What Club did you support before TFC, and what clubs do you follow

[Parkdale]

my first job was reffing soccer for $5 a game back when was 12 or so.
let's just say that reffing soccer as a pre-teen is a traumatic experience, and will make you hate everything about the game.

Luckily it didn't scar me for life, and I got into watching anything I could find on basic cable.

(in 1994, after the cup final, I saw some idiots in a limo drive into my VERY Italian neighborhood
while waving a Brazilian flag out of the sunroof. Then a brick hit their window, it was great! )

The French National team was an easy fit, and who I always cheered for in FIFA tourneys.

[cherono]

Support: TFC, Liverpool
Casually Follow: Luton Town, Cadiz
Dislike: Crew, Man U and is there some sort of CONCACAF referee club? 'Cause I'd dislike them too...

[Huyton]

Support:
Liverpool. They were in the 2nd division when my Dad took me to my first game at Anfield. I was also on The Kop when the European Cup was shown at Anfield for the first game of the 1977/78 season.

Toronto FC. 'nuff said.

Milltown FC.

[Redcoe15]

Teams I love: Toronto FC.

Teams I hate: Columbus, Vancouver, Seattle, Chicago, Real Salt Lake (for the worst Europosing name out there), and Montreal when they arrive next year.

I can't get excited over any overseas teams I have no connection with. But if I was pressed to come up with a team I might be interested in, it would be Wolverhampton Wanderers.

[Razor]

Support: Liverpool FC and Toronto FC
Follow: Celtic FC and QPR

Piss on Man U and Chelsea

[__wowza]

Have you not met a Stage 3 Bandwagoner? I knew a guy at school who cheered for Man U, Man City, Barca and Real. Oh and his national side was Spain.

i always try and get under my buddies skin, he's a gooner. i dont hate arsenal per say (even though i said i did) i mainly hate them because i hate my friend running up to me and shouting "SHALL WE MAKE YOU A DVD!?" and then getting all pissy when i remind him we went further in the champions league / hadnt lost to them in league play that year.

one of the sure-fire ways i've found to piss him off though is to question his loyalty to the club, i often described his interest as "he picked up a copy of fifa 04 and saw that they were the best team.."

[__wowza]

Dislike: Crew, Man U and is there some sort of CONCACAF referee club?

yup, there is.. it's called the MLS

[Parkdale]

don't forget guys.....

the topic is 'Before' TFC. let's get some backstory here.

[Parkdale]

also...




Moderator note ----- this thread is NOT "who do you hate"

we can probably figure out who you hate based on who you like, but please... let's keep it positive.

(except for the Crew, who are a bunch of fuckin' fuckety fucks)

[gcolacci]

Before TFC

I always loved soccer however i never really had one club that i followed.

I was driven to be a AC Milan fan because im Italian and that's the team i found that grew on me.

TFC really got me into the worldwide soccer leagues and made me learn alot more about the sport.

The past couple years in my travels i have gone to watch games in spain and england. In Spain i saw an Athletico Madrid game. Which was an incredible experience in a great stadium, and then last year i saw Arsenal play in a champions league match.

Realistically i would say tfc opened me up to a can of worms.

[Canary_canuck]

Norwich City ( first ) and Manchester City, both since the 1950s. Manchester City have to be one of the most eccentric teams ever.
Favourite soccer book: Manchester United Ruined My Life
Favourite soccer movie: A Shot at Glory

[Alixir]

Support - Before and always....JEF United (sorry TFC but JEF will always be #1 to me)
Follow - Toronto FC, Newcastle

[Detroit_TFC]

Before TFC, nominally Chicago because I'm originally from there. Honestly I didn't pay too much attention to MLS (not a hater, just didn't have much reason to look at it). Went to a game in Chicago summer of 2003, was impressed and started paying more attention to MLS, so by the time TFC was announced I was primed for it.

My other love is Manchester City FC. I am not a bandwagoner but close, started following them when Sven was there briefly. Prior to that I followed Arsenal, mainly due to the Hornsby book. But Cupid's arrow hit and now I am CTID.

My third other love is the US Nats. This is surprising to me because I've all my life been repelled by flagwaving and jingoism. In the context of the game I can accept it. I see the world game making me a part of a global community and that's the main satisfaction I get from supporting my national team, if that makes any sense.

[tfcleeds]

Teams I support: Leeds United, TFC, Juventus, Deportivo La Coruna, Gremio, Santa Cruz (Brazil), Canada, Republic of Ireland, Brazil, Zambia.

Team in MLS I followed before TFC came along: NE Revs

Teams I follow or have a mild interest in: Ajax, Aberdeen, River Plate, Liverpool (until Leeds get back to the Prem), Werder Bremen, Monaco, Porto, Nagoya Grampus

Teams I hate: man utd, Galatasaray, Real Madrid, Milan, Internacional, Sport Recife, Columbus KKKrew, Montreal

Teams I despise to a lesser degree: Chelsea, Rangers, Cardiff, Millwall, PSV Eindhoven, Boca Juniors, Palmeiras, and the newest one on the list, Leicester City.

[Huyton]

Before TFC? Then I'd have to add that I supported the Blizzard. I was at the last NASL game between Toronto and Chicago. Oh, and I did go to see Toronto Metros-Croatia once.

