Clubs you follow or watch regularly but are not the club you support

[The Boy]

I support Brighton, the club I grew up closest to and followed home and away regularly during the 80s, 90s and 2000s. Now I live in Bristol and for quite a while didn't see much live football at all, but recently my youngest daughter (10) asked if she could watch a match. So we went to see Bristol Rovers with some friends and she loved it, it probably helped that they won 4-2, somethings Rovers probably only do once or twice a decade!

We have now started going to all the home games and despite having a genuine dislike for Rovers for years, I am finding myself beginning to wish them well and obviously when we're there I always want them to win as it's more fun. This is weird for me as like I said I have always wanted them to lose before, but now my daughter is a fan and is asking for a season ticket for her birthday. I haven't yet explained the lifetime of pain and disappointment she is letting herself in for.

I also have a big soft spot for Plymouth Argyle as my wife and all her family are from Plymouth and I've been to watch Argyle plenty of times as well.

Anyway Brighton will always be the team I support and identify with, but do these feelings of support for Rovers that I am suddenly having mean I am less of a fan?

 

[RobinLFC]

You'd still want Brighton to win should they play each other in a domestic cup or something, I assume? Nothing wrong with that for me, I think it's endearing if people have a strong connection or bond with their local club, no matter what level they are playing at.

For me it's AS Roma and Benfica, used to watch them on a regular basis but my interest in football in general has decreased so apart from Liverpool, can't say I've watched much of them recently. Have already been to a Roma game though and also been in the Benfica stadium when I was in Lisbon. I want both of them to do well whenever they're in Europe or competing for the domestic trophies.

In Belgium it's Standard de Liege because I have some family there, and then my local club who used to play in first/second division when I was young (around '97-'03 were the glory days), have really fond memories of that period but after that the club got into disarray, administration, wrong investors, a betting scandal, ... and now they're playing at a level comparable to the National League - barely attract 200 fans to home games these days, a bit sad to see.

 

[ForeverRed1]

Villa.
for some reason I like villa as a club. Dont even have a reason or know why.

 

[FootyGirl88]

BVB
Crystal Palace
Southampton

 

[Sparky_Hughes]

Wolves and Birmingham City, back in the day when I was a boy we couldnt afford sky and other than match of the day the only football on tv was central sports on a sunday, either a Birmingham or Wolves match, so have a little soft spot for both.

 

[OJKernow]

Also Plymouth Argyle, being the closest professional club to me (live in Cornwall) I used to go to quite a few games with mates when we were in school, also went to uni in Plymouth and watched plenty of games then as well. It's still not close enough to easily go every week though!

 

[WeePat]

Coventry. Worked at Ricoh Arena for a couple of years while was I doing my degree in Coventry.

 

[Bennie Blanco]

I keep an interest in all the Greater Manchester teams and Blackburn. My late grandad was a big time loyalist so I find myself watching Rangers when they're on.

 

[Born2Lose]

I find I watch a lot of the highlights from Serie A now on YT. Seems an entertaining league for the neutral.

 

[horsechoker]

I find I watch a lot of the highlights from Serie A now on YT. Seems an entertaining league for the neutral.

Ever since Juve stopped winning it every year its become far more interesting.

I think the same would be true if Bayern stopped winning the Bundesliga every year too.

 

[Jacob]

Can't be arsed to watch football if United isn't playing (even then sometimes).

I have missed most CL finals the last few years cause I simply cannot to bothered. Maybe the remaining love I have for United is stronger than any interest in football as a sport.

 

[Dan_F]

Also Plymouth Argyle, being the closest professional club to me (live in Cornwall) I used to go to quite a few games with mates when we were in school, also went to uni in Plymouth and watched plenty of games then as well. It's still not close enough to easily go every week though!

I did that a few times. It’s mental to think I had to travel two hours on a train to get to the nearest professional club. Imagine how many professional football clubs are a two hour train journey away from Manchester.

 

[Big Andy]

Wolfsburg and Union Berlin.

Wolfsburg for the gayest reason ever...When I first moved out of my mum and dad's into a New Build 2 bed house, the house style was called "The Woolston" and my best mate moved into the same house style on the same estate, so when we played Pro Evo 6 Master League together, we called our team "The Woolston" (Woolston was the area in Warrington where we both grew up as well) and used the Wolfsburg logo as our team crest.

We went to watch them a few years ago, and they've always been my German team, when we went to watch Wolfsburg vs Bayern, we stayed in Berlin, and went to a Bundesliga 2 game while we were there, and watched Union Berlin, and it was brilliant, the atmosphere was amazing, the football was alright and the people were really friendly, so they've always been one I look out for as well.

 

[VanAlden]

Man United. Inter.

 

[Lay]

Napoli and Villarreal.

Villarreal because I was a huge Riquelme fan.

Napoli, various reasons from my dad being a huge Maradona fan, watching the likes of Cavani, Lavezzi and Hamsik and the city. Fell in love with Naples and the locals when I went there.

