86 replies to this topic

[URI]

I thought this would be a fun thread for neophytes and vets alike, and I'm curious as much about how our English brothers chose their squads as the Yanks (see! I can speak the language!) picked theirs...

I played all American sports growing up, focusing on football, basketball, and baseball. When I was in high school, I played those sports. In a football game, I had a lineman fall on my leg wrong, and the doctor said that the next time something like that happened, it wouldn't be a quickie surgery to clean up my knee...it would probably be a year off. So I gave up football.

Now, I liked to stayish in shape, so I need to play something in the fall...with soccer being the most attractive option. My friend taught me the ins and outs of the soccer (this was in early 97), and I started following the one team we would occasionally get on TV...Manchester United, and I remained a most casual fan...toping off with the Champions League win over Bayern Munich in 1999. I followed other teams in Europe, also casually...Barca, Tottenham, Newcastle, Inter Milan, and Ajax mostly.

When I got to college, I stopped following soccer all together, more due to other things taking precedence (Red Sox, beer, thinking up ways to pass without doing any work...) I picked up the urge again in 2003, and the more I read, the more I wanted to stay away from ManU. I looked at the history of some teams, and two of my five favorite players played for one of the teams...Paul Gascoigne and Jurgen Klinsmann. Since then, Tottenham has been my side.

This is the first year I'm following with complete fervor though, with the team being deep in both domestic cups, a run through Europe's NIT, and a fairly well-skilled team. Also, accessibility to following Spurs has been made much easier, with appearances on FSC and the Internet.

So, lets hear your stories...

[Zomp]

I had always played soccer in town leagues and on travel teams when I was younger but I was too young to follow teams or leagues. In 1994 when the World Cup came to the US I watched every game that I could on TV and I caught the soccer bug BIG TIME. At the same time my aunt was dating(later married) a guy from France who was a HUGE Eric Cantona fan. He would come to my rec league games yelling and when he would get aggrivated it would always be in french. I was 9 and loved to hear the guy's thick accent, so when my aunt would offer to babysit me I would always go there and watch Manchester United games with him. I used to love watching him go crazy when they scored goals, I would be so bummed out when the games would end at 0-0. They moved to France in 97.

When my house got the internet I would follow ManU on AOL sports, I followed the Treble on the internet but hadnt seen the actual video of the champions league final until months later. As you can imagine, articles that I read didnt do it justice.

Nowadays I watch ManU on FSC and download games that are not on FSC off the net. I try to stay off the websites while the game is downloading(its usually done 8 or 10 hours after the game ends) so I can feel like I am watching it live. On the weekend games or really big games (UEFA, The big 4, first game of the season), if they are not on FSC, I will drive 45 minutes or so from my house to Cambridge and watch the games. I really love going to the pub at 8:00 am and having an irish breakfast with a Magners.

[DLew On Roids]

Rather than the European NIT, I like the Guardian's term for it: UEFA Vase. Only people who know non-league football will get that, though.

My father used to read me the English soccer scores out of the Sunday paper when I was a kid. I always hoped that Liverpool and West Ham would do well--because I was 8 and the names sounded fun. When I started poking around English soccer sites on the Internet in early '96, I immediately started reading up on Liverpool, because it was the name I knew from back when I heard the teams in the paper. I became a fan pretty quickly.

If I could do it over, I'd probably become a Leeds fan, because my family is from West Yorkshire (though since they're from Halifax, maybe I should hate Leeds--Come on you Shaymen!). I tried pulling for Leeds for a while, but I just couldn't change loyalties. This was back when they were in the European Cup, though, and it felt like cheesy bandwagon-jumping. Maybe now that they're in the Championship I should try again.

Edited by DLew On Roids, 22 February 2012 - 10:24 PM.

[ragecage]

I'll chime in here, even though I don't really contribute to this forum at all--but I like the idea.

I played a ton of from when I was a young kid up until the start of college. It was really the only sport I ever played seriously (I played baseball, basketball, etc, but eventually stopped it all and just played on more soccer teams). I came from a smallish town in CT where soccer was the big sport. Our school never had a football team. This being the late 80/early 90s, there wasn't too much info to be had on Int'l soccer. I grabbed the occasional World Soccer magazine or whatnot when I could. I grew to absolutely love Maradona, and learned more about Pele, mostly because these guys were high profile names and easier to get info on. I remember mail-ordering 101 Great Goals and a Maradona highlights VHS tape that I must have watched 500 times when I was in Jr High and HS. I mostly just pulled for International sides as there wasn't much club info to come by. I remember the US squad beating T&T to get to WC 90 being a huge deal.

All thru high school I played on some fairly high level club teams in the CT area. We travelled a lot, and played against so top notch talent around the country. The whole thing eventually wore me out. EVERY weekend was practices and tournaments, etc. I was supposed to play in college, but bailed at the very last minute because I had cold feet about making the commitment (which was the right choice). I started playing indoor soccer for the first time in a while last winter, and after being injured a few times in a row I said I would never play again. Nevertheless, I'm playing again this winter, and it's a lot of fun.

Once I got to college I stopped really paying attention to the sport, with the exception of the big International events. After college, I travelled a bit in Europe for work and started to pay more attention. I remember being in London during one of England's qualifying games for the 2002 World Cup, and how exciting it was. (there is nothing like when you can feel that vibe in an entire city, just like I will never forget what Boston felt like in Fall 04) This was during the height of Beckham-mania, and I thought the whole thing was pretty cool. I remember riding the tube and having people waving flags, and it seemed like every other kid had shaved a mohican. Made me like Beckham because people were so into it. Still do, as un-PC as that is. I started paying more attention to the English teams then, as I have a lot of English heritage anyways. They're still the ones I pull for (other than the US).

Currently I really don't follow any teams on the club level. I should, and I want to, but I just haven't gotten around to it (I suck). Like so many people, I was all about following more closely after this summer's World Cup and the Euro 04, but it just didn't happen. It still might. Basically I love the sport but am a shitty fan.

anyway, cool thread.

Edited by ragecage, 02 February 2007 - 03:58 PM.

[Philip Jeff Frye]

I probably never played a game of soccer before moving to England in 1975 when I was in 6th grade. I was plopped into an English school and immediately had to play against kids who had been playing their whole life. What a disaster. The only goal I ever scored was an own goal.

