Am I really a Spurs Fan?

Am I really a Spurs Fan?

Spurs

Wilso and I would both like to offer you a great big GGF Marius.

I'd also like to say, quality piece.  I'd have happily traded Ipswich's first three points of the season for wins in yesterdays two matches.

Of course you are Sam Junior822009-11-02 10:50:10

the ambivalence is in direct relevance to the merits of the team in question. If they were in anyway a serious football concern you would know your support is deep. Like Still Waters even.

Invariably the best fans are those that support my team. It's funny how it always turns out this way.

I've been a QPR fan for 34 years (1975), Brian Moore got me hooked when the hoops played Aston Villa (1-1). I thought the hoops looked cool and the style they played was impressive. I've had 2 trips over to England to see them. HN, I even went to a League Cup game at Portman Road (0-0) and the replay that Ipswich won 2-1. Anyway, being a Hoop I have had to endure 3 relegations and 2 promotions, a pathetic effort in the League cup final against Oxford, the Spurs Cup Final when Glenn Diver scored the penalty winner in the replay. Lonegunmen2009-11-02 11:42:12

Spoken like a true QPR fan!

I'd say there will be a few spurs' fans questioning their allegiance after the weekend's result.

The only question I have is:

"Did Ledley and the keeper have a scrap in the changing shed, afterwards?"

Ive loved Chelsea ever since my dad got me hooked in 1994 when i was 8 and we were on a family trip to England where my dad is from. Been to stamford bridge once (1994, 3-0 win over man city).

That's committment... respeck.

Your sig is a bit curious but.  What's the kiwi connection with Chelsea?

 

Gutted for you.

Not sure about that one. But I do hope you lot sign Ledley up for longer!

Did they catch the guy who did it to you?

Touche

I have followed Spurs since 80-81 when Big League Soccer was on and the skills of Hoddle in particular caught my eye, along with Ardiles, Villa, Crooks, Archibald etc.

The advent of the net has been incredible as the detail in which you can follow your team is just like being in London. I would back my knowledge about Spurs against many people, even though i have only been to White Hart Lane once, a game which we lost to Man City 2-0 in 2003.

If these nine regular sports events were on at the same time, this is the order i would choose to watch them...

1. Spurs League game v Anyone
2. Phoenix
3  Black Caps Game (Test/ODI/20-20)
4. Rugby League Test (featuring NZ)
5. Warriors (althought last season, was 'testing the faith')
6. Rugby Union Test (featuring NZ)
7. Breakers Basketball
8. Super 14 (featuring Crusaders)
9. NPC (featuring Canterbury)

I didn't put in Netball because i have never watched more than 5 mins of a game, i dislike the sport.Not big on Motorsport and don't get me started on Horse-racing (not a sport, only exists for punting purposes)

I would be more likely to watch the NRL and Premier League (EPL) featuring a team i didn;t support far and away above the likes of Super 14, NPC and the A-League.



Dougie Rydal2009-11-02 21:43:23

Sorry mate but in my book your a part time supporter, your team was playing probably their biggest game of the season to date, its live on sky and you have to check the result in the morning...says it all really

paulm2009-11-02 22:24:48

james dean2009-11-03 00:43:49

Fair point JD re willingness to pay if in England. I dunno how I'd go these days as Family Guy, but maybe as a yoof with no responsibilities.

Interestingly the Spurs fans that I meet every now and then here in NZ have mostly been to WHL at least once. They're almost always older geezers like me but every now and then there is a young un.

So I guess if someone does end up supporting a club that hasn't got the glamour profile, trophies, huge piles of roubles, greenbacks or dirhams, then there is something other than the success factor that pulls them in. To me that is more of a stake for being a fan.

My reasons are primarily geographical, but that does not make them any more kosher or authentic than a Takapuna bloke or sheila forming a connection.

Nix has a pretty diverse fanbase and you wouldn't call any of the Oz-based fans any less of a fan than a Wgtn-based one would you?

(you hard core YF founders and ex bloc 5s excepted)
   

Junior82 I definitely agree with what you're saying.  I just think that a lot of people are very naive - I certainly was - and think that every thing about the premiership and premiership football is fantastic.  I guess my point is that being a massive fan in NZ and watching your team whenever they are on TV and being a massive fan and going to watch your team every week in the UK are two completely different levels of support. james dean2009-11-03 02:07:54

Yep - agree with you on all of that. Including the metaphoric use, although Sam could have equally said he was a QPR or Ipswich supporter and my point about following the non-glam teams is just as valid.

