Why do we even bother?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Westran

Westran

Ashleigh Spires Clubman of the Year 1994
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
4,353
Reaction score
10,292
Bear with me, it’s off season so I thought I’d contribute my fair share of tedium to keep us going. I’ve not really got a specific point either, I just think being a football fan is something that means so much to so many people, when in reality it probably shouldn’t. I’d be interested to hear from you about why it holds a magic that no other sport seems to be able to command of its fans.

Why do we even bother supporting a football team? To be honest specifically teams like United and Wednesday, Leeds and Villa, but also teams like Brentford, Peterborough, Northampton etc. It can be incredibly burdensome, ticket prices, travel, time, emotion and of course the banter and rivalry, all for very little reward most of the time.

On the point of rivalries, supporting a team with a large fan base and with similar sized rivals creates so much hard feeling, I honestly think less of people if I know they’re a Wednesday fan (in most cases, there are exceptions to this rule). Imagine being a Wednesday fan now, expecting your club to live up to your expectations and having no control over the outcome, yet for the last 20 years the clubs greatest achievement is beating Sheffield United to 2nd place in League 1 in 2011/12. It must be emotionally draining when every week you tell your rivals that they’re going to fail and in return you get told that you are also going to fail, when in the grand scheme of things, most of the time we all fail to achieve the dream and we just continue to exist. Isn’t it all a bit tedious?!

This season is obviously very different for us but in the last 20 years, my team has mostly been in the 2nd tier of English Football never winning anything of real significance. Although more than our overzealous neighbours. But I have no control over our successes or failures, the only thing I can do is continue to turn up every couple of weeks and as many away games as possible and back my team financially and vociferously.

Look at the hardcore of British football support, the fans who follow Southend, Rochdale and Cowdenbeath around the country every week at a cost of thousands, with no real expectation that you will ever achieve more than a win over your closest rival and that you will continue to exist. Is the thing that keeps you going the possibility that you might be taken over by a rich sugar daddy who ‘does a Bournemouth’ or god forbid, ‘a Gretna’ with you?

So why do we bother? Is purely continuing to exist enough? Where does the magic come from? Or is it just an excuse to spend a Saturday with your mates to let off some steam?

Also what would we all do if the bubble burst? Imagine a financial collapse in football and United folded or had to start again from the bottom. What would we all do?!
 



Marty_Mcfly said:
Bear with me, it’s off season so I thought I’d contribute my fair share of tedium to keep us going. I’ve not really got a specific point either, I just think being a football fan is something that means so much to so many people, when in reality it probably shouldn’t. I’d be interested to hear from you about why it holds a magic that no other sport seems to be able to command of its fans.

Why do we even bother supporting a football team? To be honest specifically teams like United and Wednesday, Leeds and Villa, but also teams like Brentford, Peterborough, Northampton etc. It can be incredibly burdensome, ticket prices, travel, time, emotion and of course the banter and rivalry, all for very little reward most of the time.

On the point of rivalries, supporting a team with a large fan base and with similar sized rivals creates so much hard feeling, I honestly think less of people if I know they’re a Wednesday fan (in most cases, there are exceptions to this rule). Imagine being a Wednesday fan now, expecting your club to live up to your expectations and having no control over the outcome, yet for the last 20 years the clubs greatest achievement is beating Sheffield United to 2nd place in League 1 in 2011/12. It must be emotionally draining when every week you tell your rivals that they’re going to fail and in return you get told that you are also going to fail, when in the grand scheme of things, most of the time we all fail to achieve the dream and we just continue to exist. Isn’t it all a bit tedious?!

This season is obviously very different for us but in the last 20 years, my team has mostly been in the 2nd tier of English Football never winning anything of real significance. Although more than our overzealous neighbours. But I have no control over our successes or failures, the only thing I can do is continue to turn up every couple of weeks and as many away games as possible and back my team financially and vociferously.

Look at the hardcore of British football support, the fans who follow Southend, Rochdale and Cowdenbeath around the country every week at a cost of thousands, with no real expectation that you will ever achieve more than a win over your closest rival and that you will continue to exist. Is the thing that keeps you going the possibility that you might be taken over by a rich sugar daddy who ‘does a Bournemouth’ or god forbid, ‘a Gretna’ with you?

So why do we bother? Is purely continuing to exist enough? Where does the magic come from? Or is it just an excuse to spend a Saturday with your mates to let off some steam?

Also what would we all do if the bubble burst? Imagine a financial collapse in football and United folded or had to start again from the bottom. What would we all do?!
Click to expand...

