Some will call me fickle, a turncoat. A more select, possibly imbalanced section of the audience may suggest I’m a man not to be trusted. But so it goes, because I’ve ditched my football team; committed the cardinal sin. And now I’m telling you why.
Roger Bennett of the venerable Men in Blazers suggests we do not choose the teams we support, but have them bequeathed through family or location.
For an Australian supporting an English Premier League team, the latter is out of the equation, and so I supported my father’s team. That team was Chelsea.
As children we’re immune to the politics of sports, and I wore the blue for 10 successful, if controversial years, initially ignorant of the club’s nefarious reputation.
When rationally assessing the state of modern sports, we know our commitment to our teams will never be matched by the players or managers. And while our support of is key to these clubs’ survival, it’s clear that the clubs themselves – who need our support in the grounds and through cladding ourselves in their kit – don’t have the fans’ interests at heart. Still, we support, we cheer, we build and revel in community, even halfway across the world.
But my relationship with Chelsea became complicated, then untenable.
When I first read that Chelsea had backed their manager, Jose Mourinho, in the case against club doctor Eva Carneiro, something in me snapped. At that moment I was wearing my season 2014-15 shirt, as my three-year-old daughter was treating the imagined injuries of her soft toys. Though the percentages are low, my daughter might pursue a medical career. She might rise through the ranks and become an esteemed member of a large corporation. If she was bullied unfairly I’d expect her employer to back her, no matter what pressure came from elsewhere.
Mourinho, unsurprisingly, acted like a dick and the club should have sanctioned him. It did not – it pushed Carneiro out. And this broke the camel’s back.
Say nothing of the club’s ownership, the character of the man whose riches pushed a perpetual mid-table club to the top of Europe. Disregard captain-legend-leader John Terry and his cartoonish villainy. Ignore the ugly, mercenary football the team plays.
Instead, focus on the message a father sends his daughter by supporting an organisation who think nothing of acting as bullies towards a woman doing her job (and doing it well, within the laws and expectations of the Football Association).
Must we loyally stand beside these vast corporate machines as they pillage and burn their way through the business of global football? Old ideas say we must. I say no.
If your club doesn’t reflect your values, how you behave and wish for others to behave, leave ’em. Support a low-level team. Get involved in grassroots football. Forget the team of the father and choose your own. Let your children choose their’s too, no matter how painful it might later become.
So I’ve put my Chelsea kit on eBay (not many interested in my 2012-13 Torres shirt I must say – grab a bargain!), cancelled my subscriptions to their TV and fan club services, and turned my attentions elsewhere. I feel relieved, energised, and less of a fraud when my daughter and I sit down to watch football.
Call me a fickle turncoat all you wish. Your illogical, emotional commitment to clubs who perform all manner of ugly acts as you parade their shirts and scarfs is old and daft. And your continued commitment to these fools means the circus will continue.
Andy
Guest
So you have ditched your club mainly because of one instance? That happens to coincide with them being rubbish. I dont think you were ever a real fan, mainly because at the end of your article you decry those of us who do support our clubs as illogical and daft, as if that is a bad thing. Love is illogical and daft and thats what supporting a club is, it is love. You have to think that even if you are 0-3 down with 5 minutes to go that you can still win, you know logically that you probably wont but you know illogically that you will win, just leaving it to the last minute to be more dramatic. You have left a club because of a few of those who are managing it, they are not the club and if you think they are you are the daft and illogical one. I support manchester united, as my dad and his dad do and did seeing as my whole family comes from Manchester (my mother went to university in Liverpool so supports them, the fact that my parents are married and still in love is another example of how illogical love is), but as big as Fergie was he was never bigger than the club, anything he or a player or a group of players did that i disagreed with id deal with because i knew that they were mere custodians of my club. You dont ditch a beautiful idea because some asses screw it up a little for a little time, unless you never actually believed in the idea in the first place.
Woodo
Guest
How many of you blokes are going to blatantly skip over the fact that he clearly stated he supported Chelsea because it was his father's team? Poor bloke's getting crucified here.
144
Roar Guru
"And your continued commitment to these fools means the circus will continue." Are you referring to Chelsea or any English or European club?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
I started following Chelsea from the days of watching them occasionally on The Big Match. Sometimes as a Second Division struggler. So, I'm no recent bandwagon passenger. All my mates who had even a passing interest in English Football back then, followed the red clubs: Arsenal, United, & Liverpool. Winning clubs. I chose blue instead. I'm not sure why, but I'm not switching now. Or ever.
