Only one team?

[Sweetness34]

I genuinely believed that the majority of football fans were loyal to one club since childhood.

There were a couple lads I went to school with who were massive Man U fans but now in their 30s I see them at Derby games and vocal on Facebook and probably on here - I always thought they were the minority. 

I've been naive my whole life!

[swanny]

one club here. to be honest if i met someone who revealed that they used to support a different team i would be deeply suspicious of that person. 

looking down the barrel of the liquidation gun i did wonder about notts county. I could walk to home games and most importantly it would mean i could still hate forest. but like others for me its Derby or nothing if we folded i'd stop watching footy full stop. it would be too painful. 

I do look out for sunderland results. a mate does a big podcast up there and the experience of being in league one for them has been interesting (and worrying to hear about) 

[strawhillram]

1 minute ago, swanny said:

one club here. to be honest if i met someone who revealed that they used to support a different team i would be deeply suspicious of that person. 

looking down the barrel of the liquidation gun i did wonder about notts county. I could walk to home games and most importantly it would mean i could still hate forest. but like others for me its Derby or nothing if we folded i'd stop watching footy full stop. it would be too painful. 

I do look out for sunderland results. a mate does a big podcast up there and the experience of being in league one for them has been interesting (and worrying to hear about) 

I do look at the results of other clubs like Leeds , Boro, Wycombe, notts f and hope they show big losers defeats

[ColonelBlimp]

8 hours ago, Android said:

Hi people I’ve lived down south all my life near Portsmouth I’ve supported Derby for 50 odd years and no other team admittedly more armchair fan I will never change my alliegence 

It's one thing to always support a single team but I think it's perfectly OK to watch your local team as well if you do not live anywhere near your club.

Indeed, I'm from Ilford and lived in Waterlooville and Luton before I chose my team in 1976

When I lived near Southampton (Bursledon) in the late 70's - mid 80's  I was at Junior/Senior school and I watched a lot of games at The Dell.

When I moved to Bognor (17 - 22) and Worthing (23- 51) I spent some time watching Brighton at the Goldstone Ground.

Now I live in Derby so all good ?

 

I have never changed my allegiance or felt any desire to, unlike my brother who went from West Ham > Bolton and then Man City. To be fair to him, he did end up with City in his early teens so he has seen the League 1 days.

[GlastoEls]

16 minutes ago, ColonelBlimp said:

It's one thing to always support a single team but I think it's perfectly OK to watch your local team as well if you do not live anywhere near your club.

Indeed, I'm from Ilford and lived in Waterlooville and Luton before I chose my team in 1976

When I lived near Southampton (Bursledon) in the late 70's - mid 80's  I was at Junior/Senior school and I watched a lot of games at The Dell.

When I moved to Bognor (17 - 22) and Worthing (23- 51) I spent some time watching Brighton at the Goldstone Ground.

Now I live in Derby so all good ?

 

I have never changed my allegiance or felt any desire to, unlike my brother who went from West Ham > Bolton and then Man City. To be fair to him, he did end up with City in his early teens so he has seen the League 1 days.

Yes same.  I’m from Derby but family moved down South when I was a kid (where they still live).  I had a season ticket at the local non league club for years in the 90s as a teenager with my friends.  But I’d still have my Walkman tuned to the football scores hoping for an update from Pat Murphy at Baseball Ground or something…

[WhiteHorseRam]

10 hours ago, MickD said:

I am reading (digitally) a book called "What you think you know a bout football is wrong" by Dr Kevin Moore, founder of the excellent Museum of Football in Manchester. If you have not read this I can recommend that you do.

In one chapter he claims:- 

"Most fans are not loyal to one club – they play the field
The idea that most fans are loyal throughout their life to just one club is a complete myth. In the myth, the young fan (always a boy), aged five or six (or even younger), is taken to his first game by his father, and immediately swears total and unquestioning allegiance to his father’s team for the rest of his life. And it was his grandfather’s team, and his father’s before that, back to the foundation of the club. But of course, this is completely untrue. Those fans who claim to be undying in their support are often lying, and have dabbled with other teams – not least when they are youngsters in school, when, due to peer pressure, almost every child has to support one of the big clubs."

How about you? And be honest.  

I first watched the Rams at the BBG in 1958, but in the early 60's followed Spurs as a second club mainly because of Jimmy Greaves.

 

This is defeatist talk.

 

 

[Eddie]

10 hours ago, ramit said:

i suspected as much, i am a myth

Got a lithp too.

