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Football fandom - addendum...
Nov. 5th, 2007 09:25 pmI recently wrote about being a fan. I had been thinking about it for a while, although the immediate impetus was watching England playing in the rugby world cup.
There was a deeper prompt, too. F. had been saying how she supports whichever football team her partner supports. Plus, she keeps up with them - so she also supports teams her ex-partners supported (mainly Chelsea, but she's gone off Chelsea because they fired Jose Mourinho). She also supports teams her friends support, so she supports Villa, too.
So that is Spurs (for me), Chelsea, and Villa. And that is just the premiership!
She doesn't get it at all when I tell her that this isn't supporting, or being a fan; this is at best following, or maybe keeping an eye out - just having an interest.
Because supporting - and much less being a fan (I don't really consider myself a fan, for reasons I think I explained before - mainly because I haven't been to a football match in thirty years, and it isn't the end of the world if my team loses. Just as well since that team is Spurs. Although at least they didn't lose today. No, they drew. JFC!!!) - well, it isn't something you chose. You can't chose your team. This is why most Man U fans don't count.
The football team you support is something you have no option about. It isn't a rational thing - and it really isn't down to whichever is the best team at the time. You can't switch it on and off. It is an integral part of your being.
(Nick Hornby said all this a lot better in Fever Pitch. But then, he supports Arsenal.)
It is a bit different at an international level. Not in football - there is no way I could ever be anything than an England supporter (even if the team is a bunch of overpaid prima donna numpties who continually disappoint and underperform). But in rugby, I chose to support Scotland.
This is largely down to the crowing English media who assume that England have a god-given right to win, and are shocked when anyone actually makes a show of it. (British Broadcasting Corporation my arse.) Perhaps it is because there is a natural inclination to support the underdogs.
There was a deeper prompt, too. F. had been saying how she supports whichever football team her partner supports. Plus, she keeps up with them - so she also supports teams her ex-partners supported (mainly Chelsea, but she's gone off Chelsea because they fired Jose Mourinho). She also supports teams her friends support, so she supports Villa, too.
So that is Spurs (for me), Chelsea, and Villa. And that is just the premiership!
She doesn't get it at all when I tell her that this isn't supporting, or being a fan; this is at best following, or maybe keeping an eye out - just having an interest.
Because supporting - and much less being a fan (I don't really consider myself a fan, for reasons I think I explained before - mainly because I haven't been to a football match in thirty years, and it isn't the end of the world if my team loses. Just as well since that team is Spurs. Although at least they didn't lose today. No, they drew. JFC!!!) - well, it isn't something you chose. You can't chose your team. This is why most Man U fans don't count.
The football team you support is something you have no option about. It isn't a rational thing - and it really isn't down to whichever is the best team at the time. You can't switch it on and off. It is an integral part of your being.
(Nick Hornby said all this a lot better in Fever Pitch. But then, he supports Arsenal.)
It is a bit different at an international level. Not in football - there is no way I could ever be anything than an England supporter (even if the team is a bunch of overpaid prima donna numpties who continually disappoint and underperform). But in rugby, I chose to support Scotland.
This is largely down to the crowing English media who assume that England have a god-given right to win, and are shocked when anyone actually makes a show of it. (British Broadcasting Corporation my arse.) Perhaps it is because there is a natural inclination to support the underdogs.