Despite that, I became a big fan of the game because what the hell else was I going to do? Following the Sox was almost impossible - line scores in the Herald Tribune, we'd get the Sporting News in the mail about six weeks late. American football was shown on TV once a year as a curiosity - an edited piece of the Superbowl that often overlooked the most important part of the game, because they'd show the first and fourth quarters, but not the second or third.

Anyway, after brief flirtations with QPR and ManU, I became a big Ipswich Town fan. We lived about 15 miles from Ipswich and my dad split season tickets with another guy. This late 70's, early 80's era coincided with the best run that team ever had - several finishes near the top of the First Division, an FA Cup championship (I was lucky enough to attend the final) and a UEFA Cup championship, back when that trophy had more prestige. They had some truly great players then - Mick Mills, Paul Mariner, Terry Butcher, John Wark, two of the first great Dutch players to play in England (Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen) - led by a great manager in Bobby Robson.

We moved to France in 1978 which made following English soccer a little more difficult and I never really got into the French game, and then came back to the states in 1981. Following European soccer from the US was even more difficult than following the Sox in Europe, so I mostly stopped paying attention. I'd follow the World Cup every four years, especially in 1994, but that was about it. For the last dozen years or so, I travel to London several times a year on business so I'd pay a little attention while I was there, but not enough to really know what was going on.

My son who is 8 was absolutely fascinated by the World Cup this year - we were in Italy for part of it this summer which added to the fun. He loves playing soccer too. He plays almost every day at lunch with his little 2nd grade friends. It is a blast to watch them. He shows far more aptitude for the game than I ever did, that's for sure.

He decided during the World Cup that he would become a Chelsea fan because 1) so many of the players he saw were on Chelsea and 2) he stayed in Chelsea on a trip to London with me a few years ago. He's got a variety of other favorites as well - Lazio (his uncle who lives in Rome is a big Lazio fan), AC Milan (he likes Kaka) , Real Madrid (Beckham), DC United (not sure why them). All this resulted in me paying attention again, getting FSC and Gol TV. So I'm basically rooting for most of these teams with him (especially since Ipswich have fallen so far), although I do find myself rooting for ManU a little because Rooney & Ronaldo are so impressive and the supporting cast is impressive (Giggs, Scholes, Neville, etc) - don't tell my son. I shudder to think what's going to happen in our house if Chelsea and Ipswich face each other in the FA Cup this year.

It has been a huge amount of fun to relearn all this stuff, especially because the game seems far less parochrial today than it did in the 1970s - maybe it was just me, but I don't remember nearly as much coverage of the other European leagues by the English media when I lived there compared with today, and obviously, the teams are far more international in their makeup today.

Edited by Kevin Mortons Ghost, 02 February 2007 - 04:53 PM.

[The Allented Mr Ripley]

During the mid-60s my father served in the USAF on an RAF base in England (RAF Chicksands). He picked up a general appreciation of soccer during his time there, going to many live matches, including one during the '66 World Cup. He also befriended an RAF airman from Scotland who was a Celtic fan. When on leave, his Scottish friend would have him as a guest at his family's home up in Glasgow, and they would go to Celtic games. At one point they went to a resort in Ayrshire for a few days, where my father ended up meeting my mother (she was a waitress at the resort's restaurant). Being a drunk US airman in Scotland with absolutely nothing to lose, he asked her out and she said yes. I clearly inherited my boundless charm from my father.

So my father's allegiance to Celtic was due in large part to his friend, but my father is also Scottish-American and a Catholic, which certainly sped up and cemented the interest. While my mother is a full Scot, she doesn't give a rat's ass about soccer, so my Celtic fanhood is due strictly to my father. Ironically, my mother was a Protestant who converted to Catholicism when she married my father, so even if she cared about soccer she would have been a Rangers fan. I do have some cousins in Scotland who are products of interfaith marriages (father Protestant, mother Catholic), and they were raised as Catholics because it's their mother's religion, and are thereby Celtic fans as well. One particular cousin of mine is as responsible for my continued interest in Celtic as my father ever was. She's taken me to matches and Celtic pubs I wouldn't dare to set foot into on my own, and we always email each other back and forth about the latest goings-on. Plus we get to endlessly mock her dad (my mother's brother), a Rangers fan.

I went to the pre-season Celtic-Revolution game this past year at Gillette with my father, the first time we went to a Celtic match together. It was an interesting experience, because during the game we talked a lot about his time spent in the UK when he was in the Air Force, things we had never spoken about prior to then. It turned out that that day was the anniversary of the day he left home to go to basic training back in 1963, which was the beginning of a long journey he never could have envisioned himself taking (particularly meeting his future wife under such random circumstances). I think he was glad he was able to watch a live Celtic game with me over a few beers, given the significance of it all.

On the the way back to the car after the game, we passed by a few random tailgaters, and one particularly drunk girl was loudly complaining that no one was singing any Celtic songs. My dad immediately launched into "Celtic, Celtic," whereupon she gladly joined him, and she ended the song by giving him a hug and a big sloppy kiss. She wasn't too shabby looking, so there apparently there are other benefits to being a Celtic fan besides drunkenness and sectarian violence. If only Celtic were making US tours back when I was single.

Edited by The Allented Mr Ripley, 06 February 2007 - 12:42 PM.

[Phil Plantier]

In 1975, my cub scout pack was given a choice - did we want to go see the Red Sox or the Tea Men? Even though the pack leader asked us 5 times, we were adamant - we wanted to see the Tea Men. That's the first sports team I followed.

I played a lot of youth soccer and really liked it, but my high school didn't have a soccer team, so I was sort of channeled into fandom.

The first WC I paid attention to was in '86, on Telemundo (Budwieser - Es para Usted). Andreas Cantor (I think) would break into English every 10 minutes or so to get English-speakers up to speed. I remember some guy from Denmark named Elkjaer going nuts one game (I just looked it up - a hat trick against Uruguay).

I went to four matches in the '94 WC, including the brutal Spain-Italy QF.

After following the national teams for a while, in 2002 or so I decided to pick a Premiership side. Manchester City kind of jumped out in a Red Sox v. Yankees way, so I started following them. Then I started learning more about the English Football pyramid, and I stumbled on Forest Green Rovers. What started with just liking the name has grown into following the team and the roster weekly.

I wouldn't call myself a real fan. I've never seen these teams in person, I'm a total newbie, and some of the tactical subtleties are lost on me. Still, it's a little like joining a secret club, a hidden back-room of sports knowledge that most of my friends don't have.

[AusTexSoxFan]

This is a good thread. I like it.

