Plastic Fans

If somebody cares as passionately as I do about the team they follow they I couldn't care less if they’ve been to see them or not.

My lad has finally given in and accepted he’s a Boro fan, and yet he could easily be a ‘plastic fan’ we live in Nottingham and he referees on a weekend so he probably only goes to 1 or 2 games a season but the joy he gets when we score as he’s listening to us or watching us on Sky is unrivalled.
 
Left_peg said:
The thing that I've never understood is when Man Utd and Liverpool fans say they support them because "my Dad supports them, he's from there". Was there a mass exodus from the NW cities in the 60s and 70s or something, or are they just talking ****?
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Probably just means he was from somewhere north of Birmingham, west of Lincoln.
 
GazBoro said:
I actually feel a little bit sorry for plastic fans. They'll never know the feeling of following an unfashionable club that represents the town/area you grew up in (or had close family ties to), and seeing that team win a trophy for the first time in its history. Plastics can celebrate "their" teams EPL or CL wins, but I refuse to believe the ecstasy of it all is anywhere near on par with what we did in 2004, simply because a crucial element is missing and is something they can't recreate - that is the bond between an area, the team that represents that area, and the people who have a natural emotional connection to that area that they're from. There's nothing forced or manufactured in the latter. It just is.

The only thing that irks me about plastics is their use of the words 'we' and 'our' when talking about the club they've attached themselves to.

In saying that, I also can't understand how anyone who has no affiliation to Teesside (for example) but who decides to support a club like Boro. It takes a special kind of person to do that - and I mean that in a good way!
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Being from NI and with no affiliation to Teesside, I'm ot sure whether to like or hate your post!
 
I was at a car dealership in Boston (uk)this salesperson had a badge with 'my obsession is football' so i asked him who he supported 'man u' was the reply 'oh right' was my reply -pillock!
 
Left_peg said:
The thing that I've never understood is when Man Utd and Liverpool fans say they support them because "my Dad supports them, he's from there". Was there a mass exodus from the NW cities in the 60s and 70s or something, or are they just talking ****?
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Well, certainly in the case of Liverpool, there was. Its population notoriously fell around 50% from an immediate pre-WW2 peak to the end end of the century with the decline of the docks although it has recovered a bit since.

I still suspect most of the people who pretend this is their excuse for supporting LFC are just talking **** though.
 
Didn't put my thoughts in the OP but - looks like I'm in a minority.

If someone says they are a fan - then they are.
Regardless of the team.
We have plenty of so called 'glory supporters' and so do others.

To me fans are no different because they live elsewhere, out of the country or not go to as many games (or even any)
 
1finny said:
Didn't put my thoughts in the OP but - looks like I'm in a minority.

If someone says they are a fan - then they are.
Regardless of the team.
We have plenty of so called 'glory supporters' and so do others.

To me fans are no different because they live elsewhere, out of the country or not go to as many games (or even any)
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I remember someone on here travelled all the way from Lincoln to watch Boro then stayed in the pub and didnt bother going. :unsure:
 
I cant for the life of me understand why grown men put on football tops to watch a team on tv especially if you have no connection to the area of team. Plastic Liverpool fans are definitely the worst
 
Paterson said:
I dislike the term 'plastic'. We are all just people who follow a team. I caught the bug under Big Jack, so I'm a glory supporter really. Boro aren't my nearest team though so does that make me a 'plastic' to fans of Norton and Stockton Ancients?

I'm also a football 'tourist' despite having a season card at the Boro. I like to ground hop but should I be looked down upon for rocking up at a La Liga game?
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Supporting Boro from whatever era, and sticking with them to me says you are a proper Boro fan.

Visiting other teams grounds means you are, imo, a proper football fan - not just a Boro fan. Nothing wrong with that at all.

The plastic fan, to me, is someone who starts to support a team they have absolutely no affiliation with whatsoever just because they are successful. It's not like some people who just randomly pick a team and follow them through thin and thinner ie Yousef.

My son has a couple of "friends" at school. One, was brought up a Man U fan from a Man U family (actually go to the games!!).......Friday left school a Man U fan, Monday came in a City fan....🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️. Another, dad was similar. Was a Man U fan ( use the term loosely) now a "big" City fan. Son is even worse, intolerable. Both kids have this absolutely ridiculously stupid competitive nature - and they simply cannot take losing......hence why they are a City tagalong. Which is funny hearing about them crying (yes, actually crying) when City get beat.

As soon as Man U turn the corner and Pep leaves, they will jump ship.

Just cannot take this type of fan seriously. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️
 
I can just about claim to be both. I started out with no real connection, as a NI schoolboy where you were pretty much obliged to pick a GB team, and perhaps even then pushing back against the excessively plastic choices in Lancashire and Lanarkshire, I picked Boro because of Jim Platt. Thanks to one of life’s glorious coincidences, we moved to Teesside when I was 10. Still not sure whether that original choice was driven by a guardian angel or a curse but it was obviously meant to be.
 
h_m_boro said:
Supporting Boro from whatever era, and sticking with them to me says you are a proper Boro fan.

Visiting other teams grounds means you are, imo, a proper football fan - not just a Boro fan. Nothing wrong with that at all.

The plastic fan, to me, is someone who starts to support a team they have absolutely no affiliation with whatsoever just because they are successful. It's not like some people who just randomly pick a team and follow them through thin and thinner ie Yousef.

My son has a couple of "friends" at school. One, was brought up a Man U fan from a Man U family (actually go to the games!!).......Friday left school a Man U fan, Monday came in a City fan....🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️. Another, dad was similar. Was a Man U fan ( use the term loosely) now a "big" City fan. Son is even worse, intolerable. Both kids have this absolutely ridiculously stupid competitive nature - and they simply cannot take losing......hence why they are a City tagalong. Which is funny hearing about them crying (yes, actually crying) when City get beat.

As soon as Man U turn the corner and Pep leaves, they will jump ship.

Just cannot take this type of fan seriously. 🤷🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️
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Plastic fan = glory supporter
 
GazBoro said:
In saying that, I also can't understand how anyone who has no affiliation to Teesside (for example) but who decides to support a club like Boro. It takes a special kind of person to do that - and I mean that in a good way!
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Me - although I did live in the area between 1992 and 2001.

I’m definitely not a glory hunter who just wanted to watch Juninho and Ravanelli. Honest.
 
Glover_elbow said:
I cant for the life of me understand why grown men put on football tops to watch a team on tv especially if you have no connection to the area of team. Plastic Liverpool fans are definitely the worst
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I can help your understanding
I worked abroad for over 3 years
Used to go and watch the footy on telly - it was full of people living in that country (some with shirts, some without) as passionate as anyone I've seen at the Riverside (but nor Ayresome)
They don't care about the area - they care about their football team.

A bit like Gibson really :ROFLMAO:
 
ThatFragranceGuy said:
it's another way of saying "I'm a better fan than you are". A bit like people who can't wait to bump threads or calling people bed wetters any time there is criticism
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Or indeed those with high priority points who think they're entitled to be at the top of the ticket queue for every away match because they're "superfans"
 
Jackieemu said:
How many times have you struck up a conversation at a wedding or bbq and you ask which team they support and the reply is Liverpool, Chelsea or Man United. I just switch off as it's boring and unimaginative. (met with oh I had a soft spot for boro when they had Juninho) Invariably they started supporting their (their' loosest sense of the word' team ) at school and followed the crowd. Strike up a conversation with a Barnsley, West Brom, Luton, Halifax fan for example and it provides much more conversation and common ground.
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Definitely. My respect for and interest in the person definitely goes up a notch.
 
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