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Liverpool, Arsenal, Sunderland, Stockport, Cardiff - you have to take sides!

Can you legitimately support more than one team? Sportingo's Matt Ross reckons that even if it's only for 90 minutes, we all need to nail our colours to someone else's mast.

by Matthew Ross on 04 April 2008

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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: He's worth a cheer (Gettyimages.com)

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I have a friend, a very vociferous, forthright friend, who insists that it is totally unacceptable to follow the fortunes of two teams.
He has, from a certain point of view, a point; but his intractable opinion extends beyond national divisions, beyond international boundaries and I suspect, if he was pushed on the subject, even the very sports themselves.

To explain, he’s a Sunderland fan, and we were out watching the Liverpool v Arsenal game; a game where he refused to take a side. And as Emmanuel Adebayor rose to power home the opener, the conversation turned to why he couldn’t, for one game only, pick a team to back. He maintained he was a Sunderland fan and that was that.

Fair enough. Now I’m a fervent Stockport County fan, and have been since the entertaining but not-so-heady days of Mike Summerbee’s player-manager stint in 1978-79. I’m as County as they come, yet I celebrated as if Liam Dickinson [County’s leading marksman] had slotted home when Dirk Kuyt got the equaliser. Why? Cos I reckon you cannot possibly enjoy a match if you don’t have a preference. Even if it’s only for 90 minutes. What’s the point?

I’m still trying to work out who to follow at the Euro Championships in the summer, or else that’s going to be an appalling month. Damn you, Steve McClaren'

I’m still trying to work out who to follow at the Euro Championships in the summer, or else that’s going to be an appalling month. Damn you, Steve McClaren.

Anyway, if the Arsenal/Liverpool game wasn’t on, and County weren’t playing, I’d look out for Hyde United results – another team my dad took me to see as a nipper; same game but different league – I don’t see the problem. I also look out for Ross County results (familial association).

This is clearly unacceptable to my Mackem mate. He’s not taking sides with a different team, no matter if it’s in the same country but a different division (‘But I’m not FROM Yeovil!!’), a different country at the same standard (‘Norwegians should NOT be allowed to support Liverpool!’), or even a completely different sport (‘They play in black-and-white, I’m not supporting the Geelong Cats!’). He’s simply not having it.

Now I get that passions run high in the North East of England and I get that the Mackem/Geordie rivalry instils an obsession in the local populace that goes way back to the 17th century (‘It’s all about the coal!’, my friend regularly rants as the lads head for the bar/loo/door, a reference to King Charles I and the favouritism he showed to Newcastle in 1642). But I think he’s maybe taking it a bit too far.

Ninety minutes (96 if it’s Old Trafford and United are losing) of transferred allegiance doesn’t make you any less of a fan, I’d argue. I don’t think he’d have his season ticket impounded if he was spotted raising a clenched fist to an AS Roma goal, or letting rip a ‘Get in!’ if Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink poked home for Cardiff in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final. Besides, he’s not even in the North East!

We both live and work in Dubai. So, if we ever fancied a live game, and went to watch a Al Wasl/Al Shabab game, surely for 90 minutes he’d have to pick a side? You’re not going to get any enjoyment purely from the skills on show at a UAE league game, now are you?

Comments (6)

by Rafa The Gaffer on April 04, 2008

I look for quite a few clubs results. Both Sheffield clubs, because I was born there, as my brother-in-laws dad used to play for the Blades. I also look out for Inverness Caley Thistles results because I lived up there for a few years. I'm as mad a Liverpool supporter as you are likely to meet, but I like football as well, and if either of those team are on the TV then I'll watch and cheers them on.

by Bill Harris on April 04, 2008

The only reason that I know of for the existence of other football teams is so that we can support Sunderland when they play them.

on April 04, 2008 on April 04, 2008

So what happens when Liverpool play Sheffield, Rafa? Who do you support? Who do you cheer for? Your home team? Your 'other' team (that just happens to be one of the biggest clubs in the world, winning more than both Sheffield clubs put together)? Both?!

by Andy from Whickham on April 04, 2008

I love Sunderland, been a lifelong supporter, more than forty years, but ... I'm a true football fan too and have other teams I follow. Though I've lived in the NE, I was born in Chesterfield and watch the Spireites whenever possible. I keep an eye on Hartlepool, Darlington and even Berwick, but my second most-watched team are Dunston Fed in the Northern League. More people should support the non-league scene. Watching tv footer, I don't find it hard to take sides although, it's usually the British thing, support the underdog. Who couldn't take sides when Barnsley recently played Chelsea in the Cup? The tykes had millions on their side that evening.Nobody who watches tv football only can understand the game properly, anyway, not because they don't make the effort or pay the money to support their team, but because they see it one dimensionally and see none of the nuances, the movement, or are able to savour the atmosphere. Having said that, this season I think Man Utd have been fantastic, with one player whom i think is the best I've ever seen (you know who). To see him live is at the top of his game is a privilege. To sum up, true support goes to wherever your heart lies, but to truly enjoy a game you have to have a temporary leaning to one or the other - it's the competitive nature that's the attraction, not just thevent taking place.

on April 05, 2008 on April 05, 2008

Can I just point out, and it's a shame, because it's a lovely piece by my Stockport-supporting friend, but I'm afraid he has my intentions slightly wrong. I'm not suggesting you can't lean to one side during a game; indeed, any team that plays Newc666le and I'm wholeheartedly on their side. I'm merely saying that you should only have one real team - your home team - that you truly support. I understand that people have other team's results that they look for (Stockport being one that I watch for, as well as Dundee, thanks to a Scots mate), but I only have ONE team. Sunderland, Should Sunderland play Stockport, as we have done in darker climbes, then I want Sunderland and only Sunderland to be banging the goals in. Common sense, no? So, like the fellow Mackem up there said, yes I'd want Barnsley to do well as the underdog, that's natural. But If was watching Leeds versus Wolves, I'd go on the principle of 'which team do I dislike the least out of the two?' (answer, Wolves, although I hate Wolves, I hate Leeds more. But then, who doesn't?). I can think of very few teams - if any - that I can say 'I like', other than Sunderland. What's the point in that?!

by Ronnie from Denton Holme on April 05, 2008

I live in Carlisle and support Liverpool; but I go and see Carlisle United as often as I can get down there - I totally support both teams at the same time, and I even have a sneaking look for Nottingham Forest result, cos my dad was from there originally. I don't see it as a wrong. I reckon he should t least have a local non-league team he should look out for. Hating EVERY othr team is a bit sad.