| Location, Location and glory hunters 20:54 - May 31 with 15538 views | captainmycaptian |
Gents
I don't post much certainly don't start many threads. I think I need to vent. Why does it seem to me that it seems not to matter what manor you are from as what team you support. The arsenal love fest has really brought it home to me. Have seen so so many tops now they have won the league. A bit less after Saturday and a bit less gobby. Seen them in east London in south and the worst in the pavilion pub !! Rammed as well. It was always the way with the "I am a Liverpool fan or man u ect but the local area was rangers when i was younger. Now its just every where just and I don't get it. Almost a million arsenal fans they said. Are we as a club doing something wrong (not winning prob) but I think this applies to most of the smaller london clubs. Probably not Liverpool or Manchester. I just don't fathom how you can follow a club that you have no real geographical link to or family history or something other than they have won somethingor they are big. Just choose and support. Do they really support them, like most of you crazy fools that follow this club.? I am sure.it.was.more localised when.i was younger you never had the pavilion full.of arsenal "fans" I mean the shirts look very new. Can someone explain why or if this goes on else where in the country. ? I hope i explain my annoyance and perplexed state. Was the white horse full.of arsenal the tavern ? for information i am QPR of 85 onwards so was spoilt by the early 90s team. Surely this is an issue for the club to try and change and get the local people supporting. Not having a go.at any one who supports from a distance. I.dint make many games nowadays just some with my boys. If we are not pulling in locals what are we doing wrong. I am Ladbroke Grove based for info as area. Who lives the closest and who the furtherest out.of interest. [Post edited 31 May 21:03]
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| Location, Location and glory hunters on 10:36 - Jun 1 with 2165 views | nadera78 |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 23:59 - May 31 by Match82 |
I think it's 3 things in addition to what you called out:
1 - more people live as adults away from where they grew up than they used to so you see more "out of town" shirts that maybe genuinely have family/for reasons
2 - it used to be if you want to watch "your teams" games then you had to go to them, , and going was easier if you lived locally. Now, everything is on TV, so you don't need to attend in person and can do so from anywhere.
3 - the younger generation seem to have more attachment to individual players than the generations before. I don't really understand it but it's almost players first, team second. And certainly the best players play for the best teams.
The glory hunting thing is real too, but honestly, I think there was a fair chunk of that even back in the 80s and the reasons above just allowed it to be easier. |
This is all true. It's also that the Thierry Henry era coincided with the start of the huge demographic churn in London, so that swathes of people with no previous connection to this city saw them as the club to follow. It's quite interesting because historically Arsenal are the single most 'establishment' club in English football (marble halls, etc) but emerged from that era with a trendier, more internationalist feel. | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 10:54 - Jun 1 with 2113 views | stevec |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 10:07 - Jun 1 by TwoHalves |
That reminds me of the time I did ‘reading help’ in a school in Peckham (pre-Covid). I was struggling to engage with a rather boisterous 8-year-old so asked him if he supported any particular football team. “Ch*lsea”, was the disappointing reply.
Nevertheless I went along with this and brought in a number of QPR v Ch*lsea programmes from my collection. As he seemed happy reading the match reports, readers’ letters etc I repeated the process the following week but this time he wasn’t quite so keen.
“What’s the matter?”, I said. “Don’t support Ch*elsea any more”. “Oh, who do you support now?” “Arsenal”.
So, the following week I brought along my QPR v Arsenal programmes. We seemed to be making progress of some sort but a few days later a new problem had arisen: his allegiance was now with Manchester United.
