What is it with Premiership fans?

[Buzzer]

Got a taxi from the station to home today and had a lovely chat with the taxi driver (Liverpool fan) and mentioned that I was STH with my 2 boys.

So who do they support then? he says.

Umm...Brighton of course. I reply bemused (good word - think I'll try it later at Withers - I'm bemused by Kuipers being dropped and Virgo playing in goal as rush goalie)

No. He says. Their premiership team. They've gotta have a premiership team or they'll get laughed at, at school.

Like f*** do they. I retort. They're proud little Seagulls and the premiership doesn't even register with them except that it's plastic footie for plastic fans.

Rubbish. He says. Every boy MUST have a decent premiership side to support.

I was a bit miffed by this. In fact my miff was well and truly pissed off.

I'm sure the guy is a really nice bloke and passionate about his footie but Jeez....how condescending and so wrong can he be?

Sadly, they all appear to be like that, those premiership fans.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Was he an Arsenal fan? Most of the Brighton taxis I get in have Arsenal STH drivers.

 

[Dave the OAP]

he has a point

 

[Buzzer]

he has a point

No he doesn't. Tell you what Dave, come and sit in the Family Stand with me today and ask the kiddies around us who they support and what they think of premiership teams and the people who pretend to support them.

My 2 won't be there but Lordy's 9 year old and HKFC's 2 boys will give you the hardest Paddington stares ever seen.

 

[Barry Izbak]

A taxi driver talking absolute bollocks?

You're having us on

 

[vitusvivi]

i got taken the piss out of for supporting Celtic when i was younger so i don't know WHAT will happen to your boys!

 

[Gully]

Whenever someone comes over all Premiership shite with me, gobbing on that they support Manlivarseski I just ask them how long ago they moved here, the look they get back just conveys how little regard I have for plastics...mind you, I get some pretty strange looks round here when I tell people that I have almost no interest whatsoever in rugby, having grown up somewhere that the game is almost completely unknown.

 

[Del Boy]

Taxi drivers know EVERYTHING.

PS.- He has got a point.

 

[Buzzer]

Taxi drivers know EVERYTHING.

PS.- He has got a point.

Not denying they know everything. My brother is a taxi driver. But what point does he have?

 

[Gully]

...has he feck, there is a certain kudos that goes with supporting a team from further down the pyramid, you enjoy success rather than expecting it as some God given right...you get immediate respect from supporters of other teams at a similar level, rather than sneid comments usually levelled at supporters of Premiership teams, many of whom have been some of the most obnoxious people I have met.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

If I ever have kids, they will be able to support a Premiership team if they wish, but they will not have access to Sky. If they want a shirt of that particular team, then they can pay for it. I have no intention of sitting them in front of the TV at the weekend AND they will accompany me to Withdean. They will find it hard to support a team if they can't see them.

 

[adrian29uk]

My mate at work is 100% Seagulls through and through. Loves the Seagulls, got the shirt blah blah blah

A few months back his son came in to work wearing a Chelsea shirt. I said to him, "why the hell is he wearing a Chelsea shirt. Your putting money in this clubs pockets and secondly you hate them!!"

He told me, that he bought it because his kid likes Chelsea because they always win, and secondly all the other kids at his school have Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal shirts so you need to keep your kid happy.

Ok fair enough, but this is where the problem starts. You end with loads of kids supporting this rubbish shit. These kids will grow up supporting this rubbish, and will just become an armchair supporter, never going to a match in their life.

It's the same with Adults too. One day I said to my manager, it's good the Jose gone to Inter. My manager said to me, "I hate him". I said why?. He told me, "Because I support Man Utd.

"Man Utd I said. But your where born near Bristol. You should support Bristol"

He said to me "I don't support them because they are rubbish."

It does honestly get my grate. There are hundreds of thousands of people not supporting their local. Sit on their arse, and go around town in other clubs colours, It's a disgrace.

I'm proud to say that I support Brighton. It makes people realise there are real teams out there with real supporters.

 

[Arthur]

Not denying they know everything. My brother is a taxi driver. But what point does he have?

That your kids will get the piss ripped out of them at school for supporting Brighton.