Thats cheered me up christ
 
Marty_Mcfly said:
Bear with me, it’s off season so I thought I’d contribute my fair share of tedium to keep us going. I’ve not really got a specific point either, I just think being a football fan is something that means so much to so many people, when in reality it probably shouldn’t. I’d be interested to hear from you about why it holds a magic that no other sport seems to be able to command of its fans.

Why do we even bother supporting a football team? To be honest specifically teams like United and Wednesday, Leeds and Villa, but also teams like Brentford, Peterborough, Northampton etc. It can be incredibly burdensome, ticket prices, travel, time, emotion and of course the banter and rivalry, all for very little reward most of the time.

On the point of rivalries, supporting a team with a large fan base and with similar sized rivals creates so much hard feeling, I honestly think less of people if I know they’re a Wednesday fan (in most cases, there are exceptions to this rule). Imagine being a Wednesday fan now, expecting your club to live up to your expectations and having no control over the outcome, yet for the last 20 years the clubs greatest achievement is beating Sheffield United to 2nd place in League 1 in 2011/12. It must be emotionally draining when every week you tell your rivals that they’re going to fail and in return you get told that you are also going to fail, when in the grand scheme of things, most of the time we all fail to achieve the dream and we just continue to exist. Isn’t it all a bit tedious?!

This season is obviously very different for us but in the last 20 years, my team has mostly been in the 2nd tier of English Football never winning anything of real significance. Although more than our overzealous neighbours. But I have no control over our successes or failures, the only thing I can do is continue to turn up every couple of weeks and as many away games as possible and back my team financially and vociferously.

Look at the hardcore of British football support, the fans who follow Southend, Rochdale and Cowdenbeath around the country every week at a cost of thousands, with no real expectation that you will ever achieve more than a win over your closest rival and that you will continue to exist. Is the thing that keeps you going the possibility that you might be taken over by a rich sugar daddy who ‘does a Bournemouth’ or god forbid, ‘a Gretna’ with you?

So why do we bother? Is purely continuing to exist enough? Where does the magic come from? Or is it just an excuse to spend a Saturday with your mates to let off some steam?

Also what would we all do if the bubble burst? Imagine a financial collapse in football and United folded or had to start again from the bottom. What would we all do?!
Click to expand...

Do you want to buy my season ticket,Im out,when you put it like that,I have wasted my life
 
I have a theory about football clubs going bust; it's a non starter to destroy an organisation which has a regular sustainable income, the only reason most football clubs are unsustainable is their desire to reach for more. Take Bolton for instance, I'll use finger in the air but reasonable numbers, they attract 10,000 fans 23 times a season at say £20. That gives an income of 4.6M just for entry. if you can't run a business off those figures then you shouldn't be anywhere near one. Pay the necessary bills then pay the players wages if it's a million quid that's what you pay if it's 3 you pay up to that. If that puts you in the conference that's your level.
 
Anything you do, if you think long enough about it, is pointless.

So whatever you do that brings you a bit of happiness, having sex, going out with your mates and getting pissed, eating a beef burger with fried onions, drawing, playing an instrument, seeing United win, is worthwhile in our fleeting time on Earth.

Also having a team satisfies our tribal brain.

Yes I had a beef burger with fried onions for dinner. It was reyt nice. Recommended.
 
It's not about winning things, although it's good to do that occasionally at whatever level we're playing at.

The level we're playing at is also not important to me.

I go for the fellowship of football fans, no matter who they support and a break from the routine of everyday life.

I have made many many friends through watching United, most of whom I would never have met any other way, and they will be lifelong friends through a common shared interest and the feeling of brotherhood it engenders.

There is so much shit flying around in the world that it's great to have a safe escape but in the overall scheme of things, that's all it is.

It's nice to win things but there are so many much more important things in all of our lives, which is why I never let the highs get too high or the lows get too low.
 
Accept that it is an emotional attachment, and that any attempt to rationalise it will probably fail. My attempt would be:
1. Shared experience, with family and friends.
2. Being absorbed in the drama of the match, but ultimately aware that it doesn't really matter. I can happily watch a game of football going on in the local park.
3. The chance to dream of success (though big money is rather killing that).
I started watching United in 1953, newly arrived in the top division. 66 years on, it is exactly the same position. Busy going nowhere, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
 
Marty_Mcfly said:
Bear with me, it’s off season so I thought I’d contribute my fair share of tedium to keep us going. I’ve not really got a specific point either, I just think being a football fan is something that means so much to so many people, when in reality it probably shouldn’t. I’d be interested to hear from you about why it holds a magic that no other sport seems to be able to command of its fans.