Then Covid shut the schools down and I never saw the lad again. I do wonder what happened to him and who he might support now. |
Anyone but Rangers by the sound of it! |  | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 11:37 - Jun 1 with 2052 views | easthertsr |
I was brought up on a council house estate in welwyn garden city, all my school was either Arsenal or Tottenham . As a twelve year old I became fascinated by this div3 team winning every week and then winning the League cup! I got the bug, 59 years later I'm still here, so sorry no connection with West London at all, but a life long R! | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 12:31 - Jun 1 with 1984 views | Myke |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 10:27 - Jun 1 by Juzzie |
Came into the office today (Kings Cross station area) and loads of people in Arsenal shirts all with travel cases. Why would they need travel cases if they're supporting their local team......... |
Maybe just back from Budapest in fairness? | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 12:48 - Jun 1 with 1969 views | Juzzie |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 12:31 - Jun 1 by Myke |
Maybe just back from Budapest in fairness? |
ah, yes... didn't think of that!  |  | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 13:12 - Jun 1 with 1933 views | Superhoops2808 |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 12:48 - Jun 1 by Juzzie |
ah, yes... didn't think of that! |
I liked your post...
So I'll come clean and say that makes two of us  |  | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 13:15 - Jun 1 with 1928 views | NorthantsHoop |
Being brought up in the 1970s in Northolt at our high school it was pretty much QPR, Chelsea, some Arsenal and West Ham. Not many that I remember supported Liverpool or Man U. Arsenal have probably always been the biggest London club. In terms of following succesful clubs the impact of live league football on the tellly from around 1983 onwards and Sky a few years later totally changed the dynamic on let's just say the casual football fan and who they followed. Before regular live football on TV it was just Big Match, Match of the Day highlights and the FA Cup final that influenced the casual supporters allegience. |  | | |
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| Location, Location and glory hunters on 13:29 - Jun 1 with 1897 views | Watford_Ranger |
The boring answer is it’s at least in part thanks to a lot of marketing effort to turn them from the establishment, marble halls, George Graham etc. club of the early 90s into a ‘global brand’. It’s as much of a fashion brand as it is a football club. It’s become cool in a way other clubs even at their level haven’t mastered nearly as well.
Other factors too- they’ve always been a big club obviously, a trendy part of town meaning more celeb fans, a big ‘diaspora’ from being a bit ahead of the curve when it came to Irish and then black and then French/African players. Perhaps not as ahead of the curve as they like to make out but still a part of it. | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 14:28 - Jun 1 with 1830 views | Wegerles_Stairs |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 09:21 - Jun 1 by Konk |
With Arsenal, they were by far the most successful club in London until Abramovich turned up, and the Victoria and Piccadilly lines mean it's always been a pretty straight forward journey for a decent chunk of South and West London, as well as North London. I've known quite a few Arsenal fans from South London who supported Arsenal because of Rocastle, Davis, and Thomas, and then Ian Wright. |
Yes, I grew up south of the river. My best friend in early secondary school was Arsenal and this was during the Terry Neill/Don Howe years, so hardly glory hunting. Ditto my French teacher who would stop a lesson if one of us asked something about Arsenal, though he was Irish (Stapleton/Brady/O'Leary/etc). A bunch of us would go to matches there pretty regularly during the George Graham years.
tbh never minded them; just can't stand the style of football they play now and the narrative around it. Jonathan Wilson excusing them like they're some plucky non-league team - they're one of the biggest clubs in the world ffs!
Also, can The Guardian please stop publishing articles on how they represent the soul of London/football/immigrants/the petit bourgeois and how 'starved' their fans have been for 22 long years. | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 15:29 - Jun 1 with 1798 views | Superhoops2808 |
When I was growing up, at the age of six, QPR were being trumped for old Div 1 by a certain Liverpool (Yes you can do the maths) - I lived in South East London but the fact that they had been pipped at the post made me follow them. Plus they often won when my Nan's side (Leeds Utd - She was born in Leeds bless her) lost so I enjoyed that as a kid too.
My Dad kept dragging me along to the Old Den and then New Den and I hated them. So I stuck with QPR and got him to take me to the replay of the FA Cup Final in 82. Think he thought once we lost I would give up and move to Millwall - Pfft not a chance.
