Q for Brits: How does one become Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Milwal fan? Is it territorial?
 

With so many clubs in one city how does one become a fan? How do you pick a team and why?

Serious question. :2 cents:

It's base on where you live in the UK, ENGLAND. I'm an Gunners fan eg: Arsenal - Greatest football team in the world.

^ Location: New York. :winkwink:

Presumably the same way anyone from any country becomes a fan of any team. Proximity and/or because your dad took you to games.

I grew up in South London and my dad was a Spurs (from North London) fan, and the nearest club ground to where we lived was Crystal Palace. But I started following Chelsea (who are in West London near the river) just because I liked the part of London called Chelsea--I was 9 or 10 at the time. My dad used to take me to Spurs games, but when I was 15 or so I started going to Chelsea games with friends.

Here in LA, I often watch games with two friends from London, and one follows Crystal Palace and the other Charlton because they each grew up near those teams' grounds. But, interestingly, both of them follow Chelsea in the Premier & Champions Leagues because their teams aren't at that level, and they like to have a team to root for in those leagues.

This. But also people without hereditary or locality links to a team often opt to follow the successful team of the time.......

I would guess some of it is similar to how people choose teams in american sports. Aside from proximity and family history there are also uniforms and favorite players. If you like a certain player you might follow or be a fan of whatever team they are on. Also,you might just connect with the uniform. I was born and raised on the west coast. From age 5 I grew up in Oregon, but neither myself nor my brother are Seahawk fans. I am a Raider fan because as a kid I was a fan of Marcus Allen and both my brother and one of my best friends are Cowboy fans because they are gay. . . well. . . okay that might not be the truth. They are Cowboy fans because when they were little they saw the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving and loved that helmet with the star on it. It made them feel patriotic and they connected with "America's Team,"

or if you are a plastic fan as so many are, you just support the currently best team regardless of their, and your location.

I support Chelsea because my dad used to take me when I was little.
My sister is the black sheep of the family cause she's a gooner, she used to live overlooking the old Highbury stadium.

My kid supports Barcelona because he was born there.

Why do people ask stupid questions when the answer is obvious.

The same way people pick to become a Lakers, Celtics or clippers fan.

There is one basketball team in Boston, old man. There's like 20 soccer teams in London dumb ass. Thats why I asked.

Now go fuck a goat.

Don't worry about that cunt, he supports woolwich.

But thats different. All of the teams I named are from one city. What if you had 10 football teams in Seattle? Thats what I was asking about. Ok, big teams, but there are Crystal Palace, Millwall (sp), Charlton etc
I saw this great movie the other day about British hooligans - Millwall and Chelsea fans beating the shit out of each other. :thumbsup

Basically it boils down to proximity, unless you are a bit of a wanker.

Indeed... I support my local team where I grew up and followed them in my youth where most of my friends supported the club too. "Plymouth Argyle"
We were unique as the only team in England to play in green shirts, no hoops or crap, just green shirts.
Sadly, it's a crap club but it's MY club and I wouldn't have it any other way
England has some of the best supported clubs and infrastructure of clubs (92 professional league clubs) in the world... how long this will last is uncertain as a lot of clubs face ruin, as mine did last year because not enough cash is filtering down the pyramid thanks to sheer greed and daft wages that these clubs at the top are prepared to pay some right cunts in the game.

Plastic fans and "premiershit" fans just for the sake of it disgust me too.

I support Celtic because most of my family support them, if I ever have a son he will also support Celtic because I'll teach him everything about them and take him to games. It's usually a family thing. My dad didn't support Celtic but all my uncles and cousins did. My dad supported the local team who are shit lol.

Have you seen Green Street Hooligans? It is a very good movie.

As for having multiple teams in a city I am sure there are many ways people become fans. In New York they have two baseball and two football teams. I have heard a lot of it depends on where you are born. Some parts of the city are just known for being Met fans and others are Yankee fans.

There are 40 team in the top eight tiers, then there is the more amateur divisions which would count for hundreds more.
Hackney Marshes alone has 100 football pitches.