I grew up playing soccer and remember watching "Victory" so Pele was my favorite at a young age. I remember watching alot of the 1986/1990 World Cups and the genius of Maradona. What was strange was that I was not very familiar with the club teams. I knew about the countries national teams but the club sides meant very little. Every once and a while you'd see the EPL standings in the Dallas Morning News but that was it.

It wasn't until the Fall of 1996 that I became enamored with soccer. I went to Spain to study abroad. I lived in Madrid so naturally I would be a Real Madrid or Atletico fan, right? Wrong. Right away I noticed this Brazilian playing on a team called FC Barcelona and he was scoring amazing goals. I was enthralled. It was Ronaldo. It helped that my Spanish host father loved watching soccer and my roommate in Madrid played soccer for the first 2 years of his collegiate career so he was into it as well. So, because of Ronaldo, I became a Barca fan and a loyal follower of La Liga and European futbol in general. Of course the irony is that Ronaldo departed Barcelona only after one year and ultimately ended up in Madrid. But still, I'll always love him as a player.

I consider myself lucky that I've had the chance to see alot of great soccer games. I was back in Spain in the Fall of 1998 and slept overnight on the street to get tickets to the Real Madrid - Barcelona game. Not only did I get tickets, but I ended up getting my picture in Marca and was on Spanish national TV (Antena 3) getting interviewed in a drunken stupor at 3am. I also went to the 2002 Final of the Copa del Rey when Depor upset Real Madrid 2-1 at El Bernabeu on Madrid's 100th Anniversary.
Barca playing in Houston this past Summer and scoring 3 goals in the final 6 minutes to draw with Club America was also a highlight. I never thought I'd ever get to see my favorite team play in Texas. That was awesome.

[Zomp]

Seriously, even though its only 7 stories long, this is a GREAT thread.

If anyone else is enjoying reading this then I highly suggest the book "How Soccer Explains the World" by Franklin Foer. It has about ten chapters or so of some of the best stories I have ever read.

[Spacemans Bong]

I suppose it came down to a few things. Firstly, I'm crazy about sports. I have always been crazy about sports.

Secondly, I was raised in an environment which exposed me to a fair bit of British/Irish culture. My dad went to Ireland for the first time when I was 5 and bought me back some stuff as the Republic of Ireland were in their first ever World Cup while he was there. He did the rounds in the Irish expatriate community around here and naturally their sporting interests tended towards soccer amongst other things. I remember sitting in the corner flipping through the Irish Times and The European and naturally looking at the sports pages which had plenty of soccer content. I had a nanny as kid and she was from Donegal, and she exposed me to a lot. She went to Ireland when I was seven and bought me back a very large box full of sports stuff - British magazines, trading cards, posters, the Republic of Ireland shirt, the Donegal football shirt (they won their only All-Ireland title when she was there - hooray!), the whole lot really. My aunt has lived in the Netherlands for 20 years and also sent me a lot of stuff from the Netherlands, which is why I'm a Dutch soccer fan. Bergkamp has been my favorite player since he was still at Ajax.

Finally, at school, we had an Irish PE teacher and this little thing called the World Cup was going on, so I was playing soccer literally every day at school for about two years.

So put those together and you have a fan.

As for being an Arsenal fan, I can't really remember. It was certainly before Bergkamp came around - I remember asking my mom to buy me Fever Pitch when it first came out before the World Cup in 1994 because it was about Arsenal - but I can't really pinpoint when. I remember George Graham as manager, so that was a long time ago, putting me in the unique position of being an American raised kid who has grown up with an English club. Bizarre.

[Wesw30]

My whole life I've been a sports fan and loved most every sport I've come across. So, in 6th grade when I went to England and saw the soccer matches on TV I was absolutely enthralled not only with sport itself (obviously I'd seen soccer before) but how deeply the fans cared for their team. What truly got me was that since I was a sox fan I was able to easily relate to love the fans had for their team. I'm a huge European soccer fan, and I follow many of the leagues. As an added bonus, my roomate this year is from spain, and he's a huge Real Madrid fan, so I got to see a whole new perspective on European soccer. As an College Football player, I've had to keep my love European soccer kind of a secret, but it's well worth it.

I'm a Chelsea fan because when I was little my mother went to England and came back with a Ruud Gullit jersey for me. I had never really been aware of soccer in Europe and at that point, being the only team I knew, Chelsea was my favorite.

[meckbah]

Great thread.

Coming from Ireland I guess my upbringing in football is similar to some of yours in baseball. My dad was and remains a United fan, I've had a United kit since I was 2 months old (Born Nov1st, first kit for Christmas). My dad built me football goals out in our back garden as soon as I could walk and I always had a proper leather football bought for me for birthdays. I joined my first team (College Rise) as a 5 year old. My earliest United memory is being decked out in full kit socks shorts the works at the age of 6 sitting on our kitchen counter watching the 1985 F.A. Cup Final between United and Everton, to this day I can picture Norman Whiteside lining his shot up and curling an absolute peach beyond Neville Southall. I had been taken to games in Old Trafford before then but dont really remember. My dad somehow managed to get us tickets to Uniteds next Cup Final in 1990 aginst Crystal Palace and I was lucky enough to be behind the goal where Lee Martin scored to win the cup and save Fergusons job. By this time I was completely obsessed with football, playing for 2 teams as well as my local GAA team. Once I got to university I started making my own way across to games, taking ferrys from Dublin to Hollyhead in Wales at midnight on the friday and then getting a train to Manchester, arriving into the city for 5am. Once the game was over it was a mad dash to catch the train to make the ferry and arrive back in dublin in time for my game on sunday morning. It wasn't pretty but it was brilliant. Those ferrys were constantly packed with fans going to United, City, Everton, Liverpool and Leeds. I never saw one bit of trouble on those ferrys and it was a great atmosphere. I weas fortunate to play with some great players and great teams in my live. I've played with Ian Harte and Sean Thornton (both professional players) and was fortunate to play to a decent standard at youth level in this country

I remain to this day obsessed with football and convinced it is Gods gift to the world. "A football fan by birth, a United fan by the grace of God"

Edited by meckbah, 03 February 2007 - 04:52 AM.

[Who The Hell is Stan Papi]

Since everyone is writing well thought out responses, I thought I would end that...

1) Soccer made in Germany on PBS NH 11 in the late 70's; early 80's
2) 1984 World Cup
3) Family history with Shef Wed and Rangers
4) Moving to NYC 1992 and going to see games live via satellite before FSW/FSC, GOL and Setanta etc.