Why do we even bother supporting a football team? To be honest specifically teams like United and Wednesday, Leeds and Villa, but also teams like Brentford, Peterborough, Northampton etc. It can be incredibly burdensome, ticket prices, travel, time, emotion and of course the banter and rivalry, all for very little reward most of the time.

On the point of rivalries, supporting a team with a large fan base and with similar sized rivals creates so much hard feeling, I honestly think less of people if I know they’re a Wednesday fan (in most cases, there are exceptions to this rule). Imagine being a Wednesday fan now, expecting your club to live up to your expectations and having no control over the outcome, yet for the last 20 years the clubs greatest achievement is beating Sheffield United to 2nd place in League 1 in 2011/12. It must be emotionally draining when every week you tell your rivals that they’re going to fail and in return you get told that you are also going to fail, when in the grand scheme of things, most of the time we all fail to achieve the dream and we just continue to exist. Isn’t it all a bit tedious?!

This season is obviously very different for us but in the last 20 years, my team has mostly been in the 2nd tier of English Football never winning anything of real significance. Although more than our overzealous neighbours. But I have no control over our successes or failures, the only thing I can do is continue to turn up every couple of weeks and as many away games as possible and back my team financially and vociferously.

Look at the hardcore of British football support, the fans who follow Southend, Rochdale and Cowdenbeath around the country every week at a cost of thousands, with no real expectation that you will ever achieve more than a win over your closest rival and that you will continue to exist. Is the thing that keeps you going the possibility that you might be taken over by a rich sugar daddy who ‘does a Bournemouth’ or god forbid, ‘a Gretna’ with you?

So why do we bother? Is purely continuing to exist enough? Where does the magic come from? Or is it just an excuse to spend a Saturday with your mates to let off some steam?

Also what would we all do if the bubble burst? Imagine a financial collapse in football and United folded or had to start again from the bottom. What would we all do?!
Click to expand...
A better question would be...'What the hell would I do every Saturday if I didn't support a football team'?
 



Neither of my parents had interest in football.
In the mid 70’s I was kind of a joint Blade and Liverpool fan after they beat Borussia Mönchengladbach in 77, then beat Bruges in 78.
Liverpool were a fantastic side and the glory hunting side wanted me to support them.

Then I went to more and more local Blades game and it made me an addict.
In some ways the fact that we were crap made me support us more.
I’ve always said we could get relegated to the non league and be totally crap, yes I’d miss plenty of games but i’d still attend some games regardless.
 
We'll finally qualify for the Champions League and this happens the following season.
www.bbc.co.uk

BBC One - Planet Earth II

How animals meet the challenges of surviving in the most iconic habitats on earth.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
Karaoke Blade said:
A better question would be...'What the hell would I do every Saturday if I didn't support a football team'?
Click to expand...

My life would consist of going round John Lewis, and in particular the soft furnishing department, trying to fake an interest in Mrs Ts latest obsession with cushions and standard lamps etc etc.

Please do not fold United.
 
Marty_Mcfly said:
Bear with me, it’s off season so I thought I’d contribute my fair share of tedium to keep us going. I’ve not really got a specific point either, I just think being a football fan is something that means so much to so many people, when in reality it probably shouldn’t. I’d be interested to hear from you about why it holds a magic that no other sport seems to be able to command of its fans.

Why do we even bother supporting a football team? To be honest specifically teams like United and Wednesday, Leeds and Villa, but also teams like Brentford, Peterborough, Northampton etc. It can be incredibly burdensome, ticket prices, travel, time, emotion and of course the banter and rivalry, all for very little reward most of the time.

On the point of rivalries, supporting a team with a large fan base and with similar sized rivals creates so much hard feeling, I honestly think less of people if I know they’re a Wednesday fan (in most cases, there are exceptions to this rule). Imagine being a Wednesday fan now, expecting your club to live up to your expectations and having no control over the outcome, yet for the last 20 years the clubs greatest achievement is beating Sheffield United to 2nd place in League 1 in 2011/12. It must be emotionally draining when every week you tell your rivals that they’re going to fail and in return you get told that you are also going to fail, when in the grand scheme of things, most of the time we all fail to achieve the dream and we just continue to exist. Isn’t it all a bit tedious?!

This season is obviously very different for us but in the last 20 years, my team has mostly been in the 2nd tier of English Football never winning anything of real significance. Although more than our overzealous neighbours. But I have no control over our successes or failures, the only thing I can do is continue to turn up every couple of weeks and as many away games as possible and back my team financially and vociferously.

Look at the hardcore of British football support, the fans who follow Southend, Rochdale and Cowdenbeath around the country every week at a cost of thousands, with no real expectation that you will ever achieve more than a win over your closest rival and that you will continue to exist. Is the thing that keeps you going the possibility that you might be taken over by a rich sugar daddy who ‘does a Bournemouth’ or god forbid, ‘a Gretna’ with you?

