re: Fan Thread: Why are you a fan?

Started watching every team in the BPL and got drawn into Swansea's style. Add to the fact they were a newly promoted team with a hell of a story ( Worth the watch) and I was sold.

Also cheer for Spurs 36 times per season when not playing Swansea. Brother in law has been a Spurs fan for a long time and is my main contact when talking soccer of any sort outside of you homos

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Always liked United because there were only a few teams I had access to watching on a consistent basis in the early 90s. Then I watched the 1996 FA Cup Final against Liverpool. That sealed the deal for me - been a United fan ever since.

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it was only United,Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal back then. Lucky to get them on espn 2 during the champions league and once i got fox sports world it was game on.

Also ive owned almost every fifa since the snes days loved the macnhester derby playing on this field

Pretty much only watched international competitions and I really enjoyed watching Torres and Spain in the 08 Euros. So he got me to start watching Liverpool. And that was right around the time with the best midfield in the world (Gerrard, Alonso, and Mascherano) so they were entertaining. And the more I watched, the more I got hooked and entrenched in the history of the club.

Long story. tl;dr

Liked the sport as a kid in the 70s, but never played, just watched on TV (Soccer Made in Germany on PBS)

Then came World Cup 1982 with the Azzuri winning.
Trip to Italy in 1984, climbed the fence into the Stadio Bentegodí in Verona to see Hellas. Been wanting them to win ever since. And they're back this year.

Mexico 1986, started reading soccer magazines after that, which is when I really started learning who the players were and the club structures.

Lived in Mexico City Summer of 1988, became an America fan because the family I lived with were fans. Watched the 1988 Euro with them, with that great Dutch team of Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard, beating the good German team that lost to Arg. in '86 but beat them in '90 with many of these same players. The three Dutch were also unstoppable at AC Milan.

Italy 1990 USMNT...SOLD, despite their youth and inexperience...Screw Walter Zenga and his goal saving arse. We could have drawn the Azzuri in Lo Stadio Olimpico.

Started buying and watching videos, had a soft spot, because of these for Southampton and Arse. Really liked Matthew LeTissier and Jim Magilton and Ian Dowie. But when John Harkes went over, I started watching for his results with Sheffield Wednesday, and Kasey at Millwall, then Spurs. Also followed Luton Town (Jurgen Sommer in goal.)

Lost touch, THEN in 2001 Eddie Lewis went to Fulham. Followed not long after by Brian McBride, then Carlos Bocanegra and Eddie Johnson. SOLD for good. FFC took a real chance on multiple American players and I was stuck, THEN Dempsey went and they even picked up Keller.

Started reading a couple really good blog sites, learned that Fulham was a different club, with more gracious supporters and optimistic writers than other clubs. From that also gleaned a lot about Craven Cottage and what it means to football. I've been in the tank since.

I am related to Sir Alex.

My father is from Argentina. I had to bicycle kick the second I got out the womb.

when I started playing soccer in high school, I'd always watch matches on Fox Sports World. My coach would tell me to find a player, observe what he does, and basically try to mimic him. For me, that player was Fabien Barthez. Loved his eccentric style of play...him and Ruud van Nistelrooy were so much fun to watch, so being a Man Utd fan stuck with me

Michael Owen

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I moved to Manchester after college in Sep '98. United fans loved to tell me how great their team was, but never once invited me to OT. City had been relegated twice and tickets were much easier to come by. My first match was City - Chesterfield at Maine Rd.
City Div 2 98-99
Its kind of weird to look at who they played that year and then get ready for Barcelona on Tues. I still have the orange goalie shirt like the one Nicky Weaver wore at Wembley that year.

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Great story! I started following them in '98 after listening to Oasis on repeat for like 2 years. I learned City were their favorite team, and then I adopted them as my own

Pack it up, boys. You just won this thread.