[Fred not Lynn]

I'm not a particularly big fan, but I'm thinking of following Manchester United. A few reasons.

1.) My father in law, who is kind of a prick - and is English, while not a real big sports fan does claim Arsenal as his team.

2.) Living in Owen Hargreaves hometown, I understand he'll wind up with Man U fairly soon. Not sure why that isn't making me more interested in Bayen Munich now, though. I actually spent lots of time in my late teens in Berlin...maybe that has something to do with it.

It's mostly the Hargreaves thing. His is a fascinating story - I've met the guy who coached him as a kid, and pimped him to Bayen Munich. Interesting guy, former East German (as player, not coach) who had been part of that whole system...I don't think he brought the doping over with him - but some of the less sinister aspects of the East German sport system are fundamentally sound ways to develop young athletes.

[SoxFanInCali]

I lived in New Jersey for a couple years as a kid, during the height of Cosmos-Mania. Soccer was by far the most popular sport in school, and out town's soccer league was pretty good, as our "travelling team" made up of the best from each team would dominate the teams from other towns. When we moved back out to California, the quality of play was much lower, so I ended up being one of the better players growing up.

As for Liverpool, I remember hearing about them in NJ from our Scouser coach. They had won 2 European Cups at that point, and I tried (with little success) to follow them once we moved out West. I remember hearing about the European Cup wins in 81 and 84, then the Heysel disaster in 85 and Hillsborough in 89. I started college shortly afterwards and lost touch with the team for a bit, but started following them much more closely in 95 over the internet and a few lears later with Fox Sports World. The 90's were a down decade for the team but it was still great to follow Robbie Fowler from the beginning of his career when it seemed like he could score at will. Same with Michael Owen; I still remember being amazed by his goal against Argentina in the 98 WC. Shortly after that I got my first Liverpool shirt, complete with OWEN 10 lettering. Since then I've bought GERRARD 17 and RIISE 18 (note: neither player still wears that number) and my current blank Adidas shirt from this year.

I've been fortunate that my work has required me to travel to Europe a few times in the last few years. Although I haven't managed to make it to Anfield yet, I do have great memories of watching the games against Leverkusen and Juventus during the 2005 CL run in pubs in London, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh. I definitely plan to make it over for a game before they build the new stadium.

[Carmine Hose]

I never played soccer as a kid. I played Pop Warner football, Little League, rec hoops, and ice hockey (still play this). There just wasn't any time and it wasn't that big a rec sport in the 80's. But I have always been a sports nut and follow almost everything to a certain extent. In 1986, I watched the magician that was Diego Maradona win the World Cup for Argentina in Mexico and enjoyed how he was a rock star of sorts in world soccer. I didn't really follow the sport again until the 1994 World Cup, when it was amazingly in the US. After that World Cup, I started to take an interest in professional leagues, but quickly realized that the newly created MLS was terrible and would always be so without top world players.

I took a liking to the EPL for the more physical brand of the game and United, in particular, in the late Cantona years, but really started following them more as Roy Keane began his ascendancy to the throne. As an Irish-American, I loved that an Irishman embodied everything I look for in a player from any sport: tough as nails, leader, winner, strong personality, and plenty of skill. I was in Ireland for the first time in 1999 when United capped the Treble, which was a tremendous experience.

Now, with many Internet avenues and FSC on cable (would be better with Setanta on DirecTV, oh well), it's just great to follow the Red Sox of the EPL.

[Spacemans Bong]

it's just great to follow the Red Sox of the EPL.

Wow, how does one turn into an Arsenal fan after a getting a stiffy for Roy Keane?

[Wesw30]

Wow, how does one turn into an Arsenal fan after a getting a stiffy for Roy Keane?

I think that many people here would strongly disagree that the Red Sox aren't the most well liked team in baseball.

[MarkInLondon]

Being born and brought up in South East London (Lewisham SE13 if you're scoring at home) Millwall were one of the major supported clubs at my primary school - due to the proximity of The Den (old version) rather than any on pitch success. I now live almost equidistant between Palace, Charlton and Millwall.

As the words of the terrace song say: -

"My Old Man said be a Chelsea fan,
I said - f**k off, bollocks, you're a c**t!!"

The first season I remember with any clarity was also one of the most heartbreaking for Lions fans - 1971. Top of the old Second division for most of the year with one of the classic Millwall sides (King, Allder, Cripps, Kitchener, Dunphy, Possee, Bridges...) then fell away around Easter. Won last game at home against Preston - and the rumour went round the terraces that Birmingham had lost which meant we were up! Cue massive pitch invasion - only to find that the rumours were false, Birmingham had drawn and needed just a point in their last game to go up... They beat Orient, and Millwall had to wait 16 years before the Sheringham, Cascarino, Hurlock, Briley team won promotion.

I played football at school up to 11 (first team goalie) then went to a Public School (eg - private school) where rugby was the only winter sport. Started playing again when I got to 20 and spent 10 years playing Sunday morning park football (Hackney Marshes, Mitcham Common etc)

Sporadic attendance at The Den through early 80's then started going regularly again in 1986 - went to the last game at the old ground (a sad day) where an American (Kasey Keller) let in the last ever goal, - then the first at the new ground where an American (John Kerr) scored the first ever goal...

These days I get to about 10 Lions home games - and spend other Saturday afternoons at Bromley FC with my two sons.

Not following a successful premiership club means that you appreciate the highs far more than if you follow a club where success is second nature. We've had some memorable cup nights (beating Arsenal at Highbury, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at Forest at the City Ground in the same year) and some promotion battles to keep boredom at bay. The last Millwall promotion side contained Lucas Neil (West Ham) Tim Cahill (Everton) Tony Warner (Fulham) and Steven Reid (Blackburn).

Oh, and then there was the Cup Final in 2004

Edited by MarkInLondon, 04 February 2007 - 01:16 PM.

[steeplechase3k]

I started playing Rec soccer at around 5-6 years old and played through 5th grade. I also played baseball starting at about 10 through 14 or 15, until I realized that I sucked. I played on school soccer and basketball teams in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. I was at Catlin Gable, a private school in Portland, OR that had one of the best soccer teams in the state, that would regularly beat schools with 5-6 times as many students. At that point I started running cross-country and track. I still went to every boys and girls soccer game that I could. I continued to run in college (Wheaton College in Norton, MA), and still attended as many soccer games as I could.

