Who are the real fans?

[Robbo]

Is there an inherent snobbery in being a fan?

How many games do you have to go to? Are you a true fan if you only go to home games? What about friendlies and cup games?

It just seems that some posters on here have a bit of a superiority complex and want to have a go about the new fans.

What do you think?

For the record this season: Wet Sham, Vitesse Arnhem, Watford, D&R, Gillingham, Doncaster.

 

[SUFCEssex]

i think this mentatity has always seemed to exist with Southend fans.

The 'i've done more games than you' brigade. i tend to ignore doesnt' matter to me.

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

It just seems that some posters on here have a bit of a superiority complex and want to have a go about the new fans.

It is a topic that is as old as the hills - and one which, at the risk of sounding a curmudgeonly old fart, assumes even greater importance if you're under-16... where one's loyalty can only be measured by the length of time you've stood in the West stand X-block, sung "loyal supporters" and dished out abuse to the visiting fans.

For me, if you're on this site, talking about the Shrimpers and thinking about SUFC with a song in your heart (because we won at the weekend), then that's good enough for me.

:D

 

[SUFC_Al]

Everyone has their own say and as I said in the 'family days' thread I don't have any right to judge whether someone is a real fan or not.

Some people can't afford to go as often as they like, others may have work commitments or those annoying family occasions, which for the annoyance of it always seem to be on a Saturday.

Some people don't like travelling 500 miles in a day, there's so many factors but for me it boils down to how much the club means to an individual rather than how many games they go to.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

No snobbery from me.

Anyone can be a true fan or become a true fan even if it's their 1st game or 1000th game.

On Saturday there were junior football clubs present from all over Essex including some from Tiptree & Harlow areas. Now I don't suppose any of those were Southend fans, but they might have enjoyed the match & ask their parents to take them to another match.

 

[shrimper dan]

its not down to how many games you go to its down to you following your club through thick and thin. its not saying your a fan then not seeing the club ever again because we get relegated. if your a real fan you would support the club whether its in the championship or the conference.

 

[Shrimper James]

Supporting a club doesn't come from the wallet, it comes from the heart.

 

[Groyne Strain]

If you're a Real fan you're generally Spanish.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

its not down to how many games you go to its down to you following your club through thick and thin. its not saying your a fan then not seeing the club ever again because we get relegated. if your a real fan you would support the club whether its in the championship or the conference.

It's not always that simple. I went to every home match for over 15 years I went to every home & away game for over 7 years in a row (would have been 10 years but missed a game due to bad luck).

Now circumstances change & I stopped going to virtually all home & away games for a 4 year period during the late 1990's when it has to be said successive relegations played a big part in me not going. So people will stop going if their club is relegated, it just works that way.

 

[SUFCEssex]

It's not always that simple. I went to every home match for over 15 years I went to every home & away game for over 7 years in a row (would have been 10 years but missed a game due to bad luck).

Now circumstances change & I stopped going to virtually all home & away games for a 4 year period during the late 1990's when it has to be said successive relegations played a big part in me not going. So people will stop going if their club is relegated, it just works that way.

but that doesn't make you any less of a fan than anyone else. i bet you still looked for the score etc etc.

Once a Southend fan, always a Southend fan.

 

[shrimper dan]

but that doesn't make you any less of a fan than anyone else. i bet you still looked for the score etc etc.

Once a Southend fan, always a Southend fan.

yea but i look at other results and watch the champions league on tv but it dont mean i support man u or chelsea

 

[SUFCEssex]

yea but i look at other results and watch the champions league on tv but it dont mean i support man u or chelsea

but if you read what was posted home and away for 7 years running not an easy task.

I went to all 4 Anglo Italian away games but if they happened this year due to family i'd give them a miss, doesn't make me any less of a fan than i was then.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

but that doesn't make you any less of a fan than anyone else. i bet you still looked for the score etc etc.

Once a Southend fan, always a Southend fan.

yea but i look at other results and watch the champions league on tv but it dont mean i support man u or chelsea

It comes to us all (apart from Phil Cox:hilarious: ) that we go through a period of not being able to get to matches.

Here is the full reason I stopped going - 2 relegations, worst football I had seen us play (apart from Hull away last season!), marriage, lack of money, children x 2, deaths in the family, illness, new job.

I have been a fan for 25 years have seen approx 850 games, which as an average over the 25 years is 34 games a season. There may be a time when I stop going again, but I will always be a Southend fan.

 

[Desert Shrimper]

If you're a Real fan you're generally Spanish.

On that note you may have noticed a previous post about the Latvian fans who set fire to themselves, then get catapulted into the away section as "human fireballs" when it all goes off.

Now that's a commitment that perhaps only Ginger Lee in the 1980's would have been prepared to match? :confused:

 

[shrimper_sam]

I think the useral suspects like myself and anyone like me who goes to as many games as possible even though there skint!, Trueblue (Well all you have to do is watch TBTV and your see why. Scott are you doing a sepcial TBTV tomorrow as its your B-Day???), Aberdeen shrimper and any other shrimpers who come from far distance and get down to see the Blues as often as possible.

Basically, anyone who can truly say if we was bottom of league 2( i pray it wont happens) will continue to show the support for the club we all love!

 

[Dept36]

havnt been to a southend game in over 4 years but still class myself as a fan,why? well because i care.

 

[TrueBlue]

a big 'CS NO SURRENDER' goes out to you there sam!!! yes maybe TBTV b-day special if your good!

 

[Shrimper James]

a big 'CS NO SURRENDER' goes out to you there sam!!! yes maybe TBTV b-day special if your good!

I wouldn't trust a man who drinks gin and tonic...

:o

 

[Prodigal Son]

It comes to us all (apart from Phil Cox:hilarious: ) that we go through a period of not being able to get to matches.

Here is the full reason I stopped going - 2 relegations, worst football I had seen us play (apart from Hull away last season!), marriage, lack of money, children x 2, deaths in the family, illness, new job.

I have been a fan for 25 years have seen approx 850 games, which as an average over the 25 years is 34 games a season. There may be a time when I stop going again, but I will always be a Southend fan.

Almost identical to what happened to me, when someone dies who is close to you and sat next to you at matches, can make it hard to keep going.Alvin made it an easy decision. Also, hard to go to games when wifey is having a tough time with a baby.

For me it is all about being a 100% Shrimper, no second or third teams,etc.I don't even watch England matches.

Attending matches is only part of it, the real fans debate will rumble on forever, MtS has probably summed it up best so far.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

It's not always that simple. I went to every home match for over 15 years I went to every home & away game for over 7 years in a row (would have been 10 years but missed a game due to bad luck).QUOTE]


Thats a good effort ... i managed 5 years 11 months (312 games) before i missed one ... ironically it was Charlton at Crapton Park, possibly the easiest away game of all to get to at that time... but as you grow up (ever so slight dig at shrimper dan there :p ) your life priorities change

When i was on my run nothing would stop me going, i even missed my sisters wedding cos we were playing Plymouth at home :o ... looking back now it was all quite sad and pathetic really. I'm currently on my worst run of not going away for something like 8 years as i've missed all 3, i'm not going tomorrow and its pretty unlikely i'll be at Vale or Brizzle either.. it hurts like hell but when you have to pay the mortgage and bills etc... you have to draw the line somewhere, and spending something like £80 > £100 on a day trip to the glorious potteries doesn't really add up. None of this makes me any less of a fan though, and i shall be glued to the radio tomorrow night praying for another victory