Tuesday 2 June 2009

Falling out of love...


I have had enough of Sheffield Wednesday and want a transfer. Why do fans have to be loyal to one club? Players certainly aren't. In fact when we got relegated from the Premiership in 2000 none of the existing players are there, they couldn't wait to leave and all got a transfer. Now I want one.

In the past six seasons I have seen my new adopted club Hertha Berlin more times than the Owls. It is a bit worrying that I can manage to see a team in a foreign country more times than a team about an hour up the M1 from Leicester. The reason is that I fell out with a good friend who was a co-Wednesdayite.

Although there are still 26,000 likeminded individuals still turning up at Hillsborough, its not the same, so I dont go. I made that decision about two years ago. Since then I have followed Hertha BSC, hooking up with my friends in Berlin for the games - four to six times a season. At the moment that is totally unsustainable, aside from the cost of going to Berlin (its worth every penny by the way and worth saving for...) I'm missing English football.

Until I landed a job which required me to work Saturdays, I travelled home and away to watch the Wednesday (pictured above in 1878) for (almost) every game for eight years. Now I am sort of lost. The recent changes in my work rota will mean more free Saturday afternoons than I have enjoyed for a long time.I want to be a fan again, but cant face Wednesday due to my personal fall out. I live in Leicester, which has a team which looks like its going places.

I cant say I am excited at the prospect of watching them every week. However, I have twins on the way who will be born in Leicester. My wife says our children should support their home town club. By that logic I should support Lincoln City. I spent my childhood on the terraces, standing in the Stacey West at Sincil Bank. So maybe that's what I'll do. Unless the Foxes fans or supporters of any other clubs want to convince me otherwise...

2 comments:

  1. Statto - the rules are simple. Firstly, you can't change clubs. Not if you are a fan. Otherwise you become one of those people I hate talking football with - they don't support a team, they don't get it, they say inane things like 'How are you feeling' after your team loses and feign interest. Don't do it.

    Secondly, your kids should only be allowed to support one of two teams - either the one that you support as their father, or the one where they are born. I explained it to my children this way: if you support Man Utd I will never speak to you, let alone take you to a match. It is your responsibility as a dad to get it right and make sure they are brought up properly.

    I hate Wednesday. And, by the way, their average gate is a little over 21,000 not 26,000 - it's Sheffield United who get 26,000. Easy mistake.

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  2. As your comment about United getting more fans has distressed me I guess I truly am Wednesday til I die...

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