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CCFC1998

They know nothing about anything below top 6 Prem. Liverpool mate of mine was amazed that I chose to watch the Cov game tonight (on TV as I don't live in England) over the Champions League, he genuinely thought I was having him on


rckd

Interestingly, it was a few minutes of watching the Champions League game tonight that prompted me to ask. The coverage cut to a slo-mo of few Bayern fans after a shanked chance. Made me think: Sky coverage doesn't really ever focus on the fans, because they seem to be a bit of an embarrassment. I've switched over to the Cov vs Ipswich game as I've got so much more interest in that.


CCFC1998

>Sky coverage doesn't really ever focus on the fans, because they seem to be a bit of an embarrassment. Genuinely this is probably why. Was sat right at the edge of the Cov end a few rows away from the Man U fans at Wembley and they were absolutely rubbish all game. Barely heard a peep from them at all even when they were 3-0 up.


rckd

I was thinking more about the coked-up psychopaths


CCFC1998

There is that too. Away ends would be an absolute no go for any close ups


OkraEmergency361

But that’s what Sky wanted. Priced out everyone but those who will go to games and demand to be entertained, clap politely, perhaps sing a bit, then leave in a timely fashion while taking their litter with them. And their team always wins. They reap what they sow.


CCFC1998

Also why the Prem/ Sky are trying so hard to kill the rest of the football pyramid. They want people in Devon watching Liverpool vs Man U on sky, not Plymouth/ Exeter


Advanced-Echidna-937

Absolutely not, that's the foreign fans. Know plenty of united fans who follow the efl.


HazzaThePug

I think the most “interesting” thing about chatting to supporters of the Sky 6 etc. is how they almost live in a completely different world than the rest do. They don’t have financials to worry about, they don’t lose their young talent to ‘bigger’ teams, for them a bad season is one where they don’t get into a final of a cup. What frustrates me most is how the majority have no idea what’s going on in the lower leagues and what problems there are. Look at any post of championship financials, lots of top 6 fans saying “no wonder EFL teams want the premier league’s money, they all overspend” or “why should the prem bailout all these teams who are financially irresponsible?”. They don’t know the context, because in their bubble, a negative number can only be due to bad transfers or whatever, rather than the complete lack of TV money in this league that suffocates anyone that stays in this league for long enough. Trying to explain why the champ has no money, and why there are so many teams in debt year on year is a tedious task


rckd

And annoyingly, they'll watch a Wrexham documentary and think of that as 'doing their bit' for showing an interest in anything outside the Premier League.


Advanced-Echidna-937

Know lots of united fans who watch the efl


OneSmallHuman

The most obvious one is when all the talk of the FA Cup replays being abolished popped up. I had fans of their clubs saying “surely a one legged match is better because it means more chance of progression”. They don’t really understand that we don’t expect to win anything ever, so a good cup tie at home or something is a great occasion I feel like most of their fans would think we would try and hide from the league cup result this year because of the battering at Stamford bridge. But I’ve seen my team win a semi final leg at home against a team that cost half a billion pounds, with one of our academy boys scoring the winner. One of the best games I’ve ever attended


rckd

I'm in the minority that doesn't mind the idea of replays being binned - I kind of feel like, 'if they didn't exist, would you invent them?' After all, a large majority of FA Cup replays are sub-standard squads playing in front of a about 30% of a 'normal' Saturday league crowd. Nonetheless, I do agree that the dream of being able to reverse a big fixture is great and plays into the cup's romance. And romance is way more prevalent outside of the Premier League.


dkfisokdkeb

The controversy isn't just about them being binned. It's also about the FA not consulting clubs outside of the top flight.


Accomplished-Pea-729

After I tell them I support Argyle they ask me “but who do you support in the Premier League” and when I say “no one” the conversation ends.


OtterlyFoxed

I have had that question asked so many times. “You NEED a prem team aswell!”


Harster1997

Live in Australia, had a mate swap teams from chelsea to Real madrid, I called him a glory hunter, and he said surely you have a second team! I replied not really, then said sometimes I hope hartlepool united does well... the conversation ended there.


