There are a lot of Manchester United fans based in London. Just as there are fans of teams within the Premier League up and down the country that live many miles away from their side’s home stadium. The Manchester United v Chelsea Champions League quarter final stirred up a lot of passion especially in the case of the north-south divide that so many commentators elude to when a northern team meets a southern team in the big match ups. One issue that was raised whilst this writer was watching Manchester United knock Chelsea out was local clubs and fans that support clubs miles away. My argument would be that the badge of the club is what you support, so no matter whether you live in Cardiff, Falmouth or Glasgow the team you follow doesn’t matter – so long as your support is genuine.
The fact of the matter is that football is a global game and people have become more and more mobile over the last twenty years. British people especially are moving around the world and they are taking their clubs with them. If a British person lives in Sydney and supports Arsenal that should be celebrated not frowned upon. Our game, especially the English Premier League is viewed by millions of people, Fifa President Sepp Blatter is on a mission to bring the World Cup to the dark corners of the globe – does it really matter if supporters have little or no allegiance to the city their team comes from? Maybe fifty years ago when clubs were packed with players from their areas but nowadays things have changed dramatically.
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As a Mancunian who has supported Liverpool for 40 years, and currently lives in Birmingham, I just have this to say. Jesus was alleged to have been born in a stable. Does that mean he must be a horse?
Having support from all over the World is what keeps alot of clubs afloat these days. If you want to rid clubs of non-local support then you must also rid them of non-local players, managers, staff and owners.
JFT96
Born and bred in Malta I was attracted to the premership. I support LFC cause I feel an affinity with the club, it is more than a football club to me. Maltese supporters of LFC almost all feel the same. We were moved by the Hillsborough Memorial and proud to support such a club. YNWA
LFC fan from Bratislava, Slovakia since 1981.
Well, my feeling is that judging from some “fans'” comments on the liverpoolfc.tv forums, you have to live in Liverpool and go to matches week in and week out, to be a “true supporter” ………….. my opinion is, no matter where you live (UK, USA, Asia, Africa) and you support the club, you’re a fan and it doesn’t make anyone better than the other !!!
I’ve been a fan and support since 1983 and live in South Africa and I’ve had the fortune to have seen LFC play live in both London (against Spurs) and Anfield
i m from malaysia and support LFC ever since i start following football. the reason is not bcuz of their history but more so bcuz of the present. although they hav failed to win the premier league, i always felt that they r the only team that is standing up against the manure. YNWA
In some foreign countries, you can find the more ardent fans. Another factor that contribute to being a fan is how the club is doing while one is growing up to love football. In my case, I’ve been a foreign fan of LFC for 35 years and I embraced L4 in the years 1975+, when the team was doing really well. Quite true to say that LFC is a big family. It felt like it when I made the trip from the US, solely to watch a game at Anfield. Stayed 4 days to discover the city and its people. I was warmly welcomed as an evident foreigner, particularly at Anfield and hotel where interations with fans was easy. I ask myself this: would I still support L’Pool the team if I felt unwelcomed and disappointed in L’Pool the city? Fortnately I didn’t have to wrestle with that. Next time, I will be back with wife and kids.
i am from the Bronx and have supported Liverpool since I was 19, (2005), the only football I could get at the time were US national team matches on ESPN and then, surprisingly, Champions League matches on ESPN…
so I watched not really supporting anyone but I became partial as I saw the way that Liverpool played with passion and the way they won their games was magical, (Luis Garcia’s goal against Juventus was amazing,) and it all culminated in Istanbul. My support was cemented when I researched the team’s history from 1892 to Shanks, Paisley, Fagan, etc.
This team has a story that reaches into my soul the kind of story that makes every Liverpool supporter FAMILY, so that when the team suffers we all suffer, same as when we win we share in the joy. I consider complete strangers from around the Globe to be family.
Those born and bred in Liverpool are lucky and I wish I could have been, but certain things we have no choice of, and certain things we do I will be a Liverpool supporter till the grave and my children will be too.
i am from the Bronx and have supported Liverpool since I was 19, (2005), the only football I could get at the time were US national team matches on ESPN and then, surprisingly, Champions League matches on ESPN…
so I watched not really supporting anyone but I became partial as I saw the way that Liverpool played with passion and the way they won their games was magical, (Luis Garcia’s goal against Juventus was amazing,) and it all culminated in Istanbul. My support was cemented when I researched the team’s history from 1892 to Shanks, Paisley, Fagan, etc.
This team has a story that reaches into my soul the kind of story that makes every Liverpool supporter FAMILY, so that when the team suffers we all suffer, same as when we win we share in the joy. I consider complete strangers from around the Globe to be family.
Those born and bred in Liverpool are lucky and I wish I could have been, but certain things we have no choice of, and certain things we do I will be a Liverpool supporter till the grave and my children will be too.
Some might feel that if you have never been to Anfield and sang “You will never walk alone”, you can not be a ‘true’ red. I beg to disagree, I have been a LFC fan since my childhood days,I am 27 now and I can testify that I am as good a fan as any found down the anfield road. I am from India, so probably will never be able to attend a match, but believe me, the dedication for LFC here among fans come very close to all the ‘true’ reds.
soy de argentina, y me sorprende que soy el único fan aquí, no conozco a nadie que sea dan del liverpool, es mas, recién comenzaron a conocer al liverpool cuando mascherano llego a anfield, pero soy un enamorado de este equipo, no solo me a enseñado sobre el buen fútbol, sino valores y ética, que tendré toda mi vida conmigo, gracias liverpool fc, eres mas que un club para mi
I was born in Vancouver and I live in Hong Kong now but I have been a Liverpool FC fan all my life. Some people here are die hard supporters and would do anything just to watch the team play. Some have never even been to England before but they are as loyal as any fan in Liverpool. I am very fortunate to have been to Liverpool before and visit Anfield but I have to say that location does not matter as long as you’re a genuine fan.