Plastic Fans

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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This is an extreme example but it highlights how being a glory supporter reveals a serious character defect. These people are not serious human beings and I don't really trust them to be honest.
 
Boro are my big team to follow. I've had season tickets on and off since the late 60's but now find that I'd rather watch my local team in Teesside.

I'm a plastic Boro fan now, but I couldn't give a toss. I'll enjoy Boro wins as much as any of you but I prefer the experience of watching my local side.
 
love the hypocrisy. we lauded our Banik fan years back, not as a plastic, but a decent fella who has had the good sense to follow the Boro. So are people who like the Boro but from overseas or elsewhere plastic in your opinions?
Concentrate on supporting your team regardless and hope that other people do too. The more fan a team gets will bring in more money for them to spend on the squad, which is surely what we all want.
How old are you all? Calling somebody plastic for following a team not from their area is about as childish as you can get.
I'd have sent my kids to bed early without any pudding if they were infantile enough to say that sort of rubbish. Grow up ya pack of kids
 
I'm not having it that someone in the UK who follows a football team but has never been to a match can be considered anything other than a plastic fan.

If you support a team and get to the odd game you're not a plastic fan.

The rule is that you should support your home team or the team your dad/mam supports. If you live outside this rule, or you have never gone to a game, then you risk being frowned upon by the gatekeeper of football supporting, (me) and I will not engage in banter with you.
 
bungydinsdale said:
love the hypocrisy. we lauded our Banik fan years back, not as a plastic, but a decent fella who has had the good sense to follow the Boro. So are people who like the Boro but from overseas or elsewhere plastic in your opinions?
Concentrate on supporting your team regardless and hope that other people do too. The more fan a team gets will bring in more money for them to spend on the squad, which is surely what we all want.
How old are you all? Calling somebody plastic for following a team not from their area is about as childish as you can get.
I'd have sent my kids to bed early without any pudding if they were infantile enough to say that sort of rubbish. Grow up ya pack of kids
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Growing up is not supporting the most successful just so you feel better than everyone else. Glory supporters are the epitome of childishness
 
bungydinsdale said:
love the hypocrisy. we lauded our Banik fan years back, not as a plastic, but a decent fella who has had the good sense to follow the Boro. So are people who like the Boro but from overseas or elsewhere plastic in your opinions?
Concentrate on supporting your team regardless and hope that other people do too. The more fan a team gets will bring in more money for them to spend on the squad, which is surely what we all want.
How old are you all? Calling somebody plastic for following a team not from their area is about as childish as you can get.
I'd have sent my kids to bed early without any pudding if they were infantile enough to say that sort of rubbish. Grow up ya pack of kids
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The Banik fan is a Banik fan. If you already have a football team you go to the games for but then add another one because you love football you are platinum not plastic.

I've put the rules above, I think they are fair enough.
 
GazBoro said:
I 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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I've been told I'm special many times before - I'll add this one to the list ;)
 
Corcaigh_the_Cat said:
Boro are my big team to follow. I've had season tickets on and off since the late 60's but now find that I'd rather watch my local team in Teesside.

I'm a plastic Boro fan now, but I couldn't give a toss. I'll enjoy Boro wins as much as any of you but I prefer the experience of watching my local side.
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I get that, on one hand I want Boro to be successful but on another I can't be bothered with all the glitz and showbiz that goes with being in the premiership, I enjoyed going to Saltash and Tavistock when Boro played down here and really liked the homely atmospheres and the mixing of fans in a friendly way, you just don't get that further up the leagues.
 
Glover_elbow said:
Growing up is not supporting the most successful just so you feel better than everyone else. Glory supporters are the epitome of childishness
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Yup.

Want to support a team you don't have a link to? No problem, but why pick a side that's winning trophies every year? Smacks of insecurity to me.

Who was it that made a comment about all these people who support Liverpool because they have a distant relative from there or something...."strange how they never support tranmere isn't it?"
 
I have tried supporting my local non league teams in London. It just didn't take. My local local team has thatcher as honorary ex vice president so that was a no. My next local is harringey borough. They are a cracking team. If you get a season ticket it's free to watch them. Proper community club. All the fans chanting "cam on barra" was just too weird for me so it was another no.
 
Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret said:
I have tried supporting my local non league teams in London. It just didn't take. My local local team has thatcher as honorary ex vice president so that was a no. My next local is harringey borough. They are a cracking team. If you get a season ticket it's free to watch them. Proper community club. All the fans chanting "cam on barra" was just too weird for me so it was another no.
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Off to see these in a couple of weeks - community club.
Neither a plastic, nor a fan just curious for something to do and was told its good fun

www.claptoncfc.co.uk

Clapton Community Football Club

Clapton Community Football Club is a members-owned non-league football club in East London founded in 2018. Clapton CFC owns the Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate.
www.claptoncfc.co.uk www.claptoncfc.co.uk
 
1finny said:
Off to see these in a couple of weeks - community club.
Neither a plastic, nor a fan just curious for something to do and was told its good fun

www.claptoncfc.co.uk

Clapton Community Football Club

Clapton Community Football Club is a members-owned non-league football club in East London founded in 2018. Clapton CFC owns the Old Spotted Dog Ground in Forest Gate.
www.claptoncfc.co.uk www.claptoncfc.co.uk
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They're in a play off spot

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www.nonleaguematters.co.uk
 
I've read recent criticism of SG for not doing more to grow the brand overseas during our peak years.
Surely we can't claim we should try and attract overseas fans, then criticize overseas fans when they choose to follow an English club, be it ours or someone else? If there is a mindset that despises plastic fans AND thinks we should try to attract them, I don't understand that.
I don't blame overseas fans; football is being marketed to them.

This said, I believe the highs of football are best enjoyed as a contrast to the lows. I don't believe those fleeting moments of glory shine as brightly without the morass of despair and disappointment that is a football fan's lot. I don't believe that failing to win the league for a Man U fan is the same as being relegated is for us. That's my take on it, but it's one man's opinion, and I don't inherently believe my views are superior to those of a glory fan who sees it differently. But, to me, football is as much about shared suffering as it is shared glory.

I also hate the fact that most of the world's quality is now condensed into 4 or 5 commercial leagues. I'd much prefer a more even spread of quality across Europe and the globe, with international football restored as the pinnacle of the game. I do keep an eye on overseas football, but I'm more interested in new leagues (Australia, USA, far East) than the commercial leagues, or even lower leagues in Europe. There's the odd club I keep an eye on, but I wouldn't claim to be a fan. I'd prefer it if many overseas fans directed their passion toward their national leagues rather than the EPL.
 
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Not something I can really get my head around, especially plastic fans from this country, even though there are clearly some fans that started out plastic but have put in a fortune travelling supporting that team.

We've got plenty of fans who only started following us because of the 90's spending, and they're clearly not in it for the glory anymore, I just find it a bit harder to appreciate the connection when it's tenuous.

I get football tourism though.
Plenty of teams where I'd enjoy going to watch a match, but I'm definitely not a fan of that team.
If I was in Barcelona, I'd like to watch a Barcelona match.
Makes total sense to me that Asian tourists would want to go see some of the biggest and best clubs in the world as an experience.
 
Strange critters the Englishman who follows football.

Plastics is a newish name isn't it.

Name calling, its has been like that since I was a kid, part timer or bandwagoner was the name for those that went when we were doing well or on a good cup run. I think it cant be helped anyroad, as more people live away from the area these days but they don't lose their love of the place.
For the locals , everyone has a budget, and there are plenty of other things to do.
But even so, if they support their club from afar no matter what division or clip they are in, that's good imho .
The diehards at any club are the life blood. I think we have a great solid core now, there's lots of young'uns at games (Im very impressed by how many go these day).
I feel when I hear the gate announced - the average gate is a lot better now ( considering its been pretty mediocre times) .
I'm sure somebody will have the figures ? I've been in some awful crowds that lasted for fairly long time in the 60`s 70`s 80`s and early 90`s
We were always classed or said to be as a sleeping giant:) its only now and again we have truly woken up.

It was first words of every fan of any club , they hated being out of the cup early and middle of the league, the play offs have brought a new life to the game.
 
most were Leeds fans in my class at School in the 70's poss due to them being the best team at the time - they woulndt know where Elland Rd is -
i was 1 of 3 lads who supported Boro and still do !
 
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