Written by Lambeth Hammer
Hi everyone, a lot has been said lately about proper fans going home and away every game and I thought i’d write an article on the subject.
I’ll briefly start by telling you my situation. I have a season ticket and go to roughly 1/3 of away games. I used to go to most away games as well but now I have a mortgage and a young son. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to attend that many games. But am I no now longer considered as good or as dedicated a supporter as ten years ago? I wouldn’t say so at all. I missed about 4 home games last season due to commitments with my son and do I regret them? No not for one second.
I’ve read a lot of tweets lately (generally from youngsters) who have criticised other fans lack of attendance to matches and in some cases suggesting they aren’t proper fans for not travelling away. Not every supporter still lives at home with their parents, is child free and has the luxury of pretty much doing what they want when they want. Then you have to consider that not every supporter lives in London/Essex. We have a lot of fans based around the country and I would imagine for a supporter living in the north east it is a very expensive day out travelling down to London and back for a match.
One conversation I read recently claimed that ALL supporters have a choice whether or not to attend a match. The way I see it is that someone in their late teens/early twenties with no commitments who chooses to spend all weekend down the pub or spend their money on a new Ralph Lauren tracksuit as opposed to going to football has chose one luxury over the other. A husband with three child may be in a situation where he has to chose (if he is lucky) between going to the football or taking his children to the cinema then pizza hut for dinner. I would argue as much as he has a choice it would simply not be acceptable in my opinion to chose a football match over your children if it was one or the other. I know where my priorities would lie and it wouldn’t be heading off to the London stadium watching Calleri masquerade as a striker.
It must be a social media thing but why is it a competition as to how many games someone goes to over a season? Anyone who goes home and away every game I salute you and I would go as far as to say that yes they are hardcore supporters imo but it doesn’t mean plenty of others wouldn’t do exactly the same given the opportunity.
Anyway that’s my rant over, maybe one day the youngsters who see it as such a big deal may even get laid and have children of their own! Once responsibilities arrive at your doorstep west ham isn’t as big a priority as it once was let me warn you…..
Clap Clap Clap! Bravo a sensible opinion on the matter and one I agree! I don’t understand why as fans we compete against each other as to who the best fan is! We should be one family COYI
I live in Glasgow and have supported west ham for over 40 years. I go to the occasional game if I can but I have 3 kids to look after. It would cost me roughly £400 for each home game. Im in no way no less of somepne who goes to every game. I support my team in my way and always will. COYI
That’s the thing that makes me laugh, if you are only a real fan if you go home and away every game, there would only be ~3000 ‘real’ West ham fans, or 60,000 real Premier league fans as you only get that many away tickets roughly. I go to every home game bar a few as a season ticket holder with my young son. Am I a real fan, of course I am! I have seen fans in Australia with West ham shrines that are really imrpessive, are they not real fans? Of course they are. If your blood runs claret and blue and you will support the club through thick and let’s be hon St mainly thin, that should be enough. COYI
Not everyone can go to all away games. Tickets for away games on the priority system mean that the same people get the tickets again and again. Plus, as you say, different people have different priorities. The idea that only people who got to 38 league games a season are real fans is, as you say, probably the notion of teens/early 20 somethings. Things such as finances, health, work, family etc etc all get in the way of football – and rightly so. I think most of us have been through the going to every game stage, but life eventually gets in the way.