My drive to see them just once is such a financial hindrance that we're delaying having children and buying our first home - to me that's enough of a sacrifice for me to proudly say I'm a passionate and devoted fan, and I won't be convinced otherwise.
Fully agree. Good man. Nothing worse than people living over there acting all patronizing towards everyone else.
So loyalgunner, have you ever watched Arsenal?
Several hundred times. In the flesh, though, no. There are several reasons for that, each as valid as the next.
Tell me, do you feel important, talking down to everybody in such a manner? I've noticed this attitude from you in the past and, if anything, it will only serve to ostracize you from people on here.
And I support Arsenal. I don't care about the sappy romantic stories about how much some unwashed local gives to go watch Arsenal play across the 'vast' country that is England, sitting in a train for 8 hours sopping wet, or whatever example you or someone else gave. Tell him to buy a car and keep towels in it - that solves half the issue.
I live many hours from Wellington by car, don't have the greatest job and don't do many hours. I am also currently studying but despite this (and along with several other reasons) I've still managed to travel up to a fair number of Phoenix games and other football games up there. Far less than half, but a fair number nonetheless. The fact that I'm not there for every game, or even 80% of them doesn't make me any less of a fan than many of the people in Wellington. In fact, compared to some who go week in, week out I'd still consider myself more of a fan if I cared to consider it, but I'd still never question their commitment to their face or even behind their back. In the case of the Phoenix I'm no different from the most passionate fans up in Wellington, though I live a fair distance away. Why is Arsenal any different? I don't doubt there are people up in North London who are more 'hardcore' than me, or what have you but I'd still consider myself a very passionate fan. If I payed several thousand dollars to travel to Britain and back once or twice a year to watch Arsenal, while I'd love the experience, that still wouldn't make me more of a fan.
And perhaps you weren't able to support your team as much as you'd have liked when you went over there, and perhaps, as you say, this is the case with many immigrants to Britain. So? That doesn't mean anything to anybody on here. Any of us could be far more committed - I don't see how the failures of some people in Britain could possibly represent any of us if we went over as everybody's circumstances are different.
loyalgunner2010-05-12 01:08:38