Edit: Shaketh tiny fitht at @i-Ram

Edited January 24, 2022 by Eddie

[TheHomunculusLives]

Back in the days when Burton were a non-league club, I think a fair few Rams fans from around the town used to watch Burton as well as Derby without any perceived 'conflict of interest', due to the gap in status between the two clubs. But that all changed once Burton got into the Football League and ultimately the Championship where they actually played competitively against Derby!

[Gritstone Ram]

Only ever 1 team for me. I have wanted certain teams to win matches when watching as a neutral like back in the 80’s I wanted Tottenham to with the FA cup but if any club played Derby there is only 1 club I supported. 
As a football fan I do have an admiration for good players and teams and I like to see good management skills, well assembled teams rather than buying success.

[BobdeBilder]

Derby since 1959. Don't watch premier league football on TV. Sometimes watch Scottish lower league or cup games up here. Love sports car racing and have been a big fan of biathlon since the 90's.

 

[chipperram]

I am not sure I could support anyone else, I am 53 and only ever supported Derby. I just couldn't get that emotionally involved, you know the emotions, like you feel when Derby score etc. 

[Curtains]

Derby will be ok so I’ll still be supporting Derby 

[Crewton]

I think 'supporting' or having a non-league team you keep an eye on is fine - they're not a likely competitor - but if, like Burton, they eventually get league status, I think you should let go. I was pleased when Burton finally made it up to the 4th tier, not least because Roy Mac was manager at the time, but once they came within range of us, that was it. I generally though want all Derbyshire teams to do well.

[JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta]

I didn't really have 'a team' until I was maybe 10-11 years old. My whole family were Derby so I had an interest, but I didn't really care for anyone team over another. It changed when my parents got season tickets and I started going on a weekly basis. I caught the bug and that was it, no going back and no chance of ever supporting anyone else.

If Derby folded then my love of football folds with it. I'll watch the odd game on the telly, I'll follow England in tournaments, but my love the game will be irreparably damaged. Like a smashed mirror, you can glue it back together but it aint the same.

[i-Ram]

53 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Got a lithp too.

Edit: Shaketh tiny fitht at @i-Ram

Eddie, I suspect if you stopped drinking for a day or two your lithp would go.  

#Pithpasasptholes

[WhiteHorseRam]

18 minutes ago, JuanFloEvraTheCocu'sNesta said:

f Derby folded then my love of football folds with it. I'll watch the odd game on the telly, I'll follow England in tournaments, but my love the game will be irreparably damaged. Like a smashed mirror, you can glue it back together but it aint the same.

I am just the same.

 

Apart from Derby I have little love or respect left for the game.

Some of the things that have done this for me - 

1. England blowing it in the Euros capped it off. Helicopter view of English football since 66 - colossal money churning through and we have won **** all.

2. Newcastle fans dancing about when their take over went through summed it up for me - they were essentially celebrating the prospect of insane totally unsustainable wild spending on players to win them everything.

3. During the lockdown - small community clubs - with big contributions to communities -  about to go bust for the lack of a few grand - less than Prem stars would spend on a night out.

 

I could keep going .....

 

[Geriatram]

From the cradle to the grave, only one team for me, The Rams for 80 years.

[Ghost of Clough]

From my own experience, kids choose the team of their parents (usually Dad). In the absence of them not being taken games at a young age, they tend to choose a team doing well or where the big name players are - Man Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea in the early Abramovich days, or the odd Leeds loon. I imagine it'll Man City will be included in that group now. Some of those then chose their local team when they were old enough to go to games with friends. Being from Uttoxeter, people in my social circle mostly chose Derby, but there were a few who chose Stoke instead.

[NottmRAM]

My kids (8 and 11) are Derby through and through. They go to school in Nottingham. They do not bow to peer pressure.

Lots of my friends were Forest fans where I lived (when Forest were top 3 in the old first division and Derby were in division 3) I didn't choose the team that was doing well.

I think If you are taken to a match (usually by your dad) when you are young, there's no turning back. If young football fans don't have that paternal influence (and it can be father, mother, uncle, cousin etc) then they may well choose a high profile team hence so many Man Utd fans around the country.

[Alty_Ram]

Derby born. Taken to a Derby game as a lad. Derby fan for life. I live a few miles from Old Trafford but changing allegiance has never even crossed my mind ! Took my lad to a few games when he was quite young just to get him indoctrinated (he particularly loved the away games). Can't see him changing allegiance and time soon.