How many years have you liked a football team? Do you want to tell a story about it?

Posted by Over-Teacher-1330@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 18 comments

I know the football culture in England is great, and I would like to know your stories about football.Perhaps it was just a game where my favorite team won and got drunk. I hope to hear your stories about football.

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SparkyWarbler@reddit

My family have supported Manchester United for years, and for locals it's always been Rushden & Diamonds. I'm not that big on football these days, lost interest pretty early on. But there were plenty of great days out with my dad, brother, aunt and uncle going to see Manchester United when we visited them and R&Ds with my friends.

Rushden & Diamonds used to be an affordable afternoon crack with your mates. Sit down, cheap as chips burger, maybe a pint or two in the sun and watching Football.

These days I'm more into Ice Hockey, and I live in Milton Keynes with my partner.

Let's Go Lightning, Let's Go! ⚡️

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Rico1983@reddit

In 2003 Swansea City needed to win their last game of the season to stay in the football league. I was a student at the time, working in retail, and I couldn't get the day off to go to the game. There was no way in hell I was missing it so I put a plan I to action.

On the day before, I started putting in the groundwork. "Ooooh I don't feel very well, you know" and the like. Laying it on thick. Obviously then I pulled a sickie on the Saturday and went to the game. Swans won, I got monumentally drunk, a good time had by all.

On Wednesday when I was in next, the floor manager came into the staff room and asked me how I was feeling. I told her I was feeling much better, thank you, and that it must have just been a bug. She pushed a copy of Monday's local paper across the table to me, which had a photograph of one of the terraces at the ground and the fans in various states of jubilation. Front and centre, standing on one of the barriers giving it the big one was yours truly, clearly identifiable.

"Don't be so fucking stupid next time" she said. We never spoke of it again.

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Justan0therthrow4way@reddit

Hahaha this is brilliant.

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Rico1983@reddit

Thank you!

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Over-Teacher-1330@reddit (OP)

Haha, 😂 funny.

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GlennTheBaker69@reddit

My Dad came to England from Ireland in the 1960s and settled in a town half way between Derby and Nottingham. He met my Mum who was a Derby County fan so he started going to watch Derby. When I was really young he took me to my first game at The Baseball Ground.

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BertBlenkinsop@reddit

I don't like a football team, I am invested into a team, 60 years of watching 3rd, 2nd, 1st division, then Premier division. Watched us win the league and league cup, european cup, Watched us lose cup finals, relegation, promotion, Watched us snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, rarely than the other way round, the frustration, pleasure, disappointment is like a drug, so no I don't like a football team, I support a football team. Bill Shankly once said " Some people think football is a matter of life and death...I can assure you it is much more important than that.

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borokish@reddit

Started going to watch The Boro in 1987. Pretty much hooked from then.

Still get a buzz from going to the games, even now I'm 50.

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Over-Teacher-1330@reddit (OP)

You're so cool, 😊.

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Vegetable_Trifle_848@reddit

I was born in 2008 and started watching Newcastle when I was 4

So 14 years I’ve supported my club

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Over-Teacher-1330@reddit (OP)

You're amazing.

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tommycamino@reddit

Not a one-off story but a long-term one. I started supporting Nottingham Forest - based 3 hours away- when I was 11. They are my family's team but I just wasn't interested in football until I was about to start at an all boys' school, so I had to start liking football.

My first ever match basically confirmed our relegation to the 3rd division, a historic low for a former giant. My dad used to take me to see these games against small clubs. Over the years we finally clawed our way back up to the 2nd division, where we remained, floundering, for 15 or so years.

Then in 2022, we got promoted in an amazing season. Last year we made the Europa League, after another incredible run.

20 years after such miserable beginnings, I've been following my club around Europe! Like a childhood dream come true really.