Kaks
Roar Guru
Did you not read it properly? The whole Man vs Woman thing was portrayed by the media when Mourinho had an issue with both doctors who attended to Hazard. One doctor was a Man, one doctor was a Woman. "At least Liverpool &, Man United, the 2 most succesful clubs in the history of British football, started with a Bill Shankly or a Matt Busby" Great, and? You do realise that this is 2015 not 1960. Move on mate LOL
Ron Swanson
Guest
Blame the media...from a Chelsea fans perspective or a neutral fans perspective?? Or did you get the "proper" version via a Cheslki fanzine? At least Liverpool &, Man United, the 2 most succesful clubs in the history of British football, started with a Bill Shankly or a Matt Busby. They won't be linked with bringing success via a bottomless money pit from a crooked Russian oil oligarch overnight! Plenty of Russian Olympic doctors looking for a gig, although she was a Physio!
marron
Roar Guru
They get a carefree existence, the ability to partake in banter without it meaning much, the fun of following a team without having to buy a season ticket or actually attend games, the ability to watch games on TV whenever they feel like it, the chance to see a happy ending on a regular basis, a general lack of angst, a nice new shirt every year or two... Where's the fun in that?
Daws
Guest
"In all seriousness, though, I think that if a club that you have supported starts doing things that you feel are out of sync with your values, then absolutely you should reconsider your support. People shouldn’t be fans through gritted teeth." Too right. See the exodus of West Coast Eagles supporters in the mid-2000's to Fremantle in the AFL. The culture at the club appeared to be atrocious and so they lost fans.
SM
Guest
I have never been able to understand the mentality of a glory hunter. What do they honestly get out of it?
colin
Guest
Nothing wrong with ditching a team. I used to be Chelsea then switched to Tottenham. I never clicked with Chelsea and somehow Spurs won me over. It is almost like I followed Chelsea because they were going through the Abramovich era just for the gloryhunting however once that faded I felt there is nothing else about that team which sits with me. Spurs won't win as much but I love them and feel a deep connection with that team.
Matt Horne
Roar Rookie
"Through thick & thin" Really? Try being a Southampton supporter. I'm regularly amused by the vast majority of Australian EPL supporters who claim to support Man U, Arsenal, & Liverpool but who can barely name a player. Of course the rise of Chelsea & Man City fans in the last decade, might just coincide with their success, possibly?
Fadida
Guest
The ultimate glory fan
Kaks
Roar Guru
@Fadida - " the author has moral issues with Chelsea now, when they are 16th. If they were first he’d be snuggled under his Chelsea doona" Couldn't agree more.
Fadida
Guest
Yet he stood by them with JT's racist outburst against Anton Ferdinand, and again when their "fans" booed the player he abused. Why, because they were top of the league
Fadida
Guest
Nah, the issue is they're losing....
Fadida
Guest
Did I say "ruined"?? This argument has been done to death but, the likes of Arsenal and United got rich through good business. Chelsea were very competitive but it was only when Roman spent the money he fleeced. City would still be mid table without a billionaire taking over. They haven't ruined football. It had made the list of potential winners bigger. They are subject to fickle glory boys though :) even in saying that City have some of the most loyal fans in the game who had an awful 80's and 90's Back to my actual point though, the author has moral issues with Chelsea now, when they are 16th. If they were first he'd be snuggled under his Chelsea doona
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Fairweather fan jumps off when the going gets a little rocky. It's a common story in sports all around the globe. Why anyone would write an article about it though I have no idea.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"gameday is a massive part of it...., visiting church" Amen Two types of fans. Those who engage the wholistic experience.. And those who are 'quality-football' groupies/snobs confined to circle jerking over messi on foxtel.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
"Losing interest in a team that plays on the other side of the world? Bit like maintaining a relationship with a lover living in London that you’ve only ever Skyped with, bar that quick holiday she came over for. Hardly a relationship at all." Genius.
Kaks
Roar Guru
lol KP, how misguided you are Mourinho had an issue with the club doctors, it was both a man and women (so it's not some misogynistic thing you believe it to be, but dont let that get in the way of your narrative). The media portrayed it as a Man vs a Woman because....it sells papers and dumb people like you buy into it. There are no racist chants by the club fans, all you saw were some racist idiots on train in Paris who were rightfully banned from the club - every club has those idiots. I dont even know what flaunting the financial rules means, but the club are the only ones who seem to have obeyed the FFP rules and changed their club model to suit the new rules. How is abiding the rules a bad thing?