Mikko85

I think all the 'Sky Six' have some good genuine supporters I really do. They might be local, they might support the club because their parents did, they might have family links or history that makes them decide that's the club for them regardless of level of success - Man City for instance I've met plenty of fans who will talk much more excitedly about Shaun Goater and Marc-Vivien Foe than they will about Haaland and co. Even Man United. I hate Man United with a burning passion, yet I've got a couple of friends who support them and in the 'real world' I don't hold it against them and will happily chat about football with them over a drink or three. But my God they have a lot of idiots. People who very vocally nail their colours to a mast without any appreciation of the city, the club's history, the culture of the area and the reason why people care so deeply about the club. People who think parading round shopping centres in bright red RONALDO 7 shirts equals supporting their club, people who only ever watch on TV yet still obnoxiously give it the big one when they win big matches as they exist in this plastic world where all that lures them is all the Sky bullshit and pomp and ceremony of sharing in manufactured and expected success. I know that sounds pretty judgemental, because it is.


OkraEmergency361

I agree with every word, and boy have I gotten shit for saying the same thing in the past. Plastics don’t like being called out. I’ve no issue with people supporting teams from elsewhere (I support Celtic, for example), but carrying on like you’re the number one supporter when you don’t have a clue or do anything other than watch a few sky games and swoon over Ronaldinho pinups is taking the piss.


Advanced-Echidna-937

Spot on, can't stand the majority of online fanbases


InspektD

The sneering disregard they have for any non-Premier League teams along with the feeling that winning trophies is the only satiating endeavour. The speed at which Newcastle fans moved from accepting relegation to demanding rule changes to allow them to buy a trophy. That club should be a case study for sports washing, and the increasing fan brain-rot as they travel up the table.


rckd

Used to work with a guy who was a Manchester City fan, and worked with him from the period of them being fairly average through to their first wave of expensive signings (when players like Danny Mills and Paul Dickov were replaced by Vedran Corluka and Robinho). It was shameless how quickly he leant into the idea of his team becoming a superpower.


InspektD

One of my school friends is a Man City fan, and season ticket holder since ≈ 1995. I remember him excitedly sending me a text at midnight when they signed Robinho. The money from Shinawatra, then the UAE coincided with a rough period in his life and he just further embedded himself into football. It’s prevented him from developing a personality that isn’t defined by his club.


No_Coyote_557

Then they talk of their "injury crisis" when they have to replace a 60 million player with a 50 million one.


Advanced-Echidna-937

Lots of prem fans follow the efl.


PabloMarmite

The thing I got from this season from the Premier League subs is they really only understand one kind of football, straight-up high-cultured attacking football. Any attempt to deviate from this, playing counter-attacking or physical, in an attempt to compete, is somehow “anti-football”. Someone interfering with the established order, even someone like Villa who aren’t exactly a small club, is treated with disdain. Also, they still like to do the gloating thing, invading team pages afterwards, that sort of thing, like we expected any different. Oh we lost to Arsenal? Yeah, we know, we expected to.


rckd

The 'anti football' stuff is so futile too. Being critical of an objectively weaker team for putting together an effective gameplan... bizarre.


PabloMarmite

They kinda act like their expectation of weaker teams is just to roll over and die.


nj813

Id not say the gloating thing is exclusive, leicester seem to of got it from their one season as well


[deleted]

The gloating thing definitely.  Away at Arsenal last time we were in the prem their fans gloated a scrappy 1-0 win afterwards like they'd just destroyed us.  Experienced similar at pretty much any of the big 6.


JimbobTML

I know plenty of Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea fans that are from the area or go to plenty of games, that play football too. I guess it’s all about talking to them. Nature of big clubs is, unfortunately that bast majority of the international fanbase, have no idea what they are talking about and also follow the big clubs because it’s easy to support them.


wayfaringwalrus

So, just after lockdown we played a friendly against Man Utd and outside the stadium I overheard two of their fans talking about Grealish, who was on the verge of signing for City. It went something like this: "Saw those bastards are spending £100m on Jake Grealish, that'd be a good signing for them." "Ah yeah, good player that. Who does he play for?" "I'm not sure actually" Completely in their own bubble.


ialwaysfalloverfirst

I'm not calling you a liar at all but for my own sanity I can't believe that ANY fan of a Prem team in 2019 didn't know who Grealish played for. Like SURELY that can't be true.