I've said in a very early thread that experiencing the Nix-RoF-YF-FZ atmosphere was a real re-awakening for me after years in the wilderness (well Manawatu) away from my Spurs (and like LG I watched just about every FA cup game until I got to varsity and had to go on field trips in May).

All of what you say about the experience and very importantly the ease of access/transport is exactly what I have found. That's partly why I've also mentioned that Terry and the Nix have probably done more for NZ football than anyone else since the 82 AWs.

On a personal note my kids also support Spurs and Toon cos their old man does - but they are really Nix fans - they have the live experience and connection.

Too much serious stuff... have to go and sleep it off now!Junior822009-11-03 02:19:47

james dean it seems you're comdemning others based on your personal experience. Who are you to say what sort of effort others would make if they were there and had the opportunities? They might have more desire than you had at the time to get to the difficult games.

I'm not saying that at all. I am just making an observation based on my own experience observing what big fans in the UK go through to watch their team all over the country - and it's a lot more difficult than setting the alarm for 3am, hitting the couch and putting on a cup of tea. I just think it's hard to call yourself a big fan if you've never watched your club live. I'm not a Spurs fan so the difficulty of getting there has nothing to do with me (althouhg I have been there and it's a genuine prick of a place to get to and also away from).

We met some sunderland fans last year before the fulham game. Every London away game they meet at the pub, maybe get one or two in, jump in a coach drive all the way to their opponents (no drinking on the bus), maybe get one or two in before the game. Go to the match, back on the bus and drive home, usually get back between nine and 10. They do that every week including midweek away games. The worked in a factory and that takes up most of their weekly wagejames dean2009-11-03 08:47:06

I agree with some of the points, but i consider myself a massive Spurs fan, and i have only been to the ground once, mainly because i don't live there, and never have. I have been to the UK three times, and only coincided with game, the other two times were in July (best weather but also the off season for football). Over the past say 10 years i have probably spent  around $500-600 at the clubs website buying merchandise.

Using your logic JD - I can't be a massive Nix fan bacause i live in Ch-Ch? I would actually consider myself a huge fan, but again i don't live in Wellington and therefore can't go. I have been to Wellington 4 times from Ch-Ch solely to see the Nix play over the last 2 seasons, but that clearly is more viable than flying to London to watch Spurs.

You do what you can.

In some strange(?) way i am kind of glad i support a team like Spurs, rather than the likes of Man Yoo, who are guaranteed to be on TV each week, have won plenty of trophies and generally speaking (in the last 20 years) done well. And that probably goes for the likes of Chelski, ARSEnal as well. Supporting Spurs puts hairs on your chest!

I think i would share your frustration JD in being a long term Chelski fan, because there are so many 'Johnny Come Latelys', each time i ask someone who i think has a passing interest in football who they support, 9 times out 10 it will be Man Yoo or Chelski (maybe ARSEnal), you know you have a real fan when they say they support Everton, or Sunderland and the like.

I grew up supporting Manly in the NRL because my mum and dad used to live in Brookvale and Dad became a fan, and he passed that onto to me at about age 10, and then when Lowe started coaching, and lots of Kiwi's played there it was almost embarassing to say 'Manly' when someone asked who you followed, and you felt the need to point out you'd been supporting them since 1982, way before they became popular (or even the NRL for that matter)

My older boy (5) knows abit about Spurs, Manager, skipper, home ground, hatred for ARSEnal etc, and my youngest boy (2) knows to shout out 'Come on Phoenix' when they're playing, and 'Come on Spurs' when they are. Much to their mothers annoyance i am doing my best to convert them as young as possible...

I'm not a real fan then because i happen to support Arsenal.

Apparently...

This whole thread is a waste of space.

Buffon - I think you missed my point there which i tried to make re Manly. No doubt you are a true fan, you post on football websites! My point was very much aimed at people like you who i would imagine feel a little frustrated when 'wanna-be' fans pick up on the most popular teams...and then claim to be a massive fan and really know bugger all about their team.

At the same time it seems pretty "elitist" that the vast majority of kiwis supporting English teams support the top 5 or 6 glamour clubs. There's a handful who support other teams in the premiership but basically the only supporters of clubs like Rochdale, Gillingham and Doncaster that you'll ever meet in New Zealand are ex pats who are unfortunate enough to actually be from those places (which generally also explains why they are ex pats). Where are all the kiwi Sc**thorpe fans???

james dean2009-11-03 23:31:53