Club loyalty

I was born in Boscombe Hospital in 1952 and have been a supporter of my home town team ever since even though I have lived in Manchester since 1970.

My son, Nick, was born in Ashton-under-Lyne in 1995 and, following a brief flirtation with Liverpool (he wanted to support a team playing in red and he wasn’t allowed to support Manure by his father). I explained to him that he was unlikely to see many Liverpool games but there was a chance that he could see quite a lot of Bournemouth games. He started to come with me to watch AFCB in 2005. This was the high life; visiting exotic clubs like Macclesfield, Bury, Rochdale, Tranmere and Oldham. Of course, surprisingly, the rise of the club started soon after and we both went with it.

He is now 23 and we go to as many away games as possible. I think I will make 17 or 18 this season and he will probably go to all 19.

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My son had AFCB kits when he was born until he was about three, then he decided he wanted to support Chelsea! I took him to Dean Court when we came from behind to beat Bristol Rovers and I think the noise scared him!
He later said he really didn't like AFCB at all, which made me sad of course and has caused a few niggles along the way. Around three years ago, he said he had enough of Chelsea and wanted to follow Wolves, think it was their name and colours, that was around age 9-10. I wished he supported AFCB but I have been ok with Wolves, a good club and at least it wasn't someone like
 
canadiancherry said:
SDD, I hear what you are saying but at the end of the day being a fan is about having an emotional response or connection to a particular team. There are a lot of ways that can come about. I'd agree that "place" is probably the strongest and most important of these, but not the only one.
If an alien landed from another planet would he not be allowed to enjoy football? Surely he/she would pick a team that appealed to them (for whatever reason) and support them?
I do agree that in general people should support their local team though (unless they're transplants from somewhere else).
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I'm not suggesting anyone should not be allowed to follow a team or that one person's support is worth more than anyone else's - just that it is fundamentally different.

What I would say is that the place a club is from is the only relevant factor in determining support - without that there is no difference between any club and there is no point in supporting one over another unless you have a relative who plays for them.
 
My family have been Cherries supporters for many generations. My boys go to school With mostly Stains supporters, but they still support Bournemouth through and through. I just wish it was easier to get to the games, and we could actually win a game when we come to St Mary’s!!
 
I have an attachment to various teams for various reasons as I've moved around a bit, I'm not sure there is any hard and fast rule although I guess mine relate to birth place / fathers team and local team.. If I moved to France I'd probably support the local team as well, might even chuck some money in their buckets and lend them a shed load of money without the expectation of getting it back - let me get out my compound interest calculator.

Back in the days before the Internet your main reading material was Goal or Shoot magazine if you were a kid. Naturally that was full of the top Division 1 sides from cover to cover and this had a big influence on many . The BBC would broadcast one match live on world service (Radio), again that was usually Divvy 1 as it was back then. Abroad there was no MOTD or The Big Match just one game a week on the radio . Of course there were newspapers as well and like today it was all about the top league.

One thing I do know is that you can't tell a kid who to support, they make their own mind up. I took my lad to DC numerous times - he now has no interest whatsoever in the game.(I think they call it the SOD effect)
 
My Dad is an Irishman and a Coventry City fan because that the the first place he lived when he moved over in the 1950s. Moved to Bournemouth in 1970s and took me to my first game at Dean Court in 1982. We beat Torquay 4.0 and there was no looking back for me after that. Dad comes with us to games now and although he maintains he is a Cov fan, I know that, like all civilised people, he loves our mighty Cherries.
 
I saw probably Coventry Citys best period when I was at college 75-78. Ian Wallace & Mick Ferguson were pretty prolific. But always AFCB first. I proudly took someone from Cov to see my first Cherries away game at Northampton.

Yes, that game!

Prior to that, I went to a boarding school in Sussex. We used to get taken to the occasional Brighton, Chelsea and Palace games. I also saw Fulham play Manchester United at Craven Cottage in the second division.
 
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My son was born in Reading and when he started to take an interest in football I explained the reason for my supporting AFCB (I was born at the Royal Victoria Hospital so it was a natural choice). I said to him that it was absolutely fine if he wanted to support Reading for the same reason. I was determined not to influence him and wanted him to make his own choice. He eventually decided to support AFCB

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I agree, interesting thread. I am originally from Staines and now live in Walton on Thames but have been a fervent Cherries fan since 94. Growing up I must admit it was Liverpool for me, I wanted to support my Dad’s (Man Utd) biggest rivals do it was the reds. Bournemouth were always a team I looked out for though as my Dad worked at Hurn Airport and we always visited the town. We used to go to a few Cherries matches mixed in with some Liverpool, however it was the great escape season which changed my feelings. Watching the lads beat Brentford was something special and by 1995 I realised I didn’t mind if Liverpool had lost. I was a fully fledged Cherry! Bournemouth is a home away from home for me and I always feel it’s a spiritual home for me. Now my parents have a house here today and my two children love visiting I am hoping we will soon have a couple more cherry supporters! Up the Cherries!!
 
