Azzurri Per Sempre
Youth Team
My nan was born in West Ham and my dad was born in Islington, so would be a choice between West Ham or Arsenal for me. Probably the latter for the glory...
No Southend United? Then i would have no interest in Football + probably follow Bangladesh playing Kabaddi instead
For me - it would be West Ham. The hatred of West Ham has always puzzled me down the years, I mean Col Ewe, Orient and now Dagenham are surely more of a rival to us?!?!
I grew up in East London for my very younger years, moved to Southend in 1990. Watched West Ham and Dagenham a couple of games a season with my family when I was younger but my first visit to Roots Hall stole my heart for some crazy reason - in hindsight, I wouldn't have it any other way. You get so much more pleasure from a club of Southend's size and by supporting your local team. Met some great people following the Blues (and many wally's too).
As much as some wouldn't like to hear it, I still like to see West Ham do well, at least they are not a club ruined by the latest Russian or Sheikh billionaire, in fact I am going tomorrow (freebie) as many mates, 'football friends' and work colleagues are all West Ham STH.
To answer the original question, Essex CCC.
Nonsense! You'd still be drawn to a football club in this (unthinkable) Universe where SUFC doesn't exist.
Not sure if I would.
Club football outside of Southend United barely registers on my radar these days.
I expect it would be like rugby where not having a local team to follow I don't have a club I support and I just watch England games.
That is because your full interest is held with SUFC. If they had never existed you would have been drawn to a club because you love football and the thought of SUFC would never have been in your head.
Either Fulham or West Ham... family have long connections with both and I grew up watching all three
My old man was from Walthamstow and tried to make me a Spurs fan, In the 70's we used to watch Southend friday nights and Spurs on Saturdays, those were the days when it was cheap to go watch football...
Chelsea for me - Its the first divsion team I supported as a kid (you had to pick one didnt you)- in fact the first Southend match I saw was them play Chelsea at the Hall in the early 70's (anyone know when that game was?) - But I went in as a Chelsea fan and came out as a Southend fan (to this very day...)
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Sept 1972 League Cup 2nd round. We lost 0-1, but should have won by several goals. Shehannigans were going on after the game up Victoria Avenue and in the High Street for a good hour. Over 22,000 in attendance.
I didn't know a single Col Ewe* or Orient fan growing up, whereas there were more W*** H** fans than Southend fans at school. Only ever seen Col Ewe or Orient shirts in Southend High Street when Southend were playing them. Never been bored to tears by an Orient or Col Ewe fan going on about "the academy of football", how they knew the Krays or what a gent Bobby Moore was.
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Chelsea for me - Its the first divsion team I supported as a kid (you had to pick one didnt you)- in fact the first Southend match I saw was them play Chelsea at the Hall in the early 70's (anyone know when that game was?) - But I went in as a Chelsea fan and came out as a Southend fan (to this very day...)
Sept 1972 League Cup 2nd round. We lost 0-1, but should have won by several goals. Shehannigans were going on after the game up Victoria Avenue and in the High Street for a good hour. Over 22,000 in attendance.