So why do we bother? Is purely continuing to exist enough? Where does the magic come from? Or is it just an excuse to spend a Saturday with your mates to let off some steam?

Also what would we all do if the bubble burst? Imagine a financial collapse in football and United folded or had to start again from the bottom. What would we all do?!
Click to expand...
Just run that by me again Marty
 
For those old enough to remember a zoologist called Desmond Morris (used to present Zoo Time) wrote a controversial book “The Soccer Tribe” claiming it was our basic human tribal instincts.

 
It's called 'hope'
Hoping you stay well enough to go to the game.
Hoping you can continue to afford to go to the game.
Hoping you have a good time with your mates/family.
Hoping we play well.
Hoping we win.
Hoping we move up the table.
Hoping we get promoted.
Hoping we don't get relegated.
Hoping a topless blonde sits next to you and looks longingly into your eyes in a way that says please, please just take me home and roger me senseless (after the full time whistle of course. No leaving early, even for bimbo blondes desperate for your attentions)
Actually, I'm not sure about the last bit. Maybe a brunette instead?
 
I like the cyclical nature of football. A new season starts, you are full of hope, more often than not your hopes are dashed
But at the end of the season you think, 'well there is always next season'. A bit like the seasons, winter approaches, but you know that one day it will be summer again. I guess I should get a job painting the Forth Bridge, I like the fact that when you get to the end you can look forward to starting all over again

To be honest I like the fact that United have gone up and down the leagues. How dull would it be being an Arsenal fan, not relegated since World War One? I am looking forward to going to Tottenham's new ground next season, but I also loved going to Rochdale and Fleetwood.
 



Marty_Mcfly said:
Bear with me, it’s off season so I thought I’d contribute my fair share of tedium to keep us going. I’ve not really got a specific point either, I just think being a football fan is something that means so much to so many people, when in reality it probably shouldn’t. I’d be interested to hear from you about why it holds a magic that no other sport seems to be able to command of its fans.

Why do we even bother supporting a football team? To be honest specifically teams like United and Wednesday, Leeds and Villa, but also teams like Brentford, Peterborough, Northampton etc. It can be incredibly burdensome, ticket prices, travel, time, emotion and of course the banter and rivalry, all for very little reward most of the time.

On the point of rivalries, supporting a team with a large fan base and with similar sized rivals creates so much hard feeling, I honestly think less of people if I know they’re a Wednesday fan (in most cases, there are exceptions to this rule). Imagine being a Wednesday fan now, expecting your club to live up to your expectations and having no control over the outcome, yet for the last 20 years the clubs greatest achievement is beating Sheffield United to 2nd place in League 1 in 2011/12. It must be emotionally draining when every week you tell your rivals that they’re going to fail and in return you get told that you are also going to fail, when in the grand scheme of things, most of the time we all fail to achieve the dream and we just continue to exist. Isn’t it all a bit tedious?!

This season is obviously very different for us but in the last 20 years, my team has mostly been in the 2nd tier of English Football never winning anything of real significance. Although more than our overzealous neighbours. But I have no control over our successes or failures, the only thing I can do is continue to turn up every couple of weeks and as many away games as possible and back my team financially and vociferously.

Look at the hardcore of British football support, the fans who follow Southend, Rochdale and Cowdenbeath around the country every week at a cost of thousands, with no real expectation that you will ever achieve more than a win over your closest rival and that you will continue to exist. Is the thing that keeps you going the possibility that you might be taken over by a rich sugar daddy who ‘does a Bournemouth’ or god forbid, ‘a Gretna’ with you?

So why do we bother? Is purely continuing to exist enough? Where does the magic come from? Or is it just an excuse to spend a Saturday with your mates to let off some steam?

Also what would we all do if the bubble burst? Imagine a financial collapse in football and United folded or had to start again from the bottom. What would we all do?!
Click to expand...

It’s the hope, that’s all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Idontlikewednesdays
It’s just what United do
3 4 5
Replies
143
Views
11K
Tom Bott
Tom Bott
Jimmy23
If we do get a points deduction…
2 3
Replies
89
Views
12K
Loco Blade
Loco Blade
BazWainwright
The right formation, with what we have ...
Replies
15
Views
843
Guiseley Blade
G
H
Where do we go from here?
2 3 4
Replies
92
Views
6K
Kev Gee
Kev Gee
Bartleby
Swansea Presser
Replies
24
Views
2K
Snowflake
S

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

All advertisments are hidden for logged in members, why not log in/register?

Back
Top Bottom