After graduation I came back to Portland, OR. I attended a few Portland Timbers game a year until 2004. A friend who was part of the hardcore supporter Timbers Army, suggest that I join them for a match. I had seen them before, about 10-15 people standing and chanting behind the north goal. My first game there were about 50 people standing there, and I only missed one games since then (the day before my brother got married), and have made every single game that the Timbers have played in Seattle (and one in Vancouver BC).

In 2005 Sunderland came over to the US for a preseason tour, they played all 3 Cascadia USL teams (Vancouver BC, Seattle and Portland). There were about 400-500 Sunderland fans in Portland for the match. We (the Timbers Army) threw parties and welcomed them to our city and stadium. The teams played to a hard fought 0-0 draw. Due to the friendships forged on those few days a group of 32 Timbers Army traveled to Sunderland to see a few Sunderland matches. We traveled to Old Tratford and sat in the visiting supporters section, and joined in with the Sunderland fans going crazy through the 0-0 draw as they got relegated. We also watched as Sunderland got whipped by bitter rival Newcastle a few days later. In May, a few Sunderland fans will travel back to Portland to see a few of our matches.

The season I plan to travel to Seattle (twice), California (once), and possibly Vancouver (once).

[allaboutthesox]

Nice topic starter URI!

As for me, I was born in Germany (Military brat) so the exposure to soccer was there at an early age. I have been playing soccer ever since I was 5 years old. I played in many leagues stateside and overseas as my parents would be transferred from duty station to duty station. I was fortunate enough to watch Germany play Holland in an International Friendly at Augsburg Stadium in Germany. There was nothing that I have seen as far as a sporting event that could or will ever compare to that game. Germany won 3-1 by the way! I grew up a huge Lothar Mattheus and Jurgen Klinnsman fan as well. I was a Bayern Munich fan by nature for a long time, but I believe that was more due to that Munich was about an hour away from Augsburg.
Eventually my parents would receive their final assignment stateside and I would finish playing soccer in high school in Maryland. After my soccer scholarship fell through I joined the Marines and continued to play soccer for awhile until I got married. I am a huge soccer fan, but must admit my responsibilities keep me from following as closely as I would like.

[biollante]

I've been playing all my life. I still play even though I am still a huge liability.
I still can't believe the MLS exists nor can I believe that I can finally get some European games on my tv.
For some reason, German soccer was on tv in the 70's when I grew up so I remember seeing M'gladbach quite a bit when I was young.
Saw the Cosmos play Chicago at Chicago stadium sometime in the 80s.
Caught a few matches in England when I lived there for a few months.

[Maalox]

I went to the Grand Canyon girl from Leicestershire. So when I decided to start watching soccer, I picked Leicester.

[Remdawg911]

My cousin came over to America from Ireland when I was in 6th grade wearing a Celtic jersey. I naturally started following the sport and picked Celtic before I knew about the club roots. I'm still with them today partly because of their roots. But mostly because of my cousin.

Edited by Remdawg911, 05 February 2007 - 10:13 PM.

[Flask N Gaggin']

I played soccer when I was young, and liked it well enough, but stopped playing when I was in 8th grade. I paid no attention to it all after that, with the exception of USA 94, which I watched with only passing interest. I went abroad to Cork, Ireland in January of '99. One of the first weekends I was there was talking to an Irish guy who supported the Scousers. We were talking basketball and then soccer, and he made the comparison of Liverpool and the Celtics. He recommended that I watch the FA Cup match between United and Liverpool the following day. Pretty much all I knew about the two teams was that Beckham got sent off in the World Cup and that he was married to Posh Spice. The match itself was not really what I expected at all from soccer. (I pictured it like the Simpsons episode "The left back passes to the right back. The right back passes to the left back.") United were a goal down with about 10 minutes to go, with Yorke scoring, and OGS scoring late. (Not for the last time that season, either). The Irish kid was right - I was hooked, but not for the team he intended. I started watching the United matches with my Irish friends, who were all United fans (which makes sense, as Keane and Irwin with rather popular in Cork, as you could guess). When the Champions League started again that March, I got into it even more. The European games at the pub were brilliant, as we had people in our complex from all over Europe, so pretty much everyone had an interest. My French roomate was a fierce ABU, so supporting United was a bonus because I could wind him up. The run-in from March on was unbelievable. While they won the Treble, people forget that they could have just as easily won nothing. United, Arse, and Chelsea were all in the running, going back and forth. There were some legendary games over the next few months- Becks ripping Inter to shreds at the San Siro, Keano almost singlehandedly dragging United back against Juve in Turin, the FA Cup Semi replay against Le Arse (which I would but in my top 10 best games ever in any sport). Literally every game from March on was a big game. The title game down to the last day, which I belive is that last time it has happened in England. The comeback against Bayern was the icing on the cake - despite being down in stoppage time, you just knew they were going to find a way. ("Can Manchester United score? They ALWAYS score.") When I got back to the States, I was working at a boring job at BC for that summer, so most of my day was spent on the 'Net, during which time, I read everything I could find about the Club, and started going to the message board at M-U-F-C.co.uk, and later on Redissue.co.uk. I've continued to follow them through the Internet, and watching a various Irish bars. I saw them play Juve in NY and Barca in Philly, and I've been to OT twice- the first time was Ronnie's debut against Bolton in '03 and against Villa in '05. I'm going to be going over again this April.

[richgarces]

I am a huge football fan. I refuse to call it soccer. I have played for the last 23 years and my dad has played for 48 years, including a stint in the professional league in Mexico. I love the English leagues with ManU being my favorite. I am very disappointed that the Americans are pumping money into the EPL. They should should take the Billions and put it into the stadiums and leagues here in the states. I understand that it is all about the bottom dollar but with there money we could see top notch players coming here during there prime instead in the last leg of there careers. Am i the only one that thinks so?

[Tony the Pony]

Although I'm still young (30s, ha ha), my (pro) football career is over. Signed three contracts, dismissed more out of hand because of the team.

Yes, I am a fan.

The above would have been funnier if it wasn't true. Or so my wife tells me, ha ha. Real Madrid equals Franco - there is no decent team in Germany except for FC St Pauli, TB Berlin and maybe FC Koln - NEVER NEVER sign for the competition, etc etc. Heart over mind.

