I never thought I'd feel more of a glory-hunter rooting for a 2nd Division team than one in the Premiership, it must be said.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 17 November 2003 10:30 (twenty years ago) link
Charlton Athletic fans to thread! The complete opposite of Spurs fans, really - pretty much the mantra round my way is "well, one thing other clubs don't realise is that as long as you're in the Premiership, EVERYTHING IS GOOD". I'd imagine sitting in fourth position is even better.
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 17 November 2003 10:32 (twenty years ago) link
Funny you should mention this - I'm not sure I've ever met any. If I did meet some I'd feel compelled to ask them if they sing "Into the Valley" by the Skids.
― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 17 November 2003 10:34 (twenty years ago) link
I think this year's Premiership has taken a nosedive in quality. Apart from the top three, you have a load of average sides. This is why the more efficient sides are top six. Birmingham, Charlton etc.
― Mikey G (Mikey G), Monday, 17 November 2003 10:36 (twenty years ago) link
MarkH: they play "Into The Valley" before the game at Charlton (just before "When The Red Red Robin Comes Bob Bob Bobbing Along") and a few seem to make an attempt at singing along but it's difficult because the words are so garbled.
― Tim (Tim), Monday, 17 November 2003 10:44 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 11:01 (twenty years ago) link
Yes, it certainly helps that we're 3 points (not 15) with 3 games in hand, but that's not really the point. The reasons why I like supporting AFC Wimbledon, ignoring the emotional attachment:
- Smaller crowds make driving, parking, enterting, leaving, buying drinks, going to the loo, etc. etc. much quicker and easier.
- £8 may be a lot for CCL football, but £25 was a lot to see a shitty Wimbledon team stuffed by Coventry.
- I'm a season ticket holder for the 1st time in my life, and I've been to the last 9 home games, which is easily a record for me. And I don't have to slog my way to Selhurst Park to do so.
- The fans do have a strong and close loyalty to the club, but also a sense of perspective.
- Every penny I spend at Kingsmeadow helps the club much more in financial terms than every penny I could spend at, say, Highbury.
- The supporters run the club, and every penny profit goes back into the club.
- The standard of football is MUCH higher than I would have expected, and in non-league it's even harder to move up the ladder than in the football league, so every point and every success is that much more important.
- The relationship between club and community seems stronger and is definitely much more intimate and much more mutual.
- I feel I'm making a difference. I wouldn't feel anything like that if I supported a big club.
I can understand why cabbage gets annoyed at inverted snobbery in football, but I can't understand why Liverpool are more important to him than Chesterfield.
― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 17 November 2003 11:40 (twenty years ago) link
When they played each other I supported Chesterfield
― chris (chris), Monday, 17 November 2003 11:46 (twenty years ago) link
― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 17 November 2003 11:49 (twenty years ago) link
― Mikey G (Mikey G), Monday, 17 November 2003 11:55 (twenty years ago) link
― chris (chris), Monday, 17 November 2003 11:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Pete S, Monday, 17 November 2003 12:12 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:16 (twenty years ago) link
It was not difficult at all to start supporting them. To all intents and purposes Wimbledon FC stopped being the club I supported when permission was given for the move, though it was living on borrowed time ever since the chairman first announced his desire to move the club from Wimbledon. So when a group of dedicated fans announced that they were setting up a new club, and the vast majority of the hardcore fan base immediately got behind them, it was the easiest (and most exciting and enjoyable) thing in the world to throw my lot in with this amazing, brave adventure. I enjoy going to non-league matches more than premier/1st div matches, so in a way I felt I'd gained rather than lost.
AFC Wimbledon is currently (and may it be ever thus) a team with a vast amount of emotional support, goodwill and passion. I'm enjoying being a football fan more than I ever have before.
― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:21 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:24 (twenty years ago) link
― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:25 (twenty years ago) link
― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:27 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:30 (twenty years ago) link
― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:35 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:39 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:39 (twenty years ago) link
― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:47 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:52 (twenty years ago) link
In the case of Spurs, I suspect most of the 'pain' comes from having a slightly bumbling, mediocre team with a ever-receding glorious past in the shadow of a club very close to the top of the Englsh game. As an Evertonian, I'm afraid the joy/misery balance of a weekend's football is always a combination of *two* results (unless it's derby day).
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:55 (twenty years ago) link
― robin (robin), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:56 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:58 (twenty years ago) link
― Tim (Tim), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Pete S, Monday, 17 November 2003 13:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Jonnie, Monday, 17 November 2003 13:06 (twenty years ago) link
True, but there's the absolute failure of relegation (yes, yes, it's also relative - there's a league table after all) and then there's the relative failure of always being second best to the other lot.
I'm not for a moment saying that it's as bad finishing 13th in the top flight, trophyless and with a clutch of disgruntled, overpaid dilettantes while the filth hoover up European glory vs. losing league status and almost going to the wall financially. But, by Christ, it still fucking hurts. There is this sense that you made a choice aged four, seven, nine, whatever - and IT WAS WRONG. I think that's where the lifetime of agony line comes from. Of course, it's nothing compared to your club almost ceasing to exist and I'm not making a plea for sympathy here!
― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:11 (twenty years ago) link
― stevem (blueski), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:15 (twenty years ago) link
That's bollocks. We're all justified in whinging as much as we like, they're our teams after all.
