Supporting more than one football team. Is this taboo?

[Alan Alison]

I am currently a resident of Bristol in England, however, i am of Finnish decent (my mother is from Helsinki).

I am posting this topic because it is a constant thorn in my friendships, especially with my gang, the self styled 323 Massive.

I am a fan of many teams, i name below but a few....Oldham, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Celtic, Man Utd, and Taxi to Broomhill. My love and affection for Huddersfield is strong and i frequently paint my face with the 'terriers' blue and white. I also love Celtic because my dad played centre half for them in the late 60's. I love Sweden because this is also part of my heritage. I currently go to watch Oldham as they are top of the 3rd division.

I cant help but follow and support these teams with all my heart.....i ask is this so bad?

My friends constantly sing the following in their dirty English accents...

'Oh Aly, Aly....Aly Aly Aly Aly Alison....Oh Aly Aly he used to support Huddersfield, Celtic, Man Utd, Sweden, Finland, Liverpool and Taxi to Broomhill, now he supports Oldham.......'

Whilst this gets many a laughs in the local bars i find that these are at my total expense. I dont want to lose my friends, but i would if i had to choose between being a 'multi club' fan and them.

Would my multi club life be possible in Finland without the problems i face in England? If so i will have to move......The whole situation is rediculous.

FIN

[rev. green]

You can't support Liverpool and Manchester Utd, its unaccepatable. Also if you support Man Utd you can't support Man City, Leeds or Bolton.

Hope this helps.

You can probably get away with such behaviour in Finland, although I've met a few Finns that are more clued up than your average FHM replica shirt wearing soccer am tit England seems to breed thesedays

[MagicJ]

I wouldn't worry, football fans are a bit anal anyway, support who you want, i've been an arsenal fan since the age of 6, but as a teenager i regularly strolled down to Plough Lane to follow the mighty Crazy Gang (Fash the Bash, Denis Wise, Young Vincent Jones et al.) as they stormed up the leagues and reached their Zenith by beating the mighty Liverpool in the FA Cup final! Unfortunately having arrived back from Australia the morning of the cup final i watched the game then slept all the way through the celebrations in Wimbledon town centre the next day I now follow AFC Dons instead after Wimbledon FC buggered off to Milton Keynes.

I read about this site a few years back and kept it in my favourites, as the cartoons (match summaries in cartoon format) are excellent you might have seen it already though? It's hilarious


http://www.htfc-world.com/

I do however fully agree with the Reverend, no local rivals, that's just not on dear chap.

[Chris Beresford]

Alan,

What influenced your decision to support Huddersfield?

[Hank W.]

Naah, not a problem. You just have to pick one of the local hockey teams

[Wasted Youth]

This subject has been argued for longer than I've been around and at 25, I've heard many self-proclaimed 'genuine' fans who say they have the definitive argument. Some would say it's ok to a support a different team in each league/division of your country, others claim that you can only choose one team from each country or even less, each continent, thus reducing the chances that they'll ever have to play one another in an international competition.
The most ardent supporter would probably argue that following any team other than your home town team is utterly implausible and a slight on 'the beautiful game'.
I think from what you've said you're a fan of the game as a whole rather than just your hometown team. In that sense I think it's perfectly justifiable to support more than one side. As long as you don't support any teams purely because they win all the time (not accusing you of being a Man Utd glory supporter but I'm sure you get what I mean).
The point of sport is to compete, so whether you like one team or a hundred teams as long as you get behind them and urge them on to win you're as much of a fan as anyone else.

Man Utd and Liverpool, though? That's one of the biggest rivalries in English football. Not sure I agree, but it's your neck and not mine

For the record, I support Celtic (since childhood), Inverness Caledonian Thistle (home town), Newcastle United (university town) and I've been to watch Aberdeen play because I live there now.

[sinikala]

Yeah, I can understand that. I support Everton, but look out for Celtic north of the border, and like to see Tranmere do well (small local team from the other side of the Mersey).

For some reason I also quite like Arsenal, unlike my own team, they play great football, and I love them for this moment of joy 18 years ago

[Hank W.]

The only football team I support is German Tennis Borussia Berlin... its nowadays dropped to Oberliga, as the last time they tried to make it to Bundesliga in 2000 or so they showed that if you originate in tennis and pingpong club you don't have the big balls for Bundesliga.

[Alan Alison]

Guys....what can i say but thank you all for your very honest and informative answers. It is a real pleasure to talk openly and frankly about supporting more than one football team with like minded individuals.

Chris in answer to your question, I began supporting Huddersfield Town back in 1999 when in my first year reading English Literature at Sheffield University. In between my hectic schedule of being one of Sheffield's premier trance DJ's and eating cheese i sat down to watch a game of football between Manchester City and Huddersfield. Back then Steve Bruce was the manager and i was instantly attracted to his vibrant brand of 'up and at em' football. Further to this i was friends with a little Irish begger called Fergal Cooper who was a big City fan. By supporting Huddersfield i could get closer to him.

I also support the mighty Terriers because of the one and only Andy Booth. He typifies the Northern English centre forward...strong and good in the air. When he re-signed for the club i painted my face in blue and white for a week. I still wear a Huddersfield shirt signed by Boothy in bed.

When i watch Huddersfield i cant stop chanting...

'You've got to Booth it Booth, You've got to Booth it Booth, you've got to Booth it...BOOTH IT'

...over and over again.

What are your favourite football chants?

My current one is about the Brazilian Rinaldi, who plays for Watford (as if you wouldnt know!)....


'Rinaldi...uh,oh oh oh
Rinaldi...uh, oh oh oh
He came from a favela
He's never tasted Stella
Rinaldi..uh oh oh oh.......

Good isnt it even though it is rediculous

[littlefrank]

Well when I lived in Edinburgh I supported Hearts because most of my friends did and they were bigger than me, in England the only friend I have that actually likes football, supports Leed's , luckily we're about the same size

[raamv]

The easiest solution is to start supporting Football..American Football..

[sinikala]

The easiest solution is to start supporting Football..American Football..

Where they have just one guy on each team known as a "kicker" who actually uses his foot?

[raamv]

Where they have just one guy on each team known as a "kicker" who actually uses his foot?

and one quarterback who throws/passes a ball made of pig skin and in an oval shape and is "ONE FOOT" long! to runners or catchers in order to get the ball more than 10 feet long within 4 tries and 11 others in the other team trying to prevent this team trying to get that 10 feet with the 1 foot football=> Football!!
Strategic, mathematical game than just seeing some "kickers" kick some ball..
I aint against Football (Soccer) but by far AmericanFootball is my favorite sport.

[littlefrank]

Nah that's rugby for softies, all that protective gear...

[Alan Alison]

raamv you are going to have to improve your grammar if i am going to be able to make any sense of you.

i hope you arent trying to convince me that American Football is a better game. I suppose it is if you enjoy eating hotdogs and drinking Duff beer all day.