Why do you support your team?

[stokeriño]

When they fired Ranieri, I switched allegiances in protest andI started supporting Liverpool. They won the Champions League that season, though, so I'm sure I was doing it right. Been a fan ever since.

[Benjamin]

When they fired Ranieri, I switched allegiances in protest andI started supporting Liverpool. They won the Champions League that season, though, so I'm sure I was doing it right. Been a fan ever since.

I said I was doing it right

[MDK]

I wanted to support Chelsea so I got tickets to see Chelsea play Aston Villa at Villa Park cause it's closer. But we ended up with tickets in the home section, Villa ended up winning and I decided to stick with supporting Villa to this day. Up until the last couple of seasons, Villa were my closest team anyways as it happens, or at least the only close team to be in the sticker albums!

So do you support England?

Wash your mouth out with soap!

Bwah?!

But when you said you were closer to Villa, I thought you were in England

[Cymbols]

Nah, Birmingham's only about half an hour further away than Cardiff is though.

[Marcos]

When they fired Ranieri, I switched allegiances in protest andI started supporting Liverpool. They won the Champions League that season, though, so I'm sure I was doing it right. Been a fan ever since.

I said I was doing it right

I'm more concerned that you managed to switch allegiance with such ease. Especially going from Chelsea to Liverpool. Would assume that's sort of similar to going from Arsenal to Man United or something like that. It shouldn't be allowed!

However, talking about things like that will just annoy me, so, Killie are my local team and my dad took me to watch them from a very early age. In the blood now. Same as metalman, two trophies in 17 or so years now, but they mean so much more when you win them and you aren't expecting to.

[MDK]

Nah, Birmingham's only about half an hour further away than Cardiff is though.

So you'll be supporting England at the world cup? >_>

[stokeriño]

If I hadn't lived in Milton Keynes before the MK Dons arrived, I might have accepted them as a (very minor) second team, since I spent my teenage years in MK and have now of course moved back there.

But I did, so I can't ignore their rather distasteful origins. Ergo, fuck 'em.

[Benjamin]

When they fired Ranieri, I switched allegiances in protest andI started supporting Liverpool. They won the Champions League that season, though, so I'm sure I was doing it right. Been a fan ever since.

I said I was doing it right

I'm more concerned that you managed to switch allegiance with such ease. Especially going from Chelsea to Liverpool. Would assume that's sort of similar to going from Arsenal to Man United or something like that. It shouldn't be allowed!

I was 12! I was changing everything with such ease!

[MDK]

When they fired Ranieri, I switched allegiances in protest andI started supporting Liverpool. They won the Champions League that season, though, so I'm sure I was doing it right. Been a fan ever since.

I said I was doing it right

I'm more concerned that you managed to switch allegiance with such ease. Especially going from Chelsea to Liverpool. Would assume that's sort of similar to going from Arsenal to Man United or something like that. It shouldn't be allowed!

I was 12! I was changing everything with such ease!

Except underwear

[Cymbols]

Nah, Birmingham's only about half an hour further away than Cardiff is though.

So you'll be supporting England at the world cup? >_>

I'm staying neutral brah! Makes the inevitable penalty shootouts more enjoyable imo! Also a-levels to concentrate on...

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I have no foreskin.

Spurs were the first team I ever watched on TV. Saw them play Norwich in the snow. Loved 'em straight away Probably helped by Lineker, Gascoigne etc playing for them at the time. Then they won the FA Cup the next season. Went to see them for my....11th or 12th birthday. Beat Forest 2-1 despite a Gary Mabbutt own goal. Anderton and Barmby had just signed.

Really thought I was on to a winner and that I'd backed the right team...

...How foolish of me. Can't change my mind now though, followed them through all the horrors since, especially the late '90s and early '00s.

[MDK]

I have no foreskin.

Spurs were the first team I ever watched on TV. Saw them play Norwich in the snow. Loved 'em straight away Probably helped by Lineker, Gascoigne etc playing for them at the time. Then they won the FA Cup the next season. Went to see them for my....11th or 12th birthday. Beat Forest 2-1 despite a Gary Mabbutt own goal. Anderton and Barmby had just signed.

Really thought I was on to a winner and that I'd backed the right team...

...How foolish of me. Can't change my mind now though, followed them through all the horrors since, especially the late '90s and early '00s.

It must have been so difficult during those times in the top division of the English leagues :'(

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

My old man's a Chelsea fan though, so I escaped with my soul intact but with a much emptier clutch of happy memories. That's ok though.

As far as secondary teams....Gillingham are my local league team. At uni I watched their playoff final win to bump up into league one. I was in the pub with my girlfriend of the time and about three other people. Gills won it in extra time. Amazing. Nice turn around from when Man City did it to them the year before.

