[booyaka]

Scottish Cup game today for me!!!

Driving rain, howling wind, shocking pitch, awful referee, yellow cards, a bit of scrapping but no reds, 4 goals, miss penalty and 91st minute equaliser for Ayr

CLASSIC Scottish football - what a thriller!!!

Ayr v Kilmarnock is like Rangers v Celtic or Man Utd v Man City

Huge local rivalry and pride at stake, 2 divisions between the teams (Killie are a Premier league side)

Very Very hoarse voice now but cracking stuff - can't beat supporting your local team!!!!

BBC SPORT | Football | Scottish Cups | Ayr United 2-2 Kilmarnock

[thfccambs]

Originally Posted by booyaka

can't beat supporting your local team!!!!

You could always move mate?

Hope you had a great day??

[Ian J]

"Supporting your local football team". What an old fashioned concept

Until a comparatively few years ago most people supported their local football team until the concept of glory hunting took hold where people started supporting a team that they had no affiliation with at all but of course the adopted team would always have been a big successful Premiership team and never something unfashionable.

In the week after Christmas we were strolling along the promenade at Playa Blanca in Lanzarote when a huge cheer went up in the distance. Arriving back at our villa I checked the footie scores on the TV to find that the huge cheer co-incided with Manchester United scoring against lowly Midlesbrough.

Must have been loads of Mancunians in Playa Blanca - not

[Steven]

I don't get it either

Quite apart from the fact people routinely up sticks and relocate to a new area of the country... I mean I don't miss the north ,... or relocate and who they support has a bearing on children and grandchildren

But people are either indifferent or happy for their teams to have a worldwide fan-base as all it means is a few shirt sales or promotes the sport as a whole

But mention say for example all the people from Kent embarking on the weekly motorway trip to Old Trafford and it invites ridicule

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

Quite apart from the fact people routinely up sticks and relocate to a new area of the country

Most people never change the team that they support once they've nailed their colours to the mast. I live in the Midlands yet continue to support Crystal Palace who were my local team when I first started out (and who have never been fashionable).

One of my sons decided that he would be a Spurs fan despite them being on the other side of London and he still supports them despite the fact that he now works for Newcastle United FC

If my youngest son decides to become a footie follower I don't suppose that he will have my affiliation to a club in a different part of the country to where he has grown up and will either support Birmingham or Aston Villa unless he wishes to join the ranks of glory hunters and support a team in a different part of the country who just happen to be top of the Premiership at the time.

[mabo]

I think for many who have a love of football from a young age, they are simply unaware of local teams. As you say, once you've started supporting a team you can't simply switch.

Most people i know seem to follow the two club rule of the team they first saw on TV as a youngster and then whatever local team is near wherever they are living at the time once they become aware of such things as local teams.

By rights i should probably be looking to support a South London side but all i know is that one of my earliest memories at 4/5 is of my father telling me of Kenny Dalgliesh and what a man he was.

Interesting point though - where would people's allegiances lie if more sides became like MK Dons and moved much like they do in the US NFL?

[Steven]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Most people never change the team that they support once they've nailed their colours to the mast. I live in the Midlands yet continue to support Crystal Palace who were my local team when I first started out (and who have never been fashionable).

It was going to a secondary school in Manchester and having to explain to the natives (and for anyone who has been to Manchester they will understand the trauma) the concept of "moving home". Most peculiar are the far too many United fans from Bury, Rochdale or Oldham Presumably non-Premiership football was too much to take. I used to respond by pointing out the fact that they were not strictly from Manchester and at a great stretch were in "Greater Manchester"

[mabo]

I think it all depends on where you are when you first really get an interest in the sport. As i say, i was born closer to several South London sides but moved away before the age of four. When i started to show an interest i was in the middle of nowhere in North Devon. The nearest shop was a journey let alone anywhere flat where you could play football. To this day i don't know what our local team was as again we moved away not long after. In this kind of scenario a team you can follow on TV becomes something you hold onto.

[Kazuya Mishima]

Originally Posted by booyaka

Scottish Cup game today for me!!!