I have soft spots for Roma and Atletico over the years

 

[troylocker]

Dortmund. Haaland, fun football and incredible atmosphere in the Stadium (when full).
Saturdays: Man United on the bigscreen and Dortmund on the Pad.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

I watched Ajax quite a bit up until the end of last season. Had a couple of shirts when I was a kid, then went to Amsterdam a few years ago, did the stadium tour and whatnot. Haven't really caught them this season, even though it sounds like they're having their best season in years.

St Pauli as well, someone I used to work with used to be involved with the Leeds branch of the supporters club. Pre-covid, they'd arrange the odd trip to the Millerntor, which I kept meaning to get on, but never got around to it. I've barely watched them this season either, and now they're top of the league (I think)

Maybe I'm the curse. Maybe if I stop watching United, we'll win the league again?

 

[MUFC OK]

Starting this weekend - Rangers.

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Can't be arsed to watch football if United isn't playing (even then sometimes).

I have missed most CL finals the last few years cause I simply cannot to bothered. Maybe the remaining love I have for United is stronger than any interest in football as a sport.

Exactly the same here. I don't consider myself a fan of "football" anymore. United is the only aspect of it I am interested in. Well together with the national team (Norway).

 

[horsechoker]

I watch Arsenal for the Banter from time to time.

 

[Sounds of the Aquarium]

I have supported united since the mid 80s but have always kept an intrest and gone to watch a club in whatever area I was living in at the time.
They have been Luton, Villa, Shrewsbury and at the moment Cambridge.
My step son is an arsenal fan so have to go there a few times a season as well

 

[Cloud7]

I’ve had a soft spot for Inter ever since I played with them a lot in one of the old FIFA games as a child. Started following them more regularly when Jose went there so I always keep an eye on how they’re doing.

I really liked Dortmund in the Klopp era. It was amazing to see a team upset the established order in Germany, so I’ve had a soft spot for Dortmund ever since then.

 

[wolvored]

Most of my family are Wanderers fans. Quite a few have season tickets. I have been a few times myself on one of the tickets.

 

[Kasper]

Hertha BSC because my flatmate supports them. Never really liked them but given that we have yet to have a cheerful moment watching them together since I moved into the flat 2 years ago I kinda started cheering for them so that these football evenings aren't so damn depressing

 

[Borussin]

Liverpool, mostly because of Kloppo being there! It has been an interesting project to follow, watching him work outside of Bundesliga. And it works out well, because you know they’ll be a fun team to watch with him at the helm.

 

[Ryan Beil]

AS Roma was the first match in Europe that I got to attend when my wife and I were traveling, which was incredible. Have also followed Real Betis since I was in college- my Spanish professor was from Seville and she was absolutely wild

 

[Robertd0803]

Maybe I'm the curse. Maybe if I stop watching United, we'll win the league again?

On behalf of all of us please stop watching United.

I tend to keep an eye out for the results from Sheffield Wednesday, both Madrid clubs, Juve/Milan and Torquay.

 

[Gandalf]

Cardiff City have been constant, my hometown club so I have followed them since my teens as a second club. I got into football through TV as my dad was not a fan so I was already United til I die before I even understood I had a team right on my doorstop, not that they resembled a professional side in the eighties.

Other clubs I have watched at various times. I did like Forest when Clough was in charge and even the Frank Clark years because they played great stuff but lost interest when Harry Bassett got them playing hoofball and killed their style. I currently watch a lot of Roma because the Mourinho show is entertaining, Inter Miami because living in the States these days I get all the MLS games and have been able to get along to a couple of matches with my boys and I am ashamed to say I watch Leeds almost every week but that is more to do with me being Welsh and therefore loving Dan James like he is my own child.

 

[TheReligion]

Coventry. Worked at Ricoh Arena for a couple of years while was I doing my degree in Coventry.

How much did you get for cleaning the toilets at the Ricoh?

 

[tomaldinho1]

AFC Wimbledon, Soton, Bury

 

[TenonTen]

You'd still want Brighton to win should they play each other in a domestic cup or something, I assume? Nothing wrong with that for me, I think it's endearing if people have a strong connection or bond with their local club, no matter what level they are playing at.

For me it's AS Roma and Benfica, used to watch them on a regular basis but my interest in football in general has decreased so apart from Liverpool, can't say I've watched much of them recently. Have already been to a Roma game though and also been in the Benfica stadium when I was in Lisbon. I want both of them to do well whenever they're in Europe or competing for the domestic trophies.

In Belgium it's Standard de Liege because I have some family there, and then my local club who used to play in first/second division when I was young (around '97-'03 were the glory days), have really fond memories of that period but after that the club got into disarray, administration, wrong investors, a betting scandal, ... and now they're playing at a level comparable to the National League - barely attract 200 fans to home games these days, a bit sad to see.

Hey have you been watching Roma under Mourinho??

How would you say his spell has been?

I think Roma have been slightly unlucky at times.....

 

[Normandy]

Pretty much every English team in the top 5 divisions of the league system.

 

[KirkDuyt]

United

 

[WButlerMU]

Monaco and Fiorentina.
Monaco because I like unusual clubs, and Monaco is a unique case where a club based in a country so small that it doesn't even have its own championship has managed to achieve great success in international football.
Fiorentina because when I was a kid my favourite player was Gabriel Batistuta, and I love their traditional purple jersey.