I've always had a soft spot for Ajax because, well, I'm in my early 30s. Ajax played beautiful football and had a continuous conveyor belt of incredible young players. Iconic kit too.

In France it's been Monaco, probably because of it not actually being IN France per se. There's something James Bond-y about it and when you're picking your foreign teams there's more freedom. I'd love to watch a game in Stade Louis. Weirdly though I'm a bit bummed that they got bought and have all that money now. It feels a little cheapened...Which goes to show that they're only just a secondary team for me.

Nagoya Grampus in Japan of course because I lived there and went to loads of their matches. Hot sunny afternoons with the guys from the local bar. The bar owner got the phone number of one of the guys who sold beer at the ground and so he'd call him over early on and the guy would stand behind us all game, dispensing beer non-stop. Wonderful. They're more like Gillingham in my affections. I like it when they win but don't feel that same buzz as with Spurs. However I get really annoyed when they lose.

As for American Sports, I'm really all over the place.

"Soccer" is Seattle Sounders because....well 'cos GoGo I guess.

American Football has been the Miami Dolphins since I was a kid. Dan Marino was king and there are photos of me with a Miami Dolphins sweatshirt on.

Basketball is something my brother and I got into in the '90s. He loved the Bulls and I really got into supporting the Utah Jazz. John Stockton and Karl Malone?! Hells yeah. John Stockton is my all time basketball hero. I have an old Stockton vest.

I started watching late night baseball the year before I got married. It would be on channel 5 and I'd leave it on as I drifted off to sleep. It was the year that the Diamondbacks were doing well so they were on a load and so they were the easiest team to follow...So I started supporting them, despite them being Arizona of all places.

So for America I have teams in Washington, Florida, Arizona and Utah. Bit of a mix. Dolphins and Jazz are definitely my biggest two though. Don't actually follow the leagues much though. My brother's a HUGE US football fan so he keeps me posted about that though.

[Gazz]

I mean, Christ, Newcastle once finished 21st

[Sousa]

Cincinnati Reds - Because I've never had more fun at a sporting event than I've had at Reds games, because the 1975/1976 Big Red Machine are the greatest baseball team of all time, and because fuck the Cardinals.

Aston Villa -

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I have no foreskin.

Spurs were the first team I ever watched on TV. Saw them play Norwich in the snow. Loved 'em straight away Probably helped by Lineker, Gascoigne etc playing for them at the time. Then they won the FA Cup the next season. Went to see them for my....11th or 12th birthday. Beat Forest 2-1 despite a Gary Mabbutt own goal. Anderton and Barmby had just signed.

Really thought I was on to a winner and that I'd backed the right team...

...How foolish of me. Can't change my mind now though, followed them through all the horrors since, especially the late '90s and early '00s.

It must have been so difficult during those times in the top division of the English leagues :'(

They had their most recent relegated year during my lifetime but before I had a concept about supporting a football team. Only one year before getting promoted though. Really I've been VERY lucky with who I ended up supporting. Since I really got into football there's only been Leeds, Liverpool, Man Utd, Blackburn, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City who have actually WON the league so it's not like there are many others of us who have had those massive high points.

I can't even comprehend the pain that must come with relegation though. Ugh, I thought it was going to happen that year as Redknapp came in. 2 points from 8 games? That felt like it was it.

So yeah, I've been very fortunate.

Despite Taricco, Thatcher, Toda, Konchesky, Ghaly, Doherty et al.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Anyway, the teams in Division 1 in 1990-91, when I started watching football were:

Arsenal

Liverpool

Crystal Palace

Leeds United

Manchester City

Manchester United

Wimbledon

Nottingham Forest

Everton

Tottenham

Chelsea

QPR

Sheffield United

Southampton

Norwich

Coventry

Aston Villa

Luton

Sunderland

Derby

...So I really dodged a bullet with a number of those with regards to heartache since.

[Nerf]

Don't even talk to me about Paul Konchesky.

[METALMAN]

Seeing as we are branching out into other sports...

I like Surrey Cricket Club. I went to most of their games last year. I like San Francisco Giants because I went to see them last year. I like New Orleans Saints because I like their shirt. I don't care about basketball or ice hockey.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Seeing as we are branching out into other sports...

I like Surrey Cricket Club. I went to most of their games last year. I like San Francisco Giants because I went to see them last year. I like New Orleans Saints because I like their shirt. I don't care about basketball or ice hockey.

Cricket has to be my home county Kent. Used to go and watch them years back on a Sunday afternoon. Got Carl Hooper's autograph a few times. Fella was a total legend. Kent were great back then actually. Useless now though. It's also far more expensive these days sadly.