's Metropolitan Police v AFC Darlington. Nothing wrong with supporting 'just' a lower league team, if anything it's more admirable to some.

[lanky316]

I was spoilt growing up with teams so I have three teams and they're all close to my heart. I was born about half hours train ride from White Hart Lane and as my parents were both season ticket holders way back when I was watching Spurs from a young age. My dad had grown up and gone to school round the corner from Roots Hall and even trained with the Southend players and the like as a kid so were close to his heart which led to us going to see them a lot (spent my 5th birthday as lucky mascot, 0-0 draw and star striker breaking leg, captain informing my parents he'd never heard so much rubbish as I was informing them the intricacies of Transformers Then after moving here it was my brothers turn to go to games and from a young age he had really sensitive ears and couldn't take noise. Peterborough were in Division 1 and got some decent attendences and we've ALWAYS hated Cambridge, Stevenage had just got up to the conference so we gave them a go. First match they came from 2-0 to win 4-2 with a rush in the last 10 minutes and we were hooked. Money stops me from being able to go to see them all regularly now but doesn't mean I don't make the chance to catch all of them a couple of times a season.

[IAceI]

Sensitive ears? Couldn't take noise you say? Has he tried Arsenal?

Oooh err...

[Lineker]

Two Exeter City directors have flown to Rio de Janeiro in the hope of setting up a match between the League One club and the Brazil national team.

The Grecians are hoping to celebrate the centenary of the national team, who played their first-ever match against Exeter in 1914.

Vice-chairman Julian Tagg and business development manager Bruce Henderson are in Brazil to meet officials.

Exeter marked their own centenary with a game against Brazil Masters in 2004.

In the side that day were former Brazil stars Dunga and Careca.

"Whilst we have no guarantees that we can deliver a repeat of that amazing first game, we owe it to ourselves, the club and its supporters to explore ways in which this important centenary for both Brazil and for Exeter City can be celebrated," said chairman Edward Chorlton.

"The Brazilians are keen. I am sure that during their visit our ambassadors Julian and Bruce will do their best to progress negotiations so that we can pull this off and do so in our normal way without cost or risk to the football club."

The Exeter duo have been invited to Brazil by Fluminese official Eric de Menezes and they are hoping to set up contacts with television companies and potential sponsors.

"There is long way between a dream and reality and we harbour no false illusions or hopes," Julian Tagg said.

Exeter are no strangers to high-profile occasions.

In 2002 Michael Jackson was made an honorary director of the club after he and magician David Blaine visited St James Park as guests of then-Exeter City director Uri Geller.

[Adam]

When people heard I support Sunderland I used to get asked, "But do you support a big team too?" ... Still do sometimes.

For some people up here it's unfathomable that you don't support at least Man Utd, Liverpool or Newcastle. I've met some helmets who support two of them three simultaneously.

I've always said I have no greater respect for those fans who travel the length of the country to watch their team, even when they aren't successful. It's a completely different world when I go to watch Carlisle play at home and there's some Leyton Orient, Wycombe Wanderers or Brentford fans taking up about 50 seats in the away end. And then you get the 15 year olds stood next to me chanting; "You're supporting is fucking shit" and "Is that all you take away?" When they've never been to an away game in their life.

Sure it's alright for me as a Sunderland fan, even in the Premier League we do relatively well and matches are doable. But for those fans of League One and below, hell even the Championship I suppose, who go to some of the lengths they do to follow their team are something else. Heroic or stupid. Probably both.

It's why I feel for Darlington fans, some of them will have travelled all over England watching their team and only for it to end up being destroyed. I'm sure there will remain those loyal bunch who are there when it's Metropolitan Police v AFC Darlington. Nothing wrong with supporting 'just' a lower league team, if anything it's more admirable to some.

Oh, definitely. My absolute best days in football have been those ridiculously long away trips when you're stood/sat in the away end with about 100 other people that you know are equally as mental as you for even bothering. Makes it feel even better when you win though! I've felt both ends of that spectrum, even just in the last couple of years. Watched us away at Southampton our first year in the Championship, we won 2-1 and felt like gods for the 6 hour journey back. Whereas the opening day of this season saw us go down to Brighton, it took 7+ hours to get there due to traffic through London, Billy Sharp and James Hayter both suffered suspected broken legs and we lost to a 98th minute goal. Utterly ridiculous that I spent £50+ to do that.

[-A-]

It's because in football we use a very specific definition of 'support.' If I watch a random match between two Eastern European teams I've never heard of I might decide to support one or the other for some stupid reason. If I hate a particular team then I'll literally be supporting everyone they play. When asked who I'd prefer to win the Premiership title, I probably have some kind of preference between the likely candidates. It's impossible to expect every football fan to like one club absolutely and hate every other club equally.

EDIT: Like, in my case I never grew up supporting any club and wasn't really even into football that much. Never lived with my dad and didn't have any male relatives that lived in London so I'd only been to about 4 football matches before I turned 15 (two at Stamford Bridge, one at Old Trafford, one at Upton Park.) I don't have a good reason to passionately support any of those teams to the exclusion of everyone else and it would seem a bit fake if I even pretended to.

Had the best experience at West Ham so I wanted them to do well. Used to live right next to Stamford Bridge so I still have a strong soft spot for them. Went to Old Trafford and thought the fans and players were all cunts, so now I really want them to lose

Edited January 16, 2012 by -A-

[Lineker]

Mark McGhee is the new Bristol Rovers manager.

[Lineker]

The son of a Premier League manager and two first team regulars were among five Brighton and Hove Albion players questioned over an alleged sex assault.

Anton Rodgers, 18, whose father is Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers, Tommy Elphick, 24, and Lewis Dunk, 20, were arrested and bailed on Thursday.

First team squad members George Barker, 20, and Ben Sampayo, 19, were also questioned about the alleged attack.

They have been released on bail until 21 March, pending further inquiries.

Former Seagulls player Steve Cook, 20, who was signed by AFC Bournemouth for an undisclosed fee at the beginning of January, was also arrested and released on bail by police investigating allegations of a sexual assault, in July.

[Matt]

Ken Bates has been in charge at ER for 8 years tomorrow, today marked our 66th loan signing under his ownership. I'd love to know if any other club comes close to that number.

[Adam]

8 years? We'll probably knock that out before the end of the season!

If I could be arsed, I'd look into how many Sheffield United and Norwich have had in that time. I remember a couple of years ago when all both teams did was sign loan player after loan player. Stuff having a team.

[Matt]

Norwich: 43 + however many they had between January '05 and the end of that season. But I'm fairly sure there were a few players they loaned twice, so that'd bring the number down.

Sheffield United: 45 again, I think there were a few players they loaned twice.

[Lineker]

Hey Matt, try and list as many of Leeds' loanees since KB took over!