The definition of a true fan

[Parra Power]

- support the local team, and not some team halfway across the world because they are winning
- go to every game i can physically make
- season ticket holder
- been to every league game (bar one) my team has ever played
- travelled to away game
- can name and give the position for every player ever to play for the team
- can name every coach the club has ever had
- can list all the trophies my teams ever won



i.e. TRUE ******* FAN.......... all you part-timers and gloryhunters suck

btw its easy to be able to do all this when the club is only about one year old

 

[JTNY]

Piss off you bums who say you can't be a true fan of big teams if you live elsewhere.

All my family supports Juve, hence I support Juve. I get up at all times to watch Juve on cable and envision visiting Turin.

My local team, THE MELBOURNE VICTORY, I have been all home games except one, (gave up my membership to someone else, plus I was out getting smashed and chasing chicks, but that isn't the point ). I don't consider myself more a fan of the Victory than Juve due to geography, however I guess I haven't felt the essence of the atmosphere at the Delle Alpi like I have for the Victory at Olympic Park.

 

[Andreas]

true fans do not pick their team, they are chosen!!!

Maybe, but most people in Norway who care about football has a strong relationship to English football. And since no one here has any local roots to any of the clubs in England (and you often choose you're team when you're about 7 or 8 years old), many will pick the side who is best at the moment.

For me, I grew up in a house where my stepfather supported Manchester United, and I don't know if it rubbed off on me, or if it was that they were just the best team then. But I'm still a BIG Manchester United fan, and always will be, whatever happens to them.

 

[pefan]

There has been some discussion regarding who is a fan or not lately, and it has inspired me to write a little piece on what I think represents the true fan.

I have been questioned by people I know on what kind of fan I am because I don’t know all that much about the two clubs I love. E.g. I can’t name the past five managers that Juve has had. I can’t even mention the 5 biggest players for Juve of all time. “How can you call your self a fan and not knowing that?” people say.

Also, because of my global position it’s very hard for me to ever travel and actually watch the games. I have done this once, I travelled to Barcelona to watch a game, and it costed me €500. So, since I’m a student, I can’t afford to spend half of my monthly stipends on stuff like this.

I know there are Norwegians that travels many, many times a year to watch the team they love, and they defy them selves as true fans. Because, (come on?), they travel thousands of miles to watch the games.

And yeah, it’s great that someone knows everything about their club, they travel whenever possible and spends loads of money to watch their teams play. But that, IMO, does not make tehm any more a fan then someone who doesn’t.

When I hear the word true fan, I think that is something deeper then that. A true fan (IMO) is someone who got their club(s) deep into the very root of their heart. He who, if only once a year, goes to a game and scream his heart out to make sure his team performs as good as they can. And when they score it’s like he almost want’s to cry. He who shares his fellow fans tears if the where to loose and go out of a tournament. He who if his team were to win the league or the champions league, UEFA cup or the FA Cup shares the tears of joy with the thousands of people sharing the same experience.
If the team is about to be relegated, and he stands up applauding and telling the guys he love not to feel to down, we will always be here right by your side.
The true fan is defied by what’s in his or hers heart. The true fan is someone who would do anything for his club regardless of what happens.

And in this case I would like to bring out the Liverpool fans that where present at the CL final last season where LFC where down by three goals against one of the best defensive teams in the world. The task seemed impossible, yet they sang so the stadium was shaking and I belive, and probably even shed tears when they heard them selves sing. I know I would if I was a LFC fan.

I might be way off, but this is how I would defy a true fan. And I defie my self as a true fan, even if it is for two clubs.

Wow you know your stuff! have you told the other Juve fans on this site that yet???

 

[nird]

Wow you know your stuff! have you told the other Juve fans on this site that yet???

say what now?

 

[pefan]

Exactly. It's so convenient to say 'hmm...who's on top of the table recently...Chelsea? Barcelona? Juventus? Ok Ill cheer for one of those and become a super fan!' Thats not right, because you have based your choice on results, rather than researching the history of the club and finding what the club represents geographically, politically, emotionally, etc.

When I see guys from Israel, Singapore, etc. say they are hardcore fanatics of teams who frequently win it makes me sick. You can do what you want, im not going to tell you who to cheer for and not to cheer for. but dont call yourself a die hard fanatic. It's people like you who real fans dread having on the same side as them because you give the fanbase a bad name. Im sure there are true Juventus, Madrid, Man U, etc fans who have it in their blood, their tradition to cheer for them and thats fine. But it must make them sick to be labelled glory hunters because the majority of their fellow fans are just that.

When i see somebody wearing an AC Milan or Juventus shirt in London one day then a chelsea shirt the next. Somehow i think they are gloryhunters maybe its just me.

 

[nird]

are you trying to say that you think I am a gloryhunter?