red_house said:
I have an attachment to various teams for various reasons as I've moved around a bit, I'm not sure there is any hard and fast rule although I guess mine relate to birth place / fathers team and local team.. If I moved to France I'd probably support the local team as well, might even chuck some money in their buckets and lend them a shed load of money without the expectation of getting it back - let me get out my compound interest calculator.

Back in the days before the Internet your main reading material was Goal or Shoot magazine if you were a kid. Naturally that was full of the top Division 1 sides from cover to cover and this had a big influence on many . The BBC would broadcast one match live on world service (Radio), again that was usually Divvy 1 as it was back then. Abroad there was no MOTD or The Big Match just one game a week on the radio . Of course there were newspapers as well and like today it was all about the top league.

One thing I do know is that you can't tell a kid who to support, they make their own mind up. I took my lad to DC numerous times - he now has no interest whatsoever in the game.(I think they call it the SOD effect)
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Indeed, I have two weird brothers who support Leeds! My knowledge of football before my Dad opened my eyes was Best, Law, Charlton etc.
 
Poole born and bred, my dad was an ardent Poole Town fan and he'd take me to the stadium pretty regularly along with lots of awaydays to Waterlooville and the like, as well as a few football league games as a neutral - he just loved his football. I was probably around 9 or 10 and he took me to a Boscombe night game, I remember being stood right at the front of the New Stand hanging onto the hoardings, cant remember who we played but it was a decent crowd and in between watching the game I'd be looking left and right towards the home and away fans in the BBE and South End just mesmerised by the whole thing - the floodlights, the singing, the atmosphere and I was simply hooked, Bournemouth were now my team and that was it. Badgered the old man all the time to take me, which he did occasionally but, fair enough, he was a Poole Town man first and foremost so we kept up our non league outings. Got to around 15 though and that was it - me, my mates, Dean Court every other Saturday and a lot of fantastic awaydays along the way, I've loved every minute of it - what a journey ! UTCIAD
 
My son had the dilemma when he was about 3 or 4 whether to follow his dad and support AFCB, or follow his mums side of the family who are all QPR fans. QPR were a lot higher than us in those days, but, wisely followed his dad and is still having the last laugh. :)
 
Born in Poole but have lived more than two-thirds of my life somewhere else. I have never been able to form any emotional attachment to any other club.

Apart from watching Tottenham for a couple of seasons while poor, unable to afford to watch AFCB unless they were in London and a girlfriend who was a Park Lane lass through and through, I have not even been the slightest bit interested in watching any other team than Boscombe.

Kindly note I was only watching Spurs matches, not supporting them. I also went to the Orient on occasion too.

I will take in a non-league match in Dorset if there is nothing else on.
 
afcdibby said:
My son had the dilemma when he was about 3 or 4 whether to follow his dad and support AFCB, or follow his mums side of the family who are all QPR fans. QPR were a lot higher than us in those days, but, wisely followed his dad and is still having the last laugh. :)
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Lived in a QPR supporting area of London when my eldest son was born. Was bracing myself for regular visits to Loftus Road until Mark Molesley scored in injury time against Dagenham & Redbridge and I thought 'That's it, I'm moving back home's
Got a job and moved back 4 months later and my boys now think successive promotions and playing in the Premier League is perfectly normal
 
One thing that can make a big difference is access to be able to watch the team and then feel involved and part of things - such as this forum. When I first moved to NZ it was just after Eddie took over for the second time. So for the first 12 -18 months I barely watched a game.
Then came the second Championship season, and I was able to watch quite a few 2am and 7am games.
Then since getting to the Premier League I can watch every game live or on catchup it's so much easier to pass opinion agree\disagree with other fans and feel like a proper supporter.
I don't have any other option of a team to support here, seeing as a) the A-League is trash, and b) The closest team is on a different island, however for others, if we go back down the divisions and you can't watch the team then you could easily lose that bond you had and then the bond with your local MLS\La Liga\Ligue 1 or whatever country you're in team will grow and potentially overtake your support for your original club.
I am hoping we stay in the Premier League for a lot of obvious reasons, but the biggest one is so that I can watch every game still. The other hope, is if we were to go down, that the clubs can broadcast their games over the official website to fans - even if it is just to the ones outside the UK.
 
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