# I nEed a Premiere League TEam to Support **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765 "2003-08-26T15:57:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pierre72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@pierre72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pierre72)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/21 "2003-08-28T10:07:00Z")
Well, if you won’t be swayed by the prospect of seeing Queens Park Rangers crawl up the 2nd division to just outside the play-off spots, then why not Liverpool? It’s famous. It’s where the Beatles come from. It’s a fantastic city. Football-wise, they’ve a great pedigree. Furthermore, they lose games they should win (and therein lies the true spirit of being a football supporter - until you know that particular heartbreak and frustration you cannot truly have achieved Zen as a footy fan). They’re disenamoured with their manager (so you can whinge about Houllier too), and (and this is perhaps most important), they’re not Man U or The Arse. Let us know who you choose. You sure you don’t want QPR? (I can promise the above-mentioned Zen a-plenty!) (Also - don’t fall into the trap of calling it “soccer”. It’s football. Footy. Never “Soccer”. Please.) ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/22 "2003-08-28T11:00:28Z")
As a Chelsea fan, and given your two favorite options, I urge you to support Manchester City. Really. They need you. pan ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/23 "2003-08-28T12:51:37Z")
Spurs fan here. You should pick a club you have some affiliation with eg; do you have english family? If so where are they from? - problem solved. Perhaps you may follow a religion: Jewish: Spurs (ironically the arse have as many jewish fans and Chelsea are now owned by a jew) Catholic: Celtic, liverpool or Man Utd CofE (or equivalent) Man City, Everton or you may have a particular idea about how the game should be played ie properly - spurs (or Man U even west ham but not boring boring arsenal or liverpool) but in all honesty foreign premiership “supporters” are pretty much the lowest of the low. It would only be truly credible to follow a proper “grim northern” team (think Barstoneworth United in Ripping Yarns). Port Vale is best for you I think. It has the advantage of no-one knowing where it is, and is properly grim. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/24 "2003-08-28T13:03:52Z")
You’ve got Everton and Liverpool backward there, ost - the former is the traditionally Catholic club. Liverpool’s support is said to be about evenly split now. Not that that is any reason to support a football club, of course. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/25 "2003-08-28T13:09:46Z")
Doesn’t Robbie Williams support Port Vale ? Not that that is any reason to not . . . . Very curious to be making decisions of this magnitude on a sensible, matter-of-fact basis . . . I understand you have little choice but it feels a little like an arranged marriage. Not that I know very much about _that_ malarkey . . . ---
**Author:** ![pierre72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@pierre72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pierre72)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/26 "2003-08-28T13:15:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by owlstretchingtime \* > \*\* or you may have a particular idea about how the game should be played ie properly \*\* C’mon… He’s already admitted he’s American…😉 ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/27 "2003-08-28T15:07:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ruadh \* > You’ve got Everton and Liverpool backward there, ost - the former is the traditionally Catholic club. Liverpool’s support is said to be about evenly split now. Not that that is any reason to support a football club, of course. Somebody mention my name? That’s a pretty decent summary in two lines – I won’t bore you all with the long version. Recommending a foreigner to support a lower division team is all very well, but the problem with supporting a little team long-distance is that there won’t be any media exposure where the OP lives and he’ll lose interest. Chelsea will certainly get plenty of media coverage, but not always of the kind to be proud of. **spogga** : we all know you guys are masochists, but sadists too? Perhaps a person could support Manchester City if they could stand being a Cubs fan, but otherwise not. Most people support the team they were taken to watch as a kid, or a team that impressed them in one particular game. I applaud the intention to avoid bandwagoning, but you’re going to want to support a team that has some chance of success sooner or later. A club with some romance or history behind it is a good choice too (I believe I’ve suggested Newcastle or Aston Villa in previous threads for those reasons, but only an archaeologist will remember the last time Villa were a good team to watch). Feel free to support my lads. Everton are a proper football club with deep roots and a reasonable chance of winning more silverware before hell freezes over. We’re not desperate for support (season tickets were oversubscribed this year), but you’ll be more than welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/28 "2003-08-28T15:09:48Z")
Hey! 🙂 Yes, I admit it’s a bit like trying to decide your favorite flavo(u)r of ice cream using the scientific method, but when you at 35 years old with no prior life experience to guide you, I guess you rely on your virtual freinds to help you out. Wolves, well I certainly admire them and would gladly support them if I thought they were staying up. I have nothing against lower division football, it’s just that I cannot really follow it too closely from afar. I want to be able to watch my team play at least once in a while. Although I have a decidedly English surname (Oliver), I have no clue as to where in England I might trace my ancestry back to. And the idea of using religon to select a team, well as American that just seems odd and silly. I am actually now leaning toward Spurs, after all they do have a yank goulkeeper and did just acquire another American (Convey). I may toss out Celsea from the mix, because, well the Celsea fans don’t seem to want me 😉 Don’t teams like Aston Villa, Southampton, Birmingham City, Middlesborough have supporters? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/29 "2003-08-28T15:17:40Z")
