Another question for the gorgeous Brits!

Since you were all so helpful regarding my Carling Cup inquiry (and I mean that sincerely), I have another football related question.

Let's say you're a supporter of a large club like Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. Would it be considered poor form to also support a club that is local, but eternally consigned to the lower levels?

Here in the States, we don't have relegation, but we do have the major/minor league system. As such I can root for the Philadelphia Flyers (major league), but also support the minor league Reading Royals (yes, a hockey team in the States as well as a recently relegated football club! Small world.) without there being a conflict. Would supporting, say, Arsenal while also pulling for a club like Leyton Orient be the equivalent? Or would that get one a lot of stick?

Originally posted by Fleabitten
Since you were all so helpful regarding my Carling Cup inquiry (and I mean that sincerely), I have another football related question.

Let's say you're a supporter of a large club like Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. Would it be considered poor form to also support a club that is local, but eternally consigned to the lower levels?

Here in the States ...[text shortened]... ling for a club like Leyton Orient be the equivalent? Or would that get one a lot of stick?

Personnaly I have only ever supported Tottenham Hotspur FC..however i do know of WEST HAM fans who go to watch Leyton Orient.

Dicky on this forum ,apprently, has a season ticket at Reading FC although he supports Arsenal🙄

Many fans go and see other games. Even non-league. Especially if their own team don´t have a game, a weather cancellation, or if their own team is playing away hundreds of miles away.

Some fans have a very strong attachment to their local non-league side.

Orient attract fans from many clubs. They were my second team. Generally because I have a mate who supported them.

In the past, people used to just turn up on match days, even for the big team games. Sky and higher ticket prices, even in the second tier, have put paid to that tradition. At Palace it used to be common for 5 or 6 lads to go there, and only one would be a Palace fan. The others Chelsea or Spurs etc.. But at 25 quid a pop it doesn´t happen unless someone has a spare.

This season I heard a story of a couple of black lads in their late teens turning up to the club shop adhoc. When told the admission was 25 quid they turned to walk away. A generous Palce fan in the queue stopped them and made up the difference between what they had expected to pay (10-15 quid I guess) and the admission price. However, the club had been willing to let them walk away. That day we had 14,000 in the ground from a 26,000 capacity.

There are a lot of ethnic youngsters in the area around Selhurst. Can clubs afford to let them walk out the door when they are keen enough to turn up to Selhurst. Can any club afford to turn fans away when a global recession is about to hit us.

From my soapbox again, while it may be very well for footballers to earn 100k a week, and clubs to fork out 30 million on a player, there is something wrong within the game. I suggest the first step is to start cutting back on players wages a bit, that may lead to reductions in ticket prices.

hopster you are racist.

'black guys' why not just 'guys'? the color of their skin is irrelevant in that story.

plus if the price is £25, not £10 or £15 then they most pay £25 no matter how empty the stadium is. think if you paid £25 and then 30 mins later people where getting in for £15.....you'd be a little pissed, no? and a lot of people would be wanting £10 back.

personally i like seeing the stadiums empty...look at boro yesterday....priceless....the clubs will have to look into it and and start to reduce their prices permanently...not just for a few fans to get a few extra numbers in.

Originally posted by Fleabitten
Since you were all so helpful regarding my Carling Cup inquiry (and I mean that sincerely), I have another football related question.

Let's say you're a supporter of a large club like Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea, etc. Would it be considered poor form to also support a club that is local, but eternally consigned to the lower levels?

Here in the States ...[text shortened]... ling for a club like Leyton Orient be the equivalent? Or would that get one a lot of stick?

thats totally different though, you mentioned two different sports, a football and a hockey team...that would be like supporting man utd and the wigan rugby team...it really doesn't matter. you would never get in the states someone supporting the yankees and the cubs. i think the only way in that you would get a person being a fan of 2 teams is that if they grew up in an area which had a pretty crappy soccer team so looked to the prem for a team to follow but still would go to the odd home game of their home club and continue to support them. i don't think those people are ever called glory hunters (unless they happen to choose a team that is starting to win things)

some of the english people here might correct me on this but i think that very few people in england would be solely a fan of a lower league club, i'd say at least 98% of soccer fans in england support if not a prem team then at least championship or possibly a league 1 side.

i'm from ireland, here the soccer is so bad we all look to either england or scotland for a team to follow but we would mostly always look at the results of our 'home' team and have some interest in going to games. plus the rep. of ireland has their season run through the summer so when the prem isn't on its a nice fall back if you want to watch some soccer. personally i would rather watch a baseball game though than an irish soccer match.

the mets don't usually stop winning until september then its back to the prem 😵

Originally posted by trev33
thats totally different though, you mentioned two different sports, a football and a hockey team..

Thanks to all for the insights. I really do appreciate the input and hope to gather some other opinions.

Actually, Trev, my original post may have been ambiguous. But in the States, the Philadelphia Flyers and Reading Royals are both hockey teams.

Originally posted by Fleabitten
Thanks to all for the insights. I really do appreciate the input and hope to gather some other opinions.

Actually, Trev, my original post may have been ambiguous. But in the States, the Philadelphia Flyers and Reading Royals are both hockey teams.

why was i thinking the flyers where football? what do you call the football team from philly? the eagles?

anyway...there not in direct competition so its hard to compare with an english soccer team..it doesn't matter how many leagues is between them there's always a chance of them meeting in the fa cup.

I'm originally from Southampton and support them through and through but when walking along back streets in a foreign town like Portsmouth and you get monstered by a bunch of footy hooligans asking where are you from who do you support... instantly put on a usa accent say 'Well I'm from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.. you mean soccer right? I've heard of Arsenal are they any good? They wander off laughing saying how sh't they are .. got me out of lots of tight spots as a kid.
I love Reading and Bournemouth, Birkenhead United (NZ) like to hate Man U (Lovem in Europe hate em at home haha. Pompey are the enemy.
Love the weekend 2-1 Saints over Royals.. wish it were Pompey that went down not Reading... would have enjoyed that.
Home FC's are a blood thing first and foremost.. your roots where ever you go. You can't change that but you follow and like any team you like.

When I take my son to see our premiership team it is a real "event". We spend the whole day on the match, with travelling time there and back, walking round the stadium before the crowds arrive, having a fry-up in a local cafe, seeing the police-horses, etc. It costs something north of £100 for us to do it, so it only happens a couple of times each season, but it is absolutely fantastic.
This weekend we are going to see our local team. They are in the Blue Square premier (that's the 5th league). We will be out of the house for 2 1/2 hours at the most and will spend a tenner in total. It's still lots of fun, but not in the same league (!) as the premiership matches.