What club should I adopt as my favorite in the Premier League this year?

so, general question: how much of british club loyalty is geographic?

A nice chap I gather - a distant relative was at school with him, called Everton when he was in Liverpool for a day on business, and Moyes had him and his boy up to the training ground and entertained for the afternoon despite not having seen him in thirty-odd years.

so, general question: how much of british club loyalty is geographic?

Support Your Local Team (or don't, whatever)

Ahh, remember when Liverpool had glory hunter fans?

arent like sixteen of these clubs in london anyway

There are only five London-based Prem clubs at the moment.

but 8 northwest teams, true land of football

"only" five! new york only has two baseball teams

there will always be something a bit arbitrary & weak about whatever team you choose, unless you pick Fulham which is an entirely natural team for an American to support imo. otherwise embrace this fate & try and discern footballing virtue from staring into the faces of the managers.

Support a club that nobody in America can pronounce right, like Leicester City or Middlesborough

suggested shortlist:

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00294/owen-coyle_294322s.jpg
http://i.thisislondon.co.uk/i/pix/2008/12/martin-oneill-415x275.jpg
http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Wolverhampton+Wanderers+v+Hull+City+Premier+4xrThc143bNm.jpg

Or spell. It's Middlesbrough.

xpost

No bad blood for Coyle after his mid-season switch?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/images/2004/12/09/cherries_archive_harry_470_470x352.jpg

Or spell. It's Middlesbrough.

whatev!

:-)

http://d2eosjbgw49cu5.cloudfront.net/soccer-weblog.com/imgname--why_bbc_need_to_apologise_to_big_sam---50226711--images--sam-allardyce.jpg
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Football/Pix/pictures/2008/09/26/460MoyesMatthewLewisGetty.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/images/2008/03/12/tony_pulis_470x315.jpg

That's a great picture of Mick McCarthy.

he just looks blazed. has to be him or sam

never under any circumstances:

http://chelsea.theoffside.com/files/2009/11/Spurs_Favorite_Chef.jpg

If it's just about managers, Ian Holloway ftw:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/05/21/article-1185509-066EB2540000044D-128_468x312.jpg

coaches caught in mid-coach

Man how did I miss this thread? Ugh. I've always been a World Cup-only soccer fan...not so much by choice, I just was never compelled to follow Australian soccer, or English, though I had friends that did pretty passionately. I think it's time though...resolve to start following the MLS more closely, maybe hitch my wagon to the San Jose Quakes, since they're nice and local...who knows, maybe I'll get to see a game or two.

And since the Spurs will be televised this weekend, maybe I'll give them a gander too. Onward and upward. Besides, I need something to cheer me up when the Oakland Raiders inevitably start to emit their foul odor ;_;

And thus the mystery of "where VegemiteGrrrl is" is resolved

you know the mystery of which I speak

new york only has two baseball teams

There are, what, 30 MLB teams/franchises/whatever? And they're pretty evenly spread across the country, is that right? Football clubs tend to be clustered around (former) industrial towns; there are 92 league clubs in England - if you include the first tier of non-league (still pro/semi-pro), it's 116. Of these, 15 are in Greater London (which is where 1/7th of England lives). Of these, at least 10 have played in the top flight of English pro soccer at some point in their history; right now, there are 5 up there.

As pointed out elsewhere, the North-West (Merseyside/Gtr Manchester/Lancashire) boasts 8 Prem sides at the moment.

FWIW, apparently David Cameron is an Aston Villa fan.

Is that in the same way that Tony Blair was supposedly a member of the Toon Army?

I don't support anyone either. But I'll have to say that I hope Liverpool do well this time, but secretly rooting for Blackpool to kick everyones arses. Aint gonna happen obv.

I have some problems with the idea that you have to "root" for a team to be interested in a sport or a league

It necessary to get into any really good arguments tho

I generally have few problems getting into really good arguments

the idea that you have to "root" for a team

Are you Australian?

If it's just about managers, Ian Holloway ftw

otm. although he'll only be there for one more season, two at most, and then you're left supporting a team nicknamed after the most unimpressive of citrus fruits.

but this is only meant to be for this season anyway, right?

The issue with supporting teams like Blackpool is that if you're ever in Britain you'll feel somewhat obliged to actually go there.

The really nice places are too posh to have football teams though, and Thames Valley Royals never got off the drawing board.

Blackpool's okay Monday to Thursdays.

Struggling to equate "really nice" with "too posh" tbh.

I like Blackpool

Are you saying you root for them?

I root for the town not the football club

I like Blackpool but the weekends are pretty heavy going unless you avoid the Golden Mile or you like stag parties.

Just saying that if it's Richard Curtis Britain you're after, footy may not be the sport for you, even if Hugh Grant did tag along with Fulham last year.

I'd like to like Blackpool but it is the saddest place I've ever been, and I was in Hiroshima last year.

Posh has nothing to do with it, but if you're visiting the UK then going to Liverpool, Manchester or London for a football game is going to be a lot more fun then going to Blackburn or Wigan.

Just be glad Hull City were relegated

Also the poshest place in the Premiership currently has its best football team, dunno what that says about the theory.

if you're visiting the UK then going to Liverpool, Manchester or London for a football game is going to be a lot more fun then going to Blackburn or Wigan

also disagree with the many xposted point that blackpool are the least premiership of recent premiership clubs.

barnsley would probably take that one imo.

Hull's beautiful fuiud