 

[Andreas]

are you trying to say that you think I am a gloryhunter?

Ah-oh........

 

[nird]

Ah-oh........

what? I'm just asking

it's always fun to see people who doesn't know me label me

 

[Joe Star]

When I see guys from Israel, Singapore, etc. say they are hardcore fanatics of teams who frequently win it makes me sick. You can do what you want, im not going to tell you who to cheer for and not to cheer for. but dont call yourself a die hard fanatic. It's people like you who real fans dread having on the same side as them because you give the fanbase a bad name. Im sure there are true Juventus, Madrid, Man U, etc fans who have it in their blood, their tradition to cheer for them and thats fine. But it must make them sick to be labelled glory hunters because the majority of their fellow fans are just that.

Well keep in mind that income from those "glory-hunters" got many of the big clubs where they are right now If everyone just supported their local home teams we'd be seeing virtually all the EPL teams playing at 3rd division level. & not everyone who supports a team aside from their local team is a glory-hunter. I've been a Liverpool fan since 1996. That season they ended 6th I believe. Results didnt really improve much in the following seasons either. While most of my other friends went on to join the MU & Arsenal bandwagons I stuck with pool & still support em. & no.......i still don't call myself a hardcore fan....but I believe i am a true fan

T&T is a whole different story though........mostly related to Yorke & Stern John

 

[PSVFOREVER]

When i see somebody wearing an AC Milan or Juventus shirt in London one day then a chelsea shirt the next. Somehow i think they are gloryhunters maybe its just me.

Nah, I have football shirts from teams I dont support, I just like the shirt.

 

[Zlatan]

Yeah I have a Real Madrid shirt and a Barcelona shirt. I'm not a fan of either of the clubs but I just like the players I have on the back: Zidane and Ronaldinho.

In my opinion there are not rules you gotta submit to when you are a 'true' fan. But I do think that you're not very loyal if you change club every now and than and than say you're a fan. I will not say you're a gloryhunter than, you just don't have a club you submit yourselves to, although it smells like gloryhunting if you first say you support Real Madrid and when they play crap you start supporting Barca or something.
Conclusion: A true fan is someone who supports and defends their club even in the hardest time. Just stating the obvious I think.

 

[Lean]

A true fan is the guy that is always optimistic about everything when it comes to his supported club. His team loses 5-0, yet he still has some faith his team will bounce back on the next match. And on the next, and on the next. The guy that feels bad when his team loses, and the guy that feels great for the rest of the week with a good result.

I can consider mehself a true fan of Guarani FC, my local team, and the team i support since 1994, when i was 7 and my dad took me to a match. Coincidence or not, i was born on the year Guarani lost the Brasileirão final, back in 1986. Currently on the 2nd division, i attented quite a few matches this year (3 or 4, i work and study and the matches usually take place on saturdays, and i work those days). I happen to like Milan and Liverpool, but i'm a -true fan- of Guarani Futebol Clube (Guarani Football Club, duh). Never seen my club win a title (we won the Brasileirão back in 1978), so i guess i would prefer to see Guarani winning some silverware rather than Brazil winning the World Cup.

It's getting boring anyway.

 

[peruytu]

Fan is short for fanatic. People abuse this word way too much, especially here in the United States.

Some people like Deisler (not the player) from the Bayern thread that calls himself a true fan. I have to ask my fellow american friend, how can he be a true fan when he knows nothing, first about futbol/soccer/football, and has no connection with the club whatsoever. It's people like him that abuse the word way too much and go out of their way to prove something is isnt and will never be real. He is a pitiful boy, thats for sure... but I do respect some people that do LOVE clubs that are in no way connected to them, because they've shown and proven that they are true fans. But sometimes its hard to distinguish the fanbois and the true fans.

As for myself i'm only a fan of ONE club, and thats Universitario of Peru, I will live and die for this club. I like other clubs like Barcelona and Inter, but I couldn't call myself a true fans of these two clubs since I have no emotional attachment to either club. Its not like when Universitario loses, I literaly get depressed... but when Barcelona and Inter lose, its ok, its just another game. Same can be said for clubs where Peruvian players play in like PSV and Bayern. I like these two clubs for only one reason, because of Peruvian players. I'm not going to sit here and try to make a fool out of myself, like Deisler has in the past, and try to prove something that can never be proven. Once Farfan and Pizarro leave their respective club, I will probably not bother with the clubs anymore as I will be following their current clubs. But what I dont understand is why cant people understand this? Why do they feel offended that i'm not a "true fan" of these clubs, especially when they're not either. Its just silly sometimes to try to argue with kids... but sometimes you have to just to stimulate their brain (Deisler needs alot more help though).