Driving rain, howling wind, shocking pitch, awful referee, yellow cards, a bit of scrapping but no reds, 4 goals, miss penalty and 91st minute equaliser for Ayr

CLASSIC Scottish football - what a thriller!!!

Ayr v Kilmarnock is like Rangers v Celtic or Man Utd v Man City

Huge local rivalry and pride at stake, 2 divisions between the teams (Killie are a Premier league side)

Very Very hoarse voice now but cracking stuff - can't beat supporting your local team!!!!

BBC SPORT | Football | Scottish Cups | Ayr United 2-2 Kilmarnock

Watched it on Sportscene last night - brilliant game! Classic Scottish Cup action. Especially memorable for the Ayr player's (Williams?) celebration - after whipping off his top and charging round the pitch he jumped on the ref and gave him a massive hug!!!

And afterwards, as the ref (who was smiling as he did so) was brandishing a yellow card for shirt-removal, the player gave him a kiss!

[Abbeygoo]

Strange then, Booyaka, that on the last AVF golf day and a few online poker games, you told me you supported Manchester United ....

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

Strange then, Booyaka, that on the last AVF golf day and a few online poker games, you told me you supported Manchester United ....

Caught out

[ps3mad]

Seems strange to me,i just been down the pub for the man u/chelsea game.I live on the london/surrey border,and most of them was supporting man u?.When i asked what connections they had to manchester i got the same answer,ive always supported them.seems strange as most of these people have never been to manchester,let alone a football game.So if so many people in london like manchester so much,how come i never see a man city shirt?.I think we all no the word for them! GLORY HUNTER!.If you have no ties to manchester why do you support man u

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by ps3mad

If you have no ties to manchester why do you support man u

It must be because they do a good prawn sandwich

[booyaka]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

Strange then, Booyaka, that on the last AVF golf day and a few online poker games, you told me you supported Manchester United ....

Lets just clear something up here.

The thread was intended to show how much fun/excitement can be had from supporting your local team. Not to turn into slagging me off for a light hearted thread!

Manchester United is indeed my team (i was born there and my dad was a season ticket holder before anyone starts!!!)

I was purely pointing out that you can support your local team and enjoy crazy afternoons watching them. I am 250 miles from old trafford so it's not like i can just pop down and watch them on a Saturday afternoon.

I'm not critising anyone for who/how/why they support who they do, but purely saying that taking an interest in your local team can help them financially etc (Ayr United are now a part time team after due to financial difficulties over the last few years)

A good cup run for them is excellent and a last minute equaliser will bring in much needed funds to the club. Usual attendance is 1500 at an Ayr home game - yesterdays game 9150.

[booyaka]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Caught out

hardly

[Abbeygoo]

Booyaka

relax mate my post was purely tongue in cheek and as I have met you online several times playing poker and also in person at the Edinburgh Golf weekend, I thought I could pull your chain a bit.

Was not meant to be "slagging you off" and I'm sorry that you chose to react that way.

[booyaka]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

Booyaka

relax mate my post was purely tongue in cheek and as I have met you online several times playing poker and also in person at the Edinburgh Golf weekend, I thought I could pull your chain a bit.

Was not meant to be "slagging you off" and I'm sorry that you chose to react that way.

i know i know!

[andrewrunagall]

Well, I'm a Southend United supporter, I've even worked for the club selling tickets when I was at college, so I cannot wait until Wednesday night, although I can't make it to Roots Hall, thankfully the match will be on ITV1.

Thing is, the last premiership team to come down our way, we beat them, in fact we're the only team never to lose or draw against them, Man Utd, so when they thumped Chelsea 3-0 today, Chelsea could go down again.

COME ON THE SHRIMPERS!!!!!!!!

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by Abbeygoo

relax mate my post was purely tongue in cheek

United supporters obviously don't have a sense of humour

[andykn]

Originally Posted by andrewrunagall

Well, I'm a Southend United supporter, I've even worked for the club selling tickets when I was at college, so I cannot wait until Wednesday night, although I can't make it to Roots Hall, thankfully the match will be on ITV1.