Phenomena1

Spoke to a Chelsea fan at work who didn’t even know who we were ffs


rckd

No-one likes us, we don't care Someone doesn't know who we are, livid


Sluggybeef

That's mad genuinely. Were they really young?


Phenomena1

Early 20’s and has no idea about anything outside of the top half of the prem


QBallQJB

Bet they started paying attention when Chelsea finished 12th 😂


dkfisokdkeb

I was in London a few months ago and spoke to some chelsea fans in a pub who were back from watching their youth team play millwall. Said they don't go to first team home games anymore because it's overpriced and just full of plastic tourists.


Advanced-Echidna-937

Had to have been taking the piss


PaulPiss

It's the victim complex that does me in. Fans of huge clubs like Liverpool and Arsenal acting like they've led torturous existences, like missing out on the Champions League is the worst thing that could ever possibly happen and that nobody is as hard done by as them. An old neighbour of mine was an Arsenal fan and fuck me, the way he went on you'd think they'd have gone bust three times and been relegated twice. Talking about how being an Arsenal fan is "a form of torture". Mate, you've won FOUR trophies in the past decade, play European football of some kind every single year, and for the past two seasons have been competing neck-and-neck for the Premier League title with one of the best club teams of our (or any) generation. You don't have it that bad, fuck off.


[deleted]

Arsenal fans are the freakiest IMHO. I have a few of acquaintances who only ever message me when Arsenal beat Leicester, or only talk about football when Arsenal are doing well. It's noticeable because I don't notice it with friends who support other Big6 teams, but there's multiple Arsenal fans who do it.


Sluggybeef

Arsenal fans seem some of the strangest on twitter too. Since they've started playing good football they've become even worse


[deleted]

I think they were always there, lurking - it's just that they pop their head up on the odd occasion they are a bit relevant.


Nicenormalperson

Sat next to an arsenal supporter couple at a cafe this past weekend. They let their dog eat their coffee cups when they were finished. Need I say more?


Embarrassed-Gas-8155

They fed their dog pottery?


Nicenormalperson

Disposable cups, they got their coffee to go and then sat down outside anyway. No, Jesus, they didn't feed their dog pottery - they're not Manchester United fans


cockaskedforamartini

My nephews support Man City because their dad is a proper old school City fan. They’re knowledgeable as fuck about all levels of football. Wednesday is their second team, but they don’t watch them very often (why would you?) They also know that City have been cheating for years and aren’t necessarily that comfortable with it. When a punishment is finally delivered, they’ll likely be annoyed but accept it.


FjortoftsAirplane

Man City still have fans lurking about who remember when they were shite and playing in League One. An awful lot of plastic surrounding them, granted, but there's some proper fans in there.


No_Coyote_557

City used to have the real manc fans because The scum were 99% plastic. How things have changed.


Captainpatters

Recently the FA Cup replay fiasco has spawned some absolute howlers. Basically the pretence is that the entire structure of English football exists to suit their club's needs and smaller clubs and the EFL have a duty to kowtow to them when required.


Owz182

Once met a group of London club fans while on holiday, and they were teasing me about Swansea, who were at the time facing relegation from the Prem. They were just clueless, like I wasn’t at all embarrassed about potentially being relegated, because just being in the Prem by itself was amazing, and we’d been in dreamland just a few seasons before that. They don’t have the history of following their club in the bottom leagues, selling your club for a quid. To me, every season we stayed up in the Prem was just gravy, a privilege rather than something I was supposed to be embarrassed about. Also they don’t understand why lower league clubs don’t just go buy Mbappe and be amazing like they are. “Just be rich, idiot” kind of attitude


OkraEmergency361

Not knowing who we are, then complaining when I talk about my club (despite them living on the opposite side of the planet from the Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd that they support). Some yanks at least go ‘that place with the cathedral?’. I went to Germany to a second division game (St Pauli) and everyone knew who Cov were. Went to the arse end of Bosnia, people knew who Cov were. Went back to Germany and someone tried to set my Cov shirt on fire 😅 (while I was still wearing it). Yet every time I’ve talked to fans of big clubs in England they don’t know or give a toss about us. Honourable mention to one of the guys from Therapy? who’s a massive Chelsea fan and absolutely knew his shit. Very interesting train journey down to our cup game against them with the guy and a couple of other clueless blues.