I used to enjoy watching Jomo Sono, Peter Lorimer, David Fairclough, Roberto Bettega and Ace Ntsoelengoe, as well as a good proportion of the Canadian Mens National Team.

When Juventus came to play after Italy won the World Cup in 1982, I think I was the only person in the crowd cheering for the Blizzard.

[P-NUTZ]

support dads team since childhood - JUVE

also support mums team since childhood - MAN U

glad i have these to fall back on with our TFC causing such headaches.

[Parkdale]

I see the world game making me a part of a global community and that's the main satisfaction I get from supporting my national team, if that makes any sense.

yep, totally understand that side of it

[Northern Soul]

Support: Liverpool, Rangers
Follow: Macclesfield Town (Mum is from Macclesfield)

[TOBOR !]

Some of these national side choices require some explaining - notably Zambia up there... is that down to the tragic story of the Gabon Air Disaster and the subsequent rebuilding of the national side ?

I'll add that I follow England and Canada, but also Malta (my birthplace - certainly not because of the glory).

edit - amazing that Zambia were ranked as high as 15th according to FIFA (in 1996).

[Joe Kool]

I was actually never a soccer fan before 2000 with the exception of doing what a majority do and watch only the World Cup games. I was a hockey only person. Played summer and winter hockey. Hockey, hockey, hockey but then I was severely injured and hospitalized from a hit from behind which came close to killing me or at least making me a quadriplegic. Luckily I escaped with a severely shattered shoulder and arm only. I couldn't watch hockey anymore or be around an arena for a long time. I put on a Liverpool/ManU game one morning I was up on Saturday and just got hooked and they have no boards to run into I started to watch EPL and found myself enjoying Chelsea matches best so I became a supporter. Then I started watching La Liga and SPL and became fans of Real Madrid and Rangers. I have family that actually work in the Rangers organization and my whole family in Scotland are Rangers supporters so not a big surprise I became one too. Then TFC came in 2007 and I attended my first live game on "seat cushion day" and the rest is history. Never really went back to hockey at all but I can watch games again these days at least without getting too nervous when the puck goes in the corner.

[flambe]

I can't get excited over any overseas teams I have no connection with. But if I was pressed to come up with a team I might be interested in, it would be Wolverhampton Wanderers.

So you're being pressed and the best you can come up with is Wolves?


There must be some connection to them, surely?

[tfcleeds]

Some of these national side choices require some explaining - notably Zambia up there... is that down to the tragic story of the Gabon Air Disaster and the subsequent rebuilding of the national side ?

I'll add that I follow England and Canada, but also Malta (my birthplace - certainly not because of the glory).

edit - amazing that Zambia were ranked as high as 15th according to FIFA (in 1996).

I support Zambia after having lived there for a year, but now that you mention it, yeah, the air disaster definitely made me sympathetic towards them, although I didn't support them because of it.

I only support Brazil because I lived there for awhile too, I actually kinda despised them before, lol.

[s2cazz]

is no-one going to point out the glaring error made by that chap upthread ? Supporting both Tottenham and Arsenal ?

I saw a LFC and Juventus too.

[s2cazz]

my first job was reffing soccer for $5 a game back when was 12 or so.
let's just say that reffing soccer as a pre-teen is a traumatic experience, and will make you hate everything about the game.

Luckily it didn't scar me for life, and I got into watching anything I could find on basic cable.

(in 1994, after the cup final, I saw some idiots in a limo drive into my VERY Italian neighborhood
while waving a Brazilian flag out of the sunroof. Then a brick hit their window, it was great! )

The French National team was an easy fit, and who I always cheered for in FIFA tourneys.

There is celebrating and then there is being a douche.

[Davenport]

So you're being pressed and the best you can come up with is Wolves?


There must be some connection to them, surely?

I've got a lot of mates who support Wolves. They are massive.

[TOBOR !]

I saw a LFC and Juventus too.

Yeah, but stepping back a bit you can kind of see where a sense of brotherhood could grow between the two sides in some respect. Tragedy drives people apart, but also brings them together.

Imagine if someone cheered for Lazio and Roma ! or Milan and Inter !

[Razor]

I've got a lot of mates who support Wolves. They are massive.

I had footy last night and one of the opposing players was decked out head to toe in a Wolves kit. Looked good.

[s2cazz]

Yeah, but stepping back a bit you can kind of see where a sense of brotherhood could grow between the two sides in some respect. Tragedy drives people apart, but also brings them together.

Imagine if someone cheered for Lazio and Roma ! or Milan and Inter !

That only happens when the tragedy is an act of god, not the fault of one of the parties involved.

Milan - Inter or Lazio - Roma would just be fucked

[tfcleeds]

^Agreed (with Torbor). I don't think there is necessarily a hatred between Liverpool and Juventus (unless you're a member of the Drughi, of course), in fact, the relationship between the two clubs has been quite positive since, or at least, been tried to make positive.

[TOBOR !]

That only happens when the tragedy is an act of god, not the fault of one of the parties involved.

Milan - Inter or Lazio - Roma would just be fucked

best not go there (lid/worms).