Thing is, the last premiership team to come down our way, we beat them, in fact we're the only team never to lose or draw against them, Man Utd, so when they thumped Chelsea 3-0 today, Chelsea could go down again.

COME ON THE SHRIMPERS!!!!!!!!

Blimey, two of us!

[RMCF]

I really enjoy supporting my local team.

Although going for many years, I became a season ticket holder about 5 years ago, and get just as much enjoyment out of attending these games as watching the top teams on TV. If I was brutally honest I would have to admit that my interest in the televised game (ie EPL and La Liga) has started to dwindle over the last 5 or 6 years. I used to watch every game on Sky, but now I miss the majority of them through my own choice. Only really watch the big ties in the EPL and La Liga, along with most Madrid games. CL is also still watched regularly but this competition is also losing its interest for me gradually.

And why the loss of interest? Well I think that the money in the game and the attitude of the modern player is not helping. They have all become mercenaries and most have no great loyalty any more, except the money. Most only perform sporadically, and the diving, cheating, feigning injury is also a big factor. And the game is so stop-start these days too, with refs hardly letting any tackles go. Its becoming harder and harder to watch.

As for the local game, well my team would have a lot of local players, many from the city, so they have more pride in what they do. They play with more heart and you can see that winning means more to them than the top pro's. OK so the quality is not up to the same level, but the passion is.

If more people began to follow their local team and ignore the billion pound businesses that now pass for football teams then the world of football would be a lot healthier.

[AgentCool]

My local team is Hull City and I've supported them for years. In fact I can still hardly believe they're in the Premier League after all those years playing at Boothferry Park against Division 2/3 opposition. That they've got this far without mega-bucks investment makes me admire them even more. Hull are a good old-fashioned football team with supporters who are used to seeing them lose. That we are doing so well (not so much at the moment) has reinvigorated my faith in the modern game. It goes to show that, in football, money certainly helps but having piles of it isn't everything.

[booyaka]

excellent news for Ayr United is that the replay at Rugby Park has been picked up by Sky Sports. That means a bumper £82k from sky plus half the gate receipts for the club no matter what happens in the tie.

[kopchoir]

Originally Posted by LFC_SL

Most peculiar are the far too many United fans from Bury, Rochdale or Oldham Presumably non-Premiership football was too much to take. I used to respond by pointing out the fact that they were not strictly from Manchester and at a great stretch were in "Greater Manchester"

could be worse we could come from bury and support liverpool

As ian said you can only pick one team its a golden rule, when i was growing there was only 2 up dont sleep with your best mates girlfriend and dont change your football team simple.
I did go to bury for around 3 seasons solid just to "watch my local team" its just short of £20 to go watch bury for an extra tenner i can sit in the kop
i know suporting your local team is a good thing and i never knock anyone for it but football is a pricey game

[Steven]

You are right, it could be worse

You could have been born in a Liverpool hospital, grown up on Merseyside and turn out supporting Manchester United

[Wild Weasel]

Most people seem to support whoever was top of the league when they were 7 years old. That's my theory anyway.

[Ian J]

When we lived in Surrey / Sussex one of my sons had to write to a sports club as a school exercise and for reasons long forgotten he picked Manchester City and was so thrilled when they actually replied that he has been a supporter ever since.

[Naaktgeboren]

My local team is FC Utrecht

Although I grew up supporting Feyenoord (despite living only 15km from the Amsterdam Arena and most of my family following Ajax)

I have not watched much live football since living in the UK, my local professional club would be Gillingham although that is still 15 miles away.

I still manage approx 5 Feyenoord games a season.

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by CloggyNL

My local team is FC Utrecht

Although I grew up supporting Feyenoord (despite living only 15km from the Amsterdam Arena and most of my family following Ajax)

I have not watched much live football since living in the UK, my local professional club would be Gillingham although that is still 15 miles away.

I still manage approx 5 Feyenoord games a season.

Must be hard to watch this season.

[Dony]

Originally Posted by Wild Weasel

That's my theory anyway.

Since I support Spurs that's blows that theory out the window