IMHO… _Premiership_ (placed as at 28 Aug 03) **Arsenal** – certain trophy winners but a bandwagon choice **Man Utd** – ditto but even more so **Portsmouth** – temporary stay in the top league is likely **Man City** – good choice if you have a high pain threshold **Chelsea** – glamorous but tainted **Black\*\*\*\*burn** – solid but unremarkable **Charlton** – friendly club, harmless **Everton** – the perfect choice naturally **Birmingham** – unloveable and permanently unsuccessful **Tottenham** – problem fans might put you off this one, heh heh **Southampton** – like Charlton but with stripey shirts **Fulham** – like going fishing with your grandad, uncertain future due to money problems **Leeds United** – underachievers, biggish club with bigger money problems **Leicester City** – mediocre **Liverpool** – pah **Newcastle** – safe choice perhaps, keen fans who don’t live on our planet **Aston** **Villa** – a mahogany cabinet of a club **Middlesbrough** – mysterious ability to sign ‘name’ players given their location, financial calamity ahead? **Bolton** – miraculous survivors, could this be their last season at the top? **Wolves** – certain casualties this season There are, of course, several candidates for promotion from _Division 1_ on the horizon, but it’s impossible to say for sure which if any have a long term future in the Premiership. West Ham, Coventry, Ipswich and Cardiff might have the resources. _Scottish Premier League_ – only two realistic choices: **Rangers** – certain trophy winners, but drink battery acid before choosing this team **Celtic** – also certain trophy winners, fans on seven continents but a bit of a bandwagon choice perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/30 "2003-08-28T15:40:38Z")
Gangster Octopus, you don’t want to support Middlesboro. If you did, you might actually find yourself _going to_ Middlesboro one day. _shudder_. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/31 "2003-08-28T15:44:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gangster Octopus \* > **I am actually now leaning toward Spurs, after all they do have a yank goulkeeper and did just acquire another American (Convey).** It’s just been reported on the DC United list that Convey’s work permit application was rejected. Shame, if it’s true. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/32 "2003-08-28T15:52:42Z")
here is another take (as unbaised as I can be) Arsenal – Currently sucessful - fanbase vanishes in a second once the sucess fades. IMHO have reached their peak and it’s all downhill from now. Have the most “prawn sandwich” fans of all clubs. Man Utd – Universally loathed. Most of their fans aren’t from Manchester and you would simply be reinforcing this stereotype. No shortage of face paint and prawn sandwich fans. Portsmouth – one season wonders - last season. Have the most “local” fans - true inbreds and very violent. Good for a punch up. Man City – The acceptable face of manchester. recent history reads like a sitcom. Have the most febrile manager in the league, who gets beaten up in laybays in unusual circumstances. Also have a 40 year old goalie. Good for a punch up. Chelsea – Scum of the earth. Nazi fans “spurs are on their way to belsen, hitler’s going to do it again”; arsehole chairman (he;s still there) etc. Fans are known as the woodworm as they vanish the moment things get difficult. A perfect excuse for punch up. My least favourite club. Blackburn – Did a chelsea, but are now UEFA cup fodder. Suitably “grim”. Charlton – friendly club, harmless. Arsenals natural enemy. Everton – OK club, getting better, good manager, loyal supporters. Birmingham – Have the most violent fans in the division (the zulus). Owned by a porn baron - so he’s used to putting out tits and c\*nts. Guarentee of a punch up. Tottenham – Proper club for proper people. Sucess starved fans, massive underachievement for decades. Could possibly be on the turn. Have a tradition of playing attractive football. First British team to win a european trophy. Fans have been known to have a ruck, at least that’s what I am told. Not me officer. Southampton – Friendly club (apart from a dislike of Portsmouth (and spurs). Happy to stay in the division. Fulham – Doomed. Doomed I tell you. Leeds United – More scum, managed and owned by idiots. Should be a big club, could well go out of existence, couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of blokes. Not popular anywhere other than Leeds. Punch ups are all they have to look forward too. Leicester City – Will be happy to stay in the division. yo-yo club. like a punch up. Liverpool – Should win loads - huge underachievers. idiot manager. Good long term propspects. Newcastle – Nice football, lovely manager, will win the odd thing. Aston Villa – won the European cup. That was a long time ago. Dead in the water Middlesbrough – A mini-chelsea kept afloat by a rich chairman. Rubbish. Smogmonsters. Bolton – Clinging on. Just. time is running out. Team full of foreigners. Wolves – thanks for dropping by. See you in another 20 years. So there you go. ---
