Half and half?
Can you support multiple clubs?
A major reason I don’t watch much top flight English football is the unnecessary hyperbole around televised matches. If you aren’t excited by the FA Cup final or World cup knock out stages then you don’t really like the sport. Who actually watches the two hours of nonsense spouted before Sunday Premier league games, clearly originally designed to fill the space that the scant offerings elsewhere on SKY couldn’t match? (Greyhound racing and low level Boxing being pretty much all that was on offer in 1992).
Added to this hoo hah of advertising, ‘expert’ punditry and constant speculation is the cold hand of the betting industry that appears to have taken hold of my generation and those who have only known English Football in it’s corporate nadir. If you can’t watch a game, involving your team or another without gambling then again in my opinion you are not a real football supporter.
A regular feature of TV coverage or the match day experience itself is the football tourist and half and half scarf. Here I confess to an element of guilt. Despite having supported Everton for 42 of my 47 years, attended 100+ games home and away, and genuinely loving the club I’m always conscious that it’s not as authentic a passion as it is from those born in Liverpool itself.
Similarly I love a football holiday and have attended over 100 games on the continent and elsewhere. On an early backpacking trip in Germany I went to see Bayern Munich at their old Olympia stadium. As well as the thrill of seeing grown men in skirts made of scarfs and sporting elaborate mullets we noticed scarfs for sale with two teams on them. I bought and still have a Bayern/Bochum one and noticed it had the word ‘freundshaft’ or friendship on it. This notion is quite separate to the matchday souvenir ones on sale outside PL grounds. It refers to genuine bonds between the teams and is replicated by Schalke and Nuremburg, Dortmund and Koln as well as many others. They organise coordinated fan displays and chants and extend beyond the stadium with pre match meet ups and life long friendships often being established.
This ‘twinning’ is quite distinct to Germany and to a certain extent between Italian Ultra groups and is a pretty alien concept to the UK.
Which begs the question, is it ever acceptable to support or follow multiple teams?
For Non league fans like myself most of us have a local side we watch regularly and a bigger football League or Premier League team we support as well. This is partly in my case from my initial childhood interest in football, and a desire not to be mocked at school for saying I liked Welling United. Although fellow Evertonian’s were also pretty thin on the ground in 1990’s Eltham.
My families links to Scotland also gave me an interest in their football. My grandad’s disgust or euphoria at East Fife’s result on Grandstand’s videprinter, despite leaving the country before WW2 means I have always looked for their results as well as those of Raith Rovers for whom he also had a fondness.
As I have written elsewhere my childhood trips to France have spawned a life long interest in En Avant Guingamp, which in these days of the internet means I can watch highlights of their games and catch the occasional match in person if I’m in Brittany. Other teams I follow like Torpedo Moscow (again see my articles on Russia) came from my experiences in the Russian capital back in the early noughties.
Sometimes it’s a fairly random thing. For all my travels in Germany I haven’t really come across a team that I especially favour. By nature a contrarian and not feeling at home surrounded by corporate excess I can’t really warm to the likes of Bayern or Dortmund, despite the incredible atmosphere, but visits to the likes of Augsburg, Unterhaching and Viktoria Berlin although being very enjoyable, didn’t leave me with any sense that I would look out for their results in future.
Likewise in Spain, I vaguely favour Espanyol, as they were the first team I saw there and numerous visits to Valencia mean I’m sympathetic to them and Levante, without being too bothered overall. Rayo Vallecano have the sort of stadium and left wing values that appeal to me but my three visits there haven’t drawn me to their ranks.
In contrast a freezing night in Vienna watching First Vienna lose 4-0 at home to Admira Wacker on their way to relegation to the 3rd division, has led to an affinity with them that sees me check for their results every week. Possibly this was due to their astonishing Hohe Warte stadium and Isle of man esque badge but other than that I can’t really explain it. Another lengthy fascination has been with FC Petrzalka of Slovakia. I spent an enjoyable morning watching them beat Inter Bratislava many years ago and I have followed their up and down progress ever since.
One of the great things about visiting Europe, is comparing the similarities and differences between the UK and wherever you are.
When walking around or sightseeing I often think, where would I live? Would I get that tram to work? ,and in terms of football, could I see myself going to that stadium every other week?
Realistically though I’m not sure looking for teams results from afar qualifies as support.
If East Fife or Guingamp lose it doesn’t affect my day or weekend. I can’t really imagine living in Singapore and being obsessed with Manchester United, whilst ignoring my own local clubs. Likewise following several foreign teams doesn’t equate to changing your overall allegiance. This jumping between clubs, depending on success seems a soulless type of existence and surely can’t replicate the true emotions of life long dedication to one club.
So is the maximum number of teams you can really be passionate about one, two or three?
Can you favour multiple national teams because of family heritage?
Are half and half scarves ever acceptable?
Let me know in the comments.