Another thing I can't understand is punks who support other NTs rather than their own, like pitiful Deisler, who is an American but would rather support Germany. Thats just pitiful.. truly truly sad. As far as NT's go, for me, Peru is first above everything, then comes the US NT. I've followed the US NT throughout the qualifying games traveling to Columbus OH, Hartfor CT, Foxborough MA & Washington DC to support the US NT. That can be said, is a TRUE fan.

In the end, I piss on pitiful boys like Deisler who will never have a life, because he depends on this site for his lifelyhood.. and the fact that he's a fake futbol/soccer/football fan in general pretty much says he's an absolute idiot.

 

[-William-]

true fans do not pick their team, they are chosen!!!

Amen.

Like for example in Nicaragua everytime there's a Real Madrid-Barcelona game everyone starts getting hyped up, the put on their Madrid/Barcelona jersey,etc.. And I'm just like wtf You guys live so ******* far away from the Madrid or Barcelona and really have no relation to either team or city. And then when the match ends it's not like your gonna care much about the team afterwards.

Bunch of gloryhunters.

And at the end it's much better to support a not so big team like Sevilla, Aberdeen,etc.. Because there's much more passion behind it.

 

[Andrejs]

A true fan is the guy that is always optimistic about everything when it comes to his supported club. His team loses 5-0, yet he still has some faith his team will bounce back on the next match. And on the next, and on the next. The guy that feels bad when his team loses, and the guy that feels great for the rest of the week with a good result.

Yes a fan should be optimistic but to a certian level. I'll support Manchester United no matter what, but I prefer realistic and objective analysis to cloying praise, if I see that somehting is wrong, I'm going to speak out.

 

[Vagegast]

Fan is short for fanatic. People abuse this word way too much, especially here in the United States.

Some people like Deisler (not the player) from the Bayern thread that calls himself a true fan. I have to ask my fellow american friend, how can he be a true fan when he knows nothing, first about futbol/soccer/football, and has no connection with the club whatsoever. It's people like him that abuse the word way too much and go out of their way to prove something is isnt and will never be real. He is a pitiful boy, thats for sure... but I do respect some people that do LOVE clubs that are in no way connected to them, because they've shown and proven that they are true fans. But sometimes its hard to distinguish the fanbois and the true fans.

As for myself i'm only a fan of ONE club, and thats Universitario of Peru, I will live and die for this club. I like other clubs like Barcelona and Inter, but I couldn't call myself a true fans of these two clubs since I have no emotional attachment to either club. Its not like when Universitario loses, I literaly get depressed... but when Barcelona and Inter lose, its ok, its just another game. Same can be said for clubs where Peruvian players play in like PSV and Bayern. I like these two clubs for only one reason, because of Peruvian players. I'm not going to sit here and try to make a fool out of myself, like Deisler has in the past, and try to prove something that can never be proven. Once Farfan and Pizarro leave their respective club, I will probably not bother with the clubs anymore as I will be following their current clubs. But what I dont understand is why cant people understand this? Why do they feel offended that i'm not a "true fan" of these clubs, especially when they're not either. Its just silly sometimes to try to argue with kids... but sometimes you have to just to stimulate their brain (Deisler needs alot more help though).

Another thing I can't understand is punks who support other NTs rather than their own, like pitiful Deisler, who is an American but would rather support Germany. Thats just pitiful.. truly truly sad. As far as NT's go, for me, Peru is first above everything, then comes the US NT. I've followed the US NT throughout the qualifying games traveling to Columbus OH, Hartfor CT, Foxborough MA & Washington DC to support the US NT. That can be said, is a TRUE fan.

In the end, I piss on pitiful boys like Deisler who will never have a life, because he depends on this site for his lifelyhood.. and the fact that he's a fake futbol/soccer/football fan in general pretty much says he's an absolute idiot.

Are you and your boyfriend Deisler in the middle of a fight or something?

 

[alexandros]

I've been an AEK Athens fan since the age of seven (now I'm 36) and I've travelled all over Greece (and abroad once) to watch my team play in every possible sport (football of course,but even basketball and volleyball!!!). I have even taken days-off during my military service in the greek navy just to travel and watch a football and a basketball game of my team. Well,those things happened about ten or twenty years ago, but I still have the need to watch my team live, get in a stadium and feel the frantic atmosphere on the terraces. Not much time left though. Now,I'm a "dad", I have a baby-son whom I'd love to see wear the yellow-black colors even as a fan, and though my wife thinks it's all "b.....it between immature men", I know it's just a passion that only a true sports fan can feel.

 

[Bobby]

My local team is racist. (http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_125191927.html)

So I support Albirex Niigata, legends.

 

[Hans]

- support the local team, and not some team halfway across the world because they are winning

That's great, I'm sure those rich European clubs will be as big as they are right now if they kept the tickets and merchandises for locals only and without the support of the worldwide fans