**Author:** ![pierre72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@pierre72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pierre72)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/33 "2003-08-28T16:00:51Z")
I know the problems inherent in a “foreigner” supporting a lower division team. Just seems a shame to lose a potential convert to the Dark Side. Anyway - just popped in to say well done **everton** on your summation. Can’t argue with that - loving the Villa tag - but am I sensing a little parochialism in your Liverpool / Everton bias?? Shurely shome mishtake… Still. it looks VERY pretty! **Gangster Octopus** - if it’s a whim, just pick a shirt you like the colour / design of. One you won’t look daft in. Simple. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/34 "2003-08-28T16:19:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pierre72 \* > Anyway - just popped in to say well done **everton** on your summation. Can’t argue with that - loving the Villa tag - but am I sensing a little parochialism in your Liverpool / Everton bias?? > > Shurely shome mishtake… > > Still. it looks VERY pretty! Thanks for that. Probably not worth the effort, but I was waiting for a phone call and couldn’t leave the desk. If you had the Monday mornings I did at school in the '70s you’d be forced to agree I’m entitled to be far more bitter than I am. All the same, some of my oldest friends are Koppites (really), but that might be forgotten for a few days after Saturday ;). > [@](#): > > **Gangster Octopus** - if it’s a whim, just pick a shirt you like the colour / design of. One you won’t look daft in. That was also in my mind, hence the coding above. ---
**Author:** ![eutactic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/22d042/32.png) [@eutactic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eutactic)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/35 "2003-08-28T16:48:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Man Utd – . Most of their fans aren’t from Manchester and you would simply be reinforcing this stereotype. It strikes me that this is true of pretty much any successful club. Man Utd are the most popular club in the world, so it would stand to reason that, unless Manchester is much, much bigger than I think it is, they have more fans from elsewhere. This is probably also true of Real Madrid, Juventus, both Milans, and probably quite a few more. Which makes it a pretty weak criticism of a team. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/36 "2003-08-28T16:58:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eutactic \* > \*\*It strikes me that this is true of pretty much any successful club. Man Utd are the most popular club in the world, so it would stand to reason that, unless Manchester is much, much bigger than I think it is, they have more fans from elsewhere. > > This is probably also true of Real Madrid, Juventus, both Milans, and probably quite a few more. Which makes it a pretty weak criticism of a team. \*\* It’s a criticism of the arseholes who lay claim to a team that they have no connection with. It is just about excusable for some bloke in Thailand who doesn’t have a chioce (or indeed, closer to home, somewhere like Ireland.) However there is simply no excuse for people with access to another club supporting Man Utd etc. They deserve all the opprobium that they get. Owl Born: Enfield First Match: 1967 with spurs supporting father and Grandfather Season ticket since 1968. see; that’s how it’s done. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/37 "2003-08-28T17:30:31Z")
Just want to point out that Liverpool are very much a bandwagon team too; loads of supporters in Ireland, the Far East and places like Cornwall and Devon that don’t have any Premiership teams or even hopefuls. They tend to be overlooked in the bandwagon stakes these days because they’re too shite to be converting any new fans, but they’ve still got a HUGE gloryhunter fan base and don’t let any of their supporters tell you otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/38 "2003-08-28T18:27:26Z")
I think the most interesting ride will be with Newcastle United. They will beat some of the big teams, lose against some of the lesser teams, let in a hoard og goals and score loads. They will be a roller coaster I think, but will be largely succesful. This could well be true of Man City. Tottenham will like expensive instant coffee, promise much, smell good but will ultimately never deliver on the promise that it’s as good as the real thing. Southampton would be a good side to support, no-one can accuse you of being a bandwaggoner, and they will have their moments. If you are a pessimist then Wolves might be for you. Everyone hates Leeds(other sides are just as guilty of stuff in their dodgy pasts), dunno why, so you could pick them out to be differant, it’d be a waste of time though, this from a Leeds fan. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/39 "2003-08-28T19:21:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by owlstretchingtime \* > \*\*Owl > > Born: Enfield > First Match: 1967 with spurs supporting father and Grandfather > Season ticket since 1968. > > see; that’s how it’s done. \*\* And yet in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=130243) you said… > [@](#): > > I live in London (That’s London, England) which has many cool things burt I’m from Winchester (Old Hampshire, Old England) which: > > Was the capital of England prior to London > _\_ > Is where football was invented. And [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=128799) > [@](#): > > I live in London now but my home town is Winchester (that’s Winchester in Old Hampshire in Old England) Funny old thing, the truth, isn’t it? Quite elastic in fact. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765/40 "2003-08-28T21:56:50Z")
**everton** - Just to cite my own childhood experience: I was born in town A, moved to town B when a baby, moved back to town A as an early teen and moved to London around 21-ish Would seem to me you can be born in one place, and grow up/be “from” another, but I have no idea what’s **Owl’s** actual circumstances were - didn’t he say he was from a military family at one point . . . ? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-premiere-league-team-to-support/197765.md?page=3)