How times change

[Greatwesternline]

I support Reading but live in Peckham, should my unborn child be raised Millwall, a walk from our house, Palace, a team that could reasonably provide them with PL joy more often that not, Tottenham, a "big 6" team i notionally say i support to foreign people I meet on holiday who want to talk about the PL, or Reading, the team their dad supports but probably isnt going to watch much because its 4 hour round trip on the train.

I'd almost be tempted to take them to watch Reading Women instead because at least they are a top 6 team.

[Millsy]

I have always 'supported' Liverpool only because when I was 5 my best mate told me he supported them and the Liverpool badge was the best badge in the Panini stickers we were collecting so I arbitrarily decided to support them. I'm glad Liverpool are top of the league but I've never been there and I don't really give that much of a toss.

You are not a supporter

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

We were beating them comfortable more recent than that though.

Did the double over them in the 2006/7 season and that included a 2-0 away win!

Remember it well. Lita had a blinder that day. The COM/Ethiad was even quieter than usual...

[Tilehurstsouthbank]

The thing is I have no idea what happiness people get supporting Man City when they're not from there at all and are just supporting a team that's gone from total shite to 2nd best in the country with just money. Do the kids walking around with City tops on have any idea at all/ Would they have any emotion at all? And even if you're born in Manchester what pride can you have with a team that's just had a ridiculous amount of money pumped in.

I have always 'supported' Liverpool only because when I was 5 my best mate told me he supported them and the Liverpool badge was the best badge in the Panini stickers we were collecting so I arbitrarily decided to support them. I'm glad Liverpool are top of the league but I've never been there and I don't really give that much of a toss.

Part of me hopes my home town Reading stays relatively shit so it will always be 'my' club. I guess I wouldn't mind us crawling up slowly into the PL, nothing spectacular, and survive over a number of seasons. But I'd hate it if some mega rich tits came in splashed 100s of millions on new players and we ended up top of the PL but a totally unrecognisable plastic crap club.

Well the football is incredible for a start.

People like success. People like bragging rights. It's exactly the same reason why Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool shirts are common around the country.

You've got to remember that actually the proportion of football fans that regularly attend games isn't that high. And the number who really understand football is arguably even lower.

You're not wrong there!

[Westwood52]

I think the problem is that we all watch the Prem and Europe on telly,then go to an actual Championship game and get frustrated by our lack of quality in comparison.
I admit It is unfair marking player performances down when making that comparison.

That said even when we are shite I still really enjoy the live Championship game and nothing beats when Reading get a goal.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Interesting thread. It's all relative. Think about clubs we routinely played prior to the SJM era; they may look at us and say we lucked out. Swings and roundabouts, though admittedly no billionaire could take us to the heights of City as we don't have the fanbase to compete. Imagine us in a shiny 60,000 seater.

[Singing Defective]

Interesting thread. It's all relative. Think about clubs we routinely played prior to the SJM era; they may look at us and say we lucked out. Swings and roundabouts, though admittedly no billionaire could take us to the heights of City as we don't have the fanbase to compete. Imagine us in a shiny 60,000 seater.

..completely unlike the 55k capacity Eastlands, better known as the Emptyhad, then

TBF most of my colleagues are Manchester / Oldham based, and whether they support United or Citeh seems down to geography. Quite a few aren’t plastics, too, ST for a while.

[WTRoyal]

Interesting thread. It's all relative. Think about clubs we routinely played prior to the SJM era; they may look at us and say we lucked out. Swings and roundabouts, though admittedly no billionaire could take us to the heights of City as we don't have the fanbase to compete. Imagine us in a shiny 60,000 seater.

If you build it, they will come...

...unless you're overcharging

... or have grown the club at an artificially faster rate than the fan base to whom the ground is accessible

[Jackson Corner]

Interesting thread. It's all relative. Think about clubs we routinely played prior to the SJM era; they may look at us and say we lucked out. Swings and roundabouts, though admittedly no billionaire could take us to the heights of City as we don't have the fanbase to compete. Imagine us in a shiny 60,000 seater.

That day at Maine rd was far from full I bet the Gallaghers and Jason Mountford were no where to be seen. By the end it was half empty they left to a chorus of boos whilst 1200 Royals out sung them for 90 minutes.

[The Enfield Royal71]

I genuinly don't care. I can switch my support on and off when I like and choose one of my other 3 teams.

[URZZZZ]

I genuinly don't care. I can switch my support on and off when I like and choose one of my other 3 teams.

Were you not complaining about plastics some time ago?

[krapmle]

You've got to remember that actually the proportion of football fans that regularly attend games isn't that high. And the number who really understand football is arguably even lower.

Especially on here.

very true 72 bus. Fakesnow royal is a classic example of someone who posts what they think is trending rather than facts.
He posted a few weeks ago Reading were improving under Gomes then once it was clear gomes was going fakesnow posted it was the right thing and how he supported dismissing the manager. All bla bla bla.