Used to have season tickets to Feyenoord Rotterdam, FC St Pauli, Chelsea (yes, an odd ducklin in the herd - especialy back in the later 80s), Millwall (how's that for a combo?), Celtic, St Etienne, FC Barcelona (before the Amsterdam plague) and Royal Antwerp FC.

I can go on and on about my experiences and all - or explain why I stopped going to the Bridge and started going to the Den, regardless of how hard that might seem - but the not so funny reality is that half of my teams are dying in a performance sense; and the other half died some time ago in a cultural sense.

I used to fly from Boston every Friday to see Sat. (England, Pauli) and Sun. (Feyenoord) action but not anymore. Football as I know it has left our stadiums. And so did the people.

R.I.P.

Edited by Tony the Pony, 23 February 2007 - 10:53 PM.

[MarkInLondon]

Although I'm still young (30s, ha ha), my (pro) football career is over. Signed three contracts, dismissed more out of hand because of the team.

Yes, I am a fan.

The above would have been funnier if it wasn't true. Or so my wife tells me, ha ha. Real Madrid equals Franco - there is no decent team in Germany except for FC St Pauli, TB Berlin and maybe FC Koln - NEVER NEVER sign for the competition, etc etc. Heart over mind.

Used to have season tickets to Feyenoord Rotterdam, FC St Pauli, Chelsea (yes, an odd ducklin in the herd - especialy back in the later 80s), Millwall (how's that for a combo?), Celtic, St Etienne, FC Barcelona (before the Amsterdam plague) and Royal Antwerp FC.

I can go on and on about my experiences and all - or explain why I stopped going to the Bridge and started going to the Den, regardless of how hard that might seem - but the not so funny reality is that half of my teams are dying in a performance sense; and the other half died some time ago in a cultural sense.

I used to fly from Boston every Friday to see Sat. (England, Pauli) and Sun. (Feyenoord) action but not anymore. Football as I know it has left our stadiums. And so did the people.

R.I.P.

Millwall and St Pauli isn't such an odd combination (to me anyway!)

[Tony the Pony]

Millwall and St Pauli isn't such an odd combination (to me anyway!)

In general the political landscapes are oceans apart...

I can't remember seeing a Celtic jersey condoned at the Den - except for mine. There used to be a huge BNP following at both Chelsea and Millwall, while FC St. Pauli is at the other side of the spectrum with loads of left-wingers and/or free-thinkers.

The save St Pauli effort was fantastic; local brothels gave 25% of the gross revenue to the football team, the hookers themselves in some cases half, and 40% of all beer consumption in bars in Hamburg's Reeperbahn area went to the team in order to avoid bankruptcy.

Beats a Russian oliarch any day, ha ha

[Dummy Hoy]

Yeah, I'm bumping a thread that is almost 5 years old rather than starting a new one, but it is the exact topic I was thinking about, so screw it. Plus this will save a few people on here the need to repeat their story.

I thought of this thread/topic because of the Aldershot Town/Man U match. I couldn't remember why Zomp was a Man U fan (as much as he deserves shit, he has a quality explanation) and I was vague on why Yammer was an Aldershot fan (did he live their briefly as a kid?). I remember SFIC telling me about his youth coach and Liverpool, and of course I've heard some of TTP's great Feyenoord stories, but I wanted to hear from some others on their reasons for supporting their team of choice.

I could have sworn I posted on this thread first time around, but apparently not. Brief story for me:

When the Premier League first started a bunch of friends of mine decided to pick teams to root for (led by the son of a British ex-pat who I think was a Liverpool fan) to watch on Fox Sports Soccer (FSW at the time). Not knowing shit I picked the only PL squad to have an American player- Sheffield Wednesday. Clearly a poor decision on my part. Fuck you Harksey.

I will say that in today's internet age, you can follow any team with a fairly fulfilling amount of coverage. Sure beats reading the Sunday Globe's scoreboard section for results and praying for an occasional standings.

[Rick Burlesons Yam Bag]

My Aldershot fandom is nowhere near as interesting as my Premiership fandom, but I will tell both.

Like DH thought,I lived in Guildford for 8 years growing up and went to high school there and the local league club were the Shots, although they were division 4 (3 for one season). Pretty much everyone I knew at least LIKED the Shots even though most everyone also had a Premiership favorite as well.

When the club went bankrupt in 1992 it was a bit of a blow and I think it got the attention of many of my friends. We missed having the club there even though we only went once maybe twice a year growing up (in 1992 we were all finishing University). When the new club launched 5 divisions below the league a few friends of mine who still lived in the area got season tickets for some ridiculously small amount of money. Over the next 3 years that number climbed to about 8-12 tickets and I bought in to the group. It was a great way to get together each week for the guys who were spread all over the home counties and London and I would get to a few matches a year. Sadly, that tradition died off a few years ago when two of the main participants in the ticket buying/managing process died, a father and son who both lived in Aldershot (for those who stay close to things this was my best friend who died of a massive embolism following years of drug abuse). It is starting back up on a smaller scale with kids and we are all close to the club.

My premiership story is a bit funnier.

My dad lived in London for a year before we moved the whole family to the UK. I would go over on my own every few months and stay with him for 4-5 days. We lived in the Barbican towers. Anyhoo.....one week he mailed back a magazine about Arsenal that I guess he had bought. It had all this stuff about Graeme Rix and Frank Stapleton et al, it was cool. So I said that the next time I went over I wanted to go see Arsenal play.

Day of match (I think it was during the week in the evening) it is pouring rain. I mean...just pouring rain. So my dad talked me out of going to the match with an offer of something like pizza and the promise that we would go see a match on the Saturday. Well, Arsenal weren't home......so we went to see Spurs. And on October 11th 1980 Spurs played Middlesborough. They went 2-0 down in the first few minutes and the crowd was miserable. But this was the Hoddle-Perryman-Crooks-Archibald-Villa-Ardiles-Clemens (maybe before Clemens...can't remember)side and they came steaming back to win 3-2 with about 2 minutes left.

So because of pouring rain and Middlesborough being unable to hold a lead I ended up not supporting a team that won gajillion championships and have supported - at arm's length - a club that has its head up its ass.

[Titans Bastard]

Good thread, I missed this way back when.


I grew up playing soccer and although I was never very good, I always enjoyed the game. My earliest pro soccer memory is Eric Wynalda's free kick goal against Switzerland in the 1994 World Cup when I was just shy of my eighth birthday. My family originally comes from soccer-happy places, but we've been in the US for long enough to have this flushed out of our system, so after the WC in 1994, I really had no way of keeping in touch with the game, especially as a little kid.