― Jonnie, Monday, 17 November 2003 13:19 (twenty years ago) link
― Pete S, Monday, 17 November 2003 18:52 (twenty years ago) link
― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 17 November 2003 19:13 (twenty years ago) link
The Fulham Trust had a massive problem in getting a lot of their fans to give a shit about the Cottage; for many, Fulham was a Premiershite club, and where it played less important. The ones who were there in the dark times had an intrinsic understanding on the importance of the Cottage to the identity of the club, but that didn't seem to be the priority for many of the newer fans.
― Dave B (daveb), Monday, 17 November 2003 20:54 (twenty years ago) link
Newcastle United are the club at the centre of the 2005 film GOAL! which was just on BBC1. Did anyone else see it? I found it interesting in some ways.
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 16:48 (fifteen years ago) link
Including
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 16:58 (fifteen years ago) link
I fear that Boumsong is somewhere in the back
a common fear
― Francisco Javier Sánchez Brot (onimo), Tuesday, 30 December 2008 17:02 (fifteen years ago) link
"I like the realism of that" - hahaha
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 17:09 (fifteen years ago) link
well, Newcastle USED to be a team in for CL places. this film kind of worked as a reminder of that distant time (I guess when it was being scripted, cast etc they were on a roll by their standards).
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 17:32 (fifteen years ago) link
SPOILER: the "Ghost Of The Gallowgate" is unmasked as bitter reserve keeper Steve Harper, who had been attempting to drive down the value of the land so that the board would be forced to sell Shay Given to evil Norwegian side FC Baastaad in order to keep the club afloat.
"You'll be getting plenty of first-team opportunities where you're going.""Yeah, yeah, prison...""No - Darlington!""NOOOO..."
C N'Zogbia: "LOL"
― William Bloody Swygart, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 17:52 (fifteen years ago) link
That train journey between Durham and about Berwick *is* fantastic. I always manoeuvre myself to the east of the train for the best view of those bridges
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 17:59 (fifteen years ago) link
SPOILER: film ends with bomb-laden Olivier Bernard ascending The Angel Of The North, the entire assembled first-team squad incredulously looking on from beneath, and announcing "Look at me, Laurent, top of the world!" before Nikos Dabizas fells him with a well-aimed punt
― claudestock carpentinieri (country matters), Tuesday, 30 December 2008 18:05 (fifteen years ago) link
PF may be interested in Goal! II, where hero boy is transferred to Real Madrid. There's also Goal! III, which is apparently based around the 2006 World Cup. Given hero boy is (I think) Mexican, don't anticipate too much from that.
― William Bloody Swygart, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 18:07 (fifteen years ago) link
Hang on. Hero boy gets surprise transfer from Newcastle to Real Madrid... Goal! II = JONATHAN WOODGATE: THE MOVIE!
― William Bloody Swygart, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 18:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Curious, this - I did hear that there were supposed to be other films but was not clear that they had actually been made. The BBC preview for the first film mentions Real and the World Cup which are not in the first film. Instead it takes a good long time talking about NEWCASTLE UNITED.
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 30 December 2008 18:30 (fifteen years ago) link
it'd be lol if i didn't feel for hughton, regardless of residual ill-feeling for him being nominally in charge of set-pieces/defence under jol at spurs
― Goths in Home & Away in my lifetime (darraghmac), Monday, 6 December 2010 15:00 (thirteen years ago) link
Ant & Dec.
― The referee was perfect (Chris), Monday, 6 December 2010 15:10 (thirteen years ago) link
Absolute fucking nonsense.
― rappa ternt sagna (jim in glasgow), Monday, 6 December 2010 15:22 (thirteen years ago) link
if i didn't feel for hughton
oh i'm sure he'll find a work environment that isn't populated exclusively by psychopaths and idiots soon enough.
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Monday, 6 December 2010 15:35 (thirteen years ago) link
http://media2.inktastic.com/thumbnails/64169.png
― things that are jokes pretty much (Nilmar Honorato da Silva), Saturday, 19 January 2013 22:44 (eleven years ago) link
Woke up, checked the premier league table, saw my beloved and almighty Sunderland AFC were still above Newcastle, grinned like a cheshire cat and went to put the kettle on. I hope this good mood sustains itself throughout the rest of the day, as it has for many days prior to this :D
― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Sunday, 20 January 2013 08:02 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/newcastle-reserve-boss-donachie-suspended-for-allegedly-hitting-player-1.1682759
― cyfytlapdbfr? (darraghmac), Thursday, 6 February 2014 22:33 (ten years ago) link
Alan Pardew's 8-year contract at Newcastle expires today. In that time:- Donald Trump elected president- 3 General Elections- UK left the EU- Mandela & Thatcher died- Ebola, Zika & Coronavirus viruses- Will and Kate had 3 kids- 2 World Cups- Pardew managed 3 clubs pic.twitter.com/BTswp8ac8h— Peter Davidson (@Peter_Davidson1) June 30, 2020
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 30 June 2020 09:28 (three years ago) link
- Gazza read Finnegans Wake
― calzino, Tuesday, 30 June 2020 10:05 (three years ago) link
Even now there is literally nothing better on the internet than the Pardew dancing gif.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 30 June 2020 10:10 (three years ago) link
Sadly that German teenager's Pardew / Herz an Herz tribute video got taken down for a copyright violation.
― Scampo di tutti i Scampi (ShariVari), Tuesday, 30 June 2020 11:00 (three years ago) link