I'm sure it happened to all of us, certainly did for me.

That said I'm pretty sure all the kids that did take the piss out of me haven't been to 200+ grounds all over the world and seen some of the best and worse football this planet has to offer so who is winner?

 

[Billy Mays]

Good to hear you're bringing your boys up the right way but I have a question.

Who is their NFL team? They MUST have one or they'll surely get laughed at at school. Probably need a college team too.

Oddly enough (and this could be the most pointless fact ever to head your way) most taxi drivers in Jacksonville are Bosnian.

 

[Buzzer]

That your kids will get the piss ripped out of them at school for supporting Brighton.

I'm sure it happened to all of us, certainly did for me.

That said I'm pretty sure all the kids that did take the piss out of me haven't been to 200+ grounds all over the world and seen some of the best and worse football this planet has to offer so who is winner?

But I've primed them with retorts. When did you last see your team play LIVE? Is your life that sad that you need to be seen to support a successful team? Get stuffed, you spacky placcy moron. Those sorts of things.

And you're right, of course. I would put my mortgage on the fact that the highs I got from Albion staying up in 1997 etc dwarf the high a Manure fan gets because they won the Premiership for the umpteenth time.

 

[Wozza]

Who is their NFL team? They MUST have one or they'll surely get laughed at at school. Probably need a college team too.

It's odds-on that the top division of English football will become a closed shop (no relegation/promotion), like the NFL, in the next decade.

The lower leagues will become more like college football - and if that encourages people to get behind their local team, that will be no bad thing.

(US college football is very entertaining, and gets good crowds right?)

 

[Questions]

But I've primed them with retorts. When did you last see your team play LIVE? Is your life that sad that you need to be seen to support a successful team? Get stuffed, you spacky placcy moron. Those sorts of things.

And you're right, of course. I would put my mortgage on the fact that the highs I got from Albion staying up in 1997 etc dwarf the high a Manure fan gets because they won the Premiership for the umpteenth time.

My 11 year old denounced the Albion the other day in the builders merchants. He had on his Barcelona shirt and the chap behind the counter asked him if that was the team he supported.
'No of course not' I butted in he supports the Albion.

'No I dont' I support Arsenal he told the man.

My oldest daughter is devout though.

So this week I bought him a Arsenal shirt and told him that he need not come to the Albion games if he isn`t keen.

Buzzer, can you imagine how I am feeling ?

My oldest daughter is devout though.

 

[Buzzer]

My 11 year old denounced the Albion the other day in the builders merchants. He had on his Barcelona shirt and the chap behind the counter asked him if that was the team he supported.
'No of course not' I butted in he supports the Albion.

'No I dont' I support Arsenal he told the man.

My oldest daughter is devout though.

So this week I bought him a Arsenal shirt and told him that he need not come to the Albion games if he isn`t keen.

Buzzer, can you imagine how I am feeling ?

My oldest daughter is devout though.

bad bad man. Very bad. What's wrong with good old-fashioned brainwashing?

 

[Wozza]

From Yahoo Answers...

The children of Manchester United legend David Beckham have been photographed wearing Chelsea shirts. See: Mail Online

Do your children support the same team as you? Have you influenced their choice - and, if so, in what ways?!

Do your kids support the same football team as you? - Yahoo! UK Ireland Answers

 

[Arthur]

But I've primed them with retorts. When did you last see your team play LIVE? Is your life that sad that you need to be seen to support a successful team? Get stuffed, you spacky placcy moron. Those sorts of things.

And you're right, of course. I would put my mortgage on the fact that the highs I got from Albion staying up in 1997 etc dwarf the high a Manure fan gets because they won the Premiership for the umpteenth time.

Of course I'm right and if your kids ever have any doubt about what it's like to follow a team properly just sit them down in front of the telly on a Sunday morning when that highlights program is on. I'll bet there is a last minute winner in front of a terrace with about 100 travelling fans on it and just tell them to watch them going f***ing garrity and explain that in that single moment there is a more passion shown from every single one of those hundred fans than any of their mates who will grow up learning the game based on Andy Gray's opinions.