I attended my first USMNT game on November 16, 1997 in the old Foxboro Stadium. We had already wrapped up qualification, but we beat El Salvador 4-2 and a good time was had by all. I don't recall much of the 1998 World Cup because I was in summer camp and couldn't watch any of the games.

The advent of the internet changed things for me. All of a sudden, I had access to an amazing wealth of information about leagues, clubs, and players around the world. I spent time poking around all the soccer sites that popped up around the world, as well as following the chatter on rec.sport.soccer -- though these days, I mostly recall some Polish dude turning every conversation into an excruciatingly detailed debate of some WWII battle on the Eastern Front. It took me a while to get up to speed, but I learned a lot about the landscape of the European game. And hey, I still credit soccer for my very in-depth knowledge of European geography. I never could find "Schalke" on a map, though...

The RSSSF was and is an amazing resource and archive. It's not as useful as it once was due to the proliferation of livescore websites; it has simply been passed by in a lot of ways. But it was a true titan of the internet soccer scene for a while.

I also recall being totally captivated by the league system used in Europe. The concept of promotion and relegation was a revelation to me and I really enjoyed the Cinderella stories of small clubs reaching big leagues or the exploits of tiny clubs in cups. I still haven't gotten around to reading the Miracle of Castel di Sangro, but I really should. I also recall the amazing 1999-2000 Coupe de France, in which the amateur Racing Union Calais reached the final and led Nantes at halftime, only to lose 2-1 on a 90th minute penalty.

The 2002 World Cup was also an incredible experience, if a bit groggy at times. I still hate Hugh Dallas.


The story of my more recent soccer fandom could be entitled How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love US Soccer. I wasn't a fan of MLS in its early days and I didn't follow the USMNT especially obsessively. MLS was rinky-dink in too many ways -- low quality, ridiculous uniforms, stupid rules, shitty stadiums, and there was nobody to follow it with. It was a turnoff and I spent my days tracking what went on over the pond.

However, unlike many people I never had an experience that provided a tie-in with any Euro club. I don't have any family members who know a damn thing about soccer, I didn't have a study-abroad trip that did it for me, or anything else. While I was interested, I just didn't have a connection with a club across the pond.

And so, MLS became more and more interesting to me. I'm a semi-Revs fan, but only because they are run in such a truly pathetic fashion, so for me it's about the league more than anything else. Looking back over the last 20 years, I'm proud of where we've come as a soccer country and MLS is on the front lines of the US Soccer Project. It's been a joy to watch beautiful new stadiums rise up and to see the way franchises have shed the soccer cluelessness of the 1990s and really started to stake out their own identities. What's going on in places like Seattle, Portland, Toronto, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Salt Lake, Los Angeles, and so on, is thrilling to see. We're coming into our own and it's awesome. I love the journey.

When I take a step back, it's amazing to think where the league has come in 16 years. The same league that made numerous mistakes in its early history AND was the recipient of unending vitriol from the traditional sports media and all the soccer fans wrapped up in the gargantuan US soccer inferiority complex that existed back then....is now a league that's averaging around 17500 now (mean and median), it's seriously competing in international play and will send a team to the CWC one of these days, it's taking development into its own hands with academies, it's building a unique and awesome supports culture of tifo and tailgating, and its teams mostly have great homes of their own. Amazing, and it's only going to get better.

Meanwhile, I stay connected to the ebb and flow of the European game by following the legion of US players slogging their way across the continent, challenging themselves at (sometimes) higher levels. I keep track of what goes on in the big leagues and in Europe, but I mainly root for Yanks Abroad clubs on a temporary basis. MLS, YAs, and the USMNT all have a symbiotic relationship with a view to advancing the overall state of the US soccer. We'll get there someday.


At this point, this is what makes me tick as a soccer fan.

[Chemistry Schmemistry]

Their recent history isn't very interesting, but I was born in Sheffield while my father was teaching at The University of Sheffield, therefore I support Sheffield United (apparently, intellectual snobs are supposed to choose United over Wednesday).

I've only been to one match - that was at Arsenal when I was about 10. An amazing experience, being in the midst of something completely different from anything you'd see in American sports.

[Infield Infidel]

Newcastle was the first beer I liked, back in my pre-of-age drinking days.


As for AFC Wimbledon, I was looking for a lower-level team in London, and their story is uniquely endearing.

Edited by Infield Infidel, 26 October 2011 - 12:58 AM.

[Seven Costanza]

FIFA. As in the videogame.

05, 06 thereabouts, when one went to start a 'career', you could not pick just any team, i.e. Man U, Arsenal, Barca... you had to play for a season or two with a lesser club and be hired by a top team. That's the only way you could play a career as one of the best teams in the game.

The best team you could start a career with in England was Newcastle. Hence I played with Newcastle. I got to know the players through the videogame, decided I had a massive hard on for Alan Shearer and went from there. At this point, 6 years later or so, I can honestly say I'm absolutely in love with the beautiful game and Newcastle United Football Club. (an aside, I just got the new Football Manager last night- I'm on about 4 hours of sleep; if you are a footy fan and haven't played that game I suggest you do)

It's funny now because my brother got into football around the same time, but started following Chelsea. Because of his intensity, I am partial to the Blues (except when they play the Toon of course). I'm also partial to Chelsea because I started dating a British citizen a year and a half ago- her and her father are intense Chelsea fans. Her dad gives me a lot of crap for liking Newcastle, but deep down I think he respects me for following a shit club. Or at least I hope he does.

[bsj]

My grandfather and I used to watch Premier League on Sportschannel on Saturday mornings. At the time, QPR was in the Premier League. For some reason, he was a QPR fan so I became one.

My interest waned in the 90's and 2000's for a number of reasons, although I kept track of where QPR was from year to year. And it made me ecstatic when QPR made it back into the Premier League this year.

[Bongorific]

This is going to be the dumbest post you read all week. Fair warning.

I need assistance in picking an EPL team. Now, I don't want someone to tell me who to like, I just want some direction and more information on some teams rather than read Wikipedia.

I was never a big soccer kid growing up. I played fall rec until I was 10. I was a very good goalie and defender but had no scoring skills. It's tough to convince a kid to play soccer because he's good at defense. I was much better at other sports. Ive played in an indoor adult league for a couple winters now and have gotten a lot better. With the inception of FSC, I enjoy watching some EPL Saturday mornings. Ive also played a decent amount of FIFA so I at least know of a lot of players. Except everyone online wants to play as RM, Barca, or Spain. Fuckers.