mcmuffin0098

Most of my friends are "Big 6" fans as I'm American and basically no one supports one of the other clubs. The most insufferable are the United fans for whom not winning the league every year means their club is a total disaster akin to a Bury or something. The best are my Tottenham friends because they're like the least insufferable by a considerable margin. A few of my friends are Liverpool fans and they're all pretty chill, with them getting into the club not solely because "MuH good team" like the United fans, but rather because they all loved YNWA and Klopp. My cousin is an Arsenal fan so obviously I'm a bit biased towards them, but the Arsenal fans aren't to bad. I have a few friends who are City fans and as much as I ridicule them, they're actually the most chill about their club. Finally we have the Chelshit fans, and they're the most numerous, usually the least ball knowledge, and the easiest to make fun of for obvious reasons. But also, in the U.S. not everyone is just a top 6 fan. I have a friend whose team is Blackburn, a friend whose team is Palace, two friends whose team is Norwich, and a few Leicester fans who are friends of mine, and I just met a Watford fan a few days ago. Additionally, both my Grandfather and Uncle are Leeds fans, so there's that interesting little tid bit.


DC25NYC

As a Leeds fan in the US- I often have to explain why I support Leeds and not a Big 6 Side


Advanced-Echidna-937

Why do you not support an mls side?


Nosworthy

- In 2006 we drew 0-0 at Old Trafford on a Friday night in April. The result relegated us - but we were bottom of the league and finished with 15 points so that was a forgone conclusion anyway - but also scuppered their title challenge (Mourinho's second season at Chelsea). They were seriously pissed off. Walking out of Old Trafford after the game I had a Man United fan with a southern accent scream "fucking Northern cunts" in my face. Not quite sure where he thought Manchester was but it certainly lived up to the stereotype. - Tend not to take comments on here seriously, but laughed at a Chelsea fan trying to claim they were financial underdogs until Boehly arrived and Abramovic didn't spend a lot - The 'lol Tottenham are shit' and 'Man City have no fans' / 'Emptihad' brigade. Clueless idiots.


Glass_Addendum_7672

it honestly they have such a joyless view of football and it feels like they don't see the point of it outside the "elite" games. then you'll get them denigrating clubs that are historically successful but haven't won a cup for a while as if clubs like Villa and Leeds and Blackburn and even Tottenham have to justify their existence. I argue with a Man United fan at work about this all the time tbh


Advanced-Echidna-937

That's not the entire fanbase.


rumhambilliam69

Load of Man Utd fans in work have taken a big interest in us this year. One was telling me he watched our match against Hull the other day and enjoyed it. This is in rural Ireland where everybody supports a big 6 team so I think they take a bit more interest in Ipswich as it’s unusual for anybody round these parts to support somebody outside the norm.


T_Hr0

I saw a post on Instagram where a Liverpool fan (pretending to run an unbiased page) had made an all time PL XI. Said something like “If you disagree with this you have no ball knowledge.” The post had thousands of likes. Alisson in goal. Back line was TAA, Terry, Van Dijk, Robertson. The comments were even worse. There’s also a skew towards younger fans on social media which makes things worse. The amount of all time PL XI posts I see with Salah or Haaland up front instead of Shearer or Henry is hilarious. I think fans of Big 6 teams walk around believing they’re at the centre of a story written by Premier League Scriptwriters. Their fans all believe they’re the protagonists of English football. It feeds into the entitlement tbh. I was initially against the Super League but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to just let them fuck off for a bit.


No_Coyote_557

They are worse in rl. Glory hunting and insufferable, most of them.


chalkydupont

I get asked quite often, "but who's your big team?" as my eyes glaze over.


Dead_Namer

I don't really chat to then but I had to take a coach to a game and there were 4 SW London scum fans on there. They were arguing whether they were going to beat us 5 or 6 nil. I was so disappointed I didn't seem them on the trip back or it would have been as Kryten once said. "Smug mode engaged". You will find City fans supported that lot down the road when they were owned by the crooked Russian and then Man U before that. I cannot take that seriously, you cannot support a team without suffering.