[The Enfield Royal71]

I genuinly don't care. I can switch my support on and off when I like and choose one of my other 3 teams.

Were you not complaining about plastics some time ago?

Probably.

[Mr Optimist]

Success brings plastics, it always has. Even Ipswich had plastics in the early 80s.

City is a strange one really. Having worked in Manchester for most of the last 20 years I have seen their fall and rise and I know lots of City fans who to a one are decent, knowledgable, self-depreciating football fans. I asked someone I know in his early 50s if the recent success is hollow given the ridiculous amount of money pumped in, and given in his time he was just too young to remember the 1976 league cup win, he has seen a lost FA cup final a full Members Cup win and not a lot else while the other half of the city have won everything, so the answer was no, I'm loving it while it lasts because City being City it won't...

Manchester City are and were a big club before the money arrived, and before the Premier league arrived, they won FA cups, Division One titles, a European trophy, but still mainly got their support from the Greater Manchester area. other than plastics walking around provincial town centres with their replica shirts, nothing much has changed. They are just a big provincial club, like Derby, Forest, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa, but they are not a big club in the mould of United, Liverpool, of even Arsenal and I don't think any amount of success on the pitch is going to change that.

[oldebiscuit]

The thing is I have no idea what happiness people get supporting Man City when they're not from there at all and are just supporting a team that's gone from total shite to 2nd best in the country with just money. Do the kids walking around with City tops on have any idea at all/ Would they have any emotion at all? And even if you're born in Manchester what pride can you have with a team that's just had a ridiculous amount of money pumped in.

I have always 'supported' Liverpool only because when I was 5 my best mate told me he supported them and the Liverpool badge was the best badge in the Panini stickers we were collecting so I arbitrarily decided to support them. I'm glad Liverpool are top of the league but I've never been there and I don't really give that much of a toss.

Part of me hopes my home town Reading stays relatively shit so it will always be 'my' club. I guess I wouldn't mind us crawling up slowly into the PL, nothing spectacular, and survive over a number of seasons. But I'd hate it if some mega rich tits came in splashed 100s of millions on new players and we ended up top of the PL but a totally unrecognisable plastic crap club.

Yes, I’ll go along with most of that!

[Ascotexgunner]

The thing is I have no idea what happiness people get supporting Man City when they're not from there at all and are just supporting a team that's gone from total shite to 2nd best in the country with just money. Do the kids walking around with City tops on have any idea at all/ Would they have any emotion at all? And even if you're born in Manchester what pride can you have with a team that's just had a ridiculous amount of money pumped in.

I have always 'supported' Liverpool only because when I was 5 my best mate told me he supported them and the Liverpool badge was the best badge in the Panini stickers we were collecting so I arbitrarily decided to support them. I'm glad Liverpool are top of the league but I've never been there and I don't really give that much of a toss.

Part of me hopes my home town Reading stays relatively shit so it will always be 'my' club. I guess I wouldn't mind us crawling up slowly into the PL, nothing spectacular, and survive over a number of seasons. But I'd hate it if some mega rich tits came in splashed 100s of millions on new players and we ended up top of the PL but a totally unrecognisable plastic crap club.

Yes, I’ll go along with most of that!

Yeah except the Liverpool bit.....I mean WTF?

[Lower West]

I think the problem is that we all watch the Prem and Europe on telly,then go to an actual Championship game and get frustrated by our lack of quality in comparison.

Rather than watch a game on the telly. I wander across the road to watch a live game. Far more preferable. Quality often doesn't generate the same level of excitement as two equally matched teams going head to head.

Same reason as I fell out of love with F1. Money rules......

[Snowflake Royal]

I think the problem is that we all watch the Prem and Europe on telly,then go to an actual Championship game and get frustrated by our lack of quality in comparison.

Rather than watch a game on the telly. I wander across the road to watch a live game. Far more preferable. Quality often doesn't generate the same level of excitement as two equally matched teams going head to head.

Same reason as I fell out of love with F1. Money rules......

Yeah, I watch the very occasional Champs league game if I'm in the pub with friends cause their team is in it... once in a blue moon MotD and about half England's qualifiers.

I've seen almost as much youth park football this season as International and more than PL or European.

[Dr_Hfuhruhurr]

I have always 'supported' Liverpool only because when I was 5 my best mate told me he supported them and the Liverpool badge was the best badge in the Panini stickers we were collecting so I arbitrarily decided to support them. I'm glad Liverpool are top of the league but I've never been there and I don't really give that much of a toss.

You are not a supporter

This is a rites of passage for all school kids. My primary school team was Man United, my next door neighbour's was Liverpool.
I grew out of it because my Dad took me to the football, I then used to go to the football after school and my first wage slave job in Reading was with people who talked about Reading FC, not Arsenal. I think its natural to gravitate towards your local team, but not everybody does. If you are taking your kids to football nowadays then I certainly suspect that they will end up Reading fans. Other kids may not be so lucky*

*LOL