It’s FA Cup Third Round weekend and, ahead of the mighty Town taking on Palace next door (I’m the only Town fan excited by this draw) I think the true definition of supporting a shit football team has been found, in today’s Guardian. None of this “living in hope”, “I go for the socialising” or “it’s all just a bit of a laugh”.
“Dave Rimmer, 27, a Notts County fan, said: ‘There are several different grades of terrible. If it’s been truly terrible I don’t speak to anyone for a while. I’m one of the more optimistic fans.’”
Yep, that’s what it’s all about.
Such a shame Swindon didn’t have that extra gear in the last 5 minutes… they deserved the equaliser. They seemed to want to stick with the slow, controlled build-up, but I wonder whether a bit of frenetic hoofing might have done the trick, especially as Palace seemed devoid of any creativity.
Adrian – think you have a point; some true cup style just-get-it-in-the-box high balls might have done the trick. The Palace defence didn’t look too clever under pressure (that superb tackle on Ricky Shakes notwithstanding), but we didn’t get enough bodies in the box to benefit from any second ball chances we were creating. Still, we were all very proud of the side – it didn’t look like two divisions separated us. Although, if Palace keep playing like that, and Town keep playing like that, we’ll see them all a couple of times next year
The Advertiser has a bit more about supporting shit football teams, including Swindon Town:
http://www.thisisswindon.co.uk.....orters.php
“SWINDON Town has been named and shamed as one of the worst football teams in the country to support.”
And even though I’ve lived in Swindon for almost 10 years now (all added together) I still don’t care the slightest bit about them. I guess I’m not missing much.
I’m in a similar position to you, Armin… I’ve lived in Sutton for 13 years, so Crystal Palace is my nearest “grown up” team, but I only have the very vaguest interest in what they’re up to. It’s all just the result of our greater social mobility, I guess… I lived in Lincoln until I was 18 (thus including those all important anally-retentive small boy years) so I take my LCFC supportership with me wherever I go.
It’s all a very modern problem, isn’t it? I mean: why do I walk a few hundred yards down the road to stand in the away bit of Selhurst Park and back Swindon Town? Both sides were rubbish, but I still find my affinity with Town (where I lived for a few years) much stronger, perhaps because of the friends I’ve made among fellow supporters.
As for it being a miserable experience… well, it would all be a bit sickly sweet to support a team that just won all the time, wouldn’t it?