Here's where I could use some direction. After watching some gamses, I found myself rooting for Newcastle a bit. I was impressed with Krull. Obviously there's the Sox connection to Liverpool. But i think I'd rather pull for a less popular team than Liverpool. I just don't know enough about he history of the teams, their regions, fans, etc. If an international friend asked me to pick a NFL team for them, I wouldn't say the Patriots. There's too much baggage that goes with it. I'd say a team like the Chiefs. Great fan base, winnable division, not a lot of controversy. I also havent seen enough teams play consistently to just pick one. Maybe I'd really like Sunderland but they aren't on enough to get into them organically.

In terms of other soccer, I've visited family in Naples before, so they got me to root for Napoli in Serie A. On the international level, I like Netherlands. I sat next to a Dutch guy during bar review the summer of 08 and the UEFA cup and his fandom rubbed off. I picked them in an office pool during the last world cup and won as a result. If Robben was still in the EPL I'd probably go with that team. It sounds like he's a douche but I thought he was a very fun player to watch when he wasn't JD Drewing it. I think RVP has a stupid face so I'm not picking Arsenal just for him.

I think that whole thing sounded even dumber than I anticipated.

[Dummy Hoy]

If I had the choice right now I'd probably pick Spurs. They're playing some fabulous footy.

It's a novel idea, but why don't you just watch the games? You don't need a team to root for to appreciate the Premier League. Besides, if you pick a team and get passionate you end up like all the fan boys in the Liverpool thread.

[Dummy Hoy]

Their recent history isn't very interesting, but I was born in Sheffield while my father was teaching at The University of Sheffield, therefore I support Sheffield United (apparently, intellectual snobs are supposed to choose United over Wednesday).

Also- Fuck you.

[Williams Head Case]

Mine's pretty simple: studied abroad my sophomore year of college, Pepperdine had a house in South Kensington across from Imperial College in London close to the V&A. Simply, the two closest sides were Fulham (which was tempting due to the quantity of Americans) and Chelsea. The guys in the program and myself all ultimately chose Chelsea after experiencing the fandom at both matches and came away more impressed with Chelsea. My commitment was solidified with a neon highlighter yellow Chelsea kit that cost a pretty penny to a poor college kid abroad, especially since the pound was 2:1 over the dollar at that point. Anyways, I've been a Blue fan ever since and I feel like it's as good a reason to pick a club as any.

[Zomp]

If I had the choice right now I'd probably pick Spurs. They're playing some fabulous footy.

It's a novel idea, but why don't you just watch the games? You don't need a team to root for to appreciate the Premier League. Besides, if you pick a team and get passionate you end up like all the fan boys in the Liverpool thread.

This is exactly what I would have typed.

For some reason Spurs have me all tingly inside.

[JayMags71]

If I had the choice right now I'd probably pick Spurs. They're playing some fabulous footy.

It's a novel idea, but why don't you just watch the games? You don't need a team to root for to appreciate the Premier League. Besides, if you pick a team and get passionate you end up like Sachmoney and Mikeford.

Totally agree.

[OilCanShotTupac]

I also have been watching a lot of EPL on Saturday mornings and have wondered where my rooting interest would drift.

I seem to have settled on Everton, because I like Tim Howard, and Donovan played really well in his time there this year.

Not sure if rooting for your countrymen is a good criterion for picking an EPL team, but if all the Dominicans running around NYC with Sox hats on are any indication, it's as good a reason as any.

Edited by OilCanShotTupac, 18 February 2012 - 04:19 PM.

[URI]

Guys...stay the fuck off the bandwagon. It's only going to suck more when Harry is England's coach, Luka's a Blue, Bale is in Barca, and they all get food poisoning right before paying Fulham needing 1 point to clinch 4th and losing 5-0.

The goofiness is nigh! You root for big clubs (and Wednesday), don't be tantalized by the opulant luxuriousness of Scott Parker's immovable mane.

[Snakebauer007]

Agree with ^^^ that sentement I just dont see it lasting.

[DLew On Roids]

That's a quality reverse jinx right thar.

[SoxFanInCali]

Which player is going to be struck down by malaria?

[canderson]

Im an outcast: I only really follow the Bundesliga. I keep up with the Premier League and the Russia Football Championship, but really only pay attention to the Bundesliga.

I've never played the sport and don't know much strategy.

I only started following in 2004, when my now-wife and I went to Germany to visit some of her family that still lived near Munich. She grew up in Weisbaden, across the river from Mainz, so when we had some time to kill and Bayern Munich was hosting FSV Mainz 05, we went. Mainz had just been promoted from 2 Bundesliga, but I've never seen anything like the atmosphere in sports. Insane. FSV Mainz is my favorite team, there new stadium looks spectacular. I follow them regularly.

I got hooked, though I can't find myself to watch many matches for some reason. FSV Mainz isn't any power of course, so I follow Bayern though the various cups and challenges. We go back to Germany each year, and try to go to a Mainz match each season. This year we saw them at Borussia Dortmund - that crowd/stadium is beyond words.

In international cimpetition, I always root for the German national team.

I understand the love of he Premier League, but wish the Bundesliga got a little coverage here. For my English support, I root for Porstmouth F.C. (great friends we visit regularly live there) and I guess now Liverpool. I lived in Russia for a few years too, so check in occasionally to see how FC Zenit (Saint Petersburg) is fairing.

My biggest hurdle is keeping track of players, and still occasionally get all the different leagues/cups confused.

Edited by canderson, 18 February 2012 - 10:19 PM.

[Bongorific]

I do enjoy just watching EPL games, but i think it would be more to fun to have a team I can follow and look forward to seeing on tv. I know I don't like man u and Chelsea. They're out. I think spurs are on tomorrow morning. I'll give them a look. On one hand I want to avoid them after bill Simmons' article on picking a team, but on the other I want to pick them just to spite uri.

[LTF]

There is one choice here and one choice only: Dagenham & motherfucking Redbridge.

http://en.wikipedia...._Redbridge_F.C.

Edit: I'm looking at the Daggers' roster right now and they have four Irishmen, including a dude named Michael Spillane. I hope the Daggers' supporters are clever enough to have some sort of terrace chat that's a take on, "You think you're Mickey fucking Spillane?" Because that would be awesome.