Anyway, come 1986 I was old enough to go to games on my own, so went to the semi final of the cup competition we dont mention with a Liverpool supporting mate and the rest is history. Was a ST holder for 15 years until I watched Bosingwa run off laughing the day we were relegated and me and the Mrs never renewed after that
Never lived in West London, but it does annoy me when people say well how can you support that team if you dont come from there.
On a side note regarding PSG, they have a very high African following so I am guessing that may be why we now have their club shop in this country to reflect the diversity of London - It was VERY loud in our local area Saturday night when Gabriel missed!! | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 16:03 - Jun 1 with 1780 views | captainmycaptian |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 11:27 - Jun 1 by TheChef |
Yeah there might be an instant link to chat, but it still doesn't mean you'll automatically like each other  |
Completely agree but there is the rarity that might at least let you find out if you can get on with them. I.mean all arsenal fans cant just chat ro.many of them. | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 16:06 - Jun 1 with 1774 views | captainmycaptian |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 11:37 - Jun 1 by easthertsr |
I was brought up on a council house estate in welwyn garden city, all my school was either Arsenal or Tottenham . As a twelve year old I became fascinated by this div3 team winning every week and then winning the League cup! I got the bug, 59 years later I'm still here, so sorry no connection with West London at all, but a life long R! |
Not having a go at all just wondering why the massive difference am.sure there was more geographical location influential on choice. Never would.you see a pub so close to the ground packed with arsenal fans never and the were locals as well. | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 16:08 - Jun 1 with 1765 views | joe90 |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 23:55 - May 31 by Wegerles_Stairs |
Yes, definitely seen more since they won the title. However, Arsenal have always had a large reach beyond Islington (and they are a South London team anyway). Obviously, there's the global fanbase too - there was an article on the Guardian website saying how Africa wanted them to win the Champions League.
Let's face it, it's no different to United in the 90s or Liverpool in the 80s. Most of their fans will never see them live and they are most concerned with going in the office on Monday saying 'they've' won against another random team. |
Interestingly, Woolwich was in Kent when Arsenal were founded. |  | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 16:11 - Jun 1 with 1761 views | captainmycaptian |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 14:28 - Jun 1 by Wegerles_Stairs |
Yes, I grew up south of the river. My best friend in early secondary school was Arsenal and this was during the Terry Neill/Don Howe years, so hardly glory hunting. Ditto my French teacher who would stop a lesson if one of us asked something about Arsenal, though he was Irish (Stapleton/Brady/O'Leary/etc). A bunch of us would go to matches there pretty regularly during the George Graham years.
tbh never minded them; just can't stand the style of football they play now and the narrative around it. Jonathan Wilson excusing them like they're some plucky non-league team - they're one of the biggest clubs in the world ffs!
Also, can The Guardian please stop publishing articles on how they represent the soul of London/football/immigrants/the petit bourgeois and how 'starved' their fans have been for 22 long years. |
I have informed the guardian to stop writing such wishy washy woke shite still.waiting for reply | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 16:16 - Jun 1 with 1742 views | captainmycaptian |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 15:29 - Jun 1 by Superhoops2808 |
When I was growing up, at the age of six, QPR were being trumped for old Div 1 by a certain Liverpool (Yes you can do the maths) - I lived in South East London but the fact that they had been pipped at the post made me follow them. Plus they often won when my Nan's side (Leeds Utd - She was born in Leeds bless her) lost so I enjoyed that as a kid too.
My Dad kept dragging me along to the Old Den and then New Den and I hated them. So I stuck with QPR and got him to take me to the replay of the FA Cup Final in 82. Think he thought once we lost I would give up and move to Millwall - Pfft not a chance.
Anyway, come 1986 I was old enough to go to games on my own, so went to the semi final of the cup competition we dont mention with a Liverpool supporting mate and the rest is history. Was a ST holder for 15 years until I watched Bosingwa run off laughing the day we were relegated and me and the Mrs never renewed after that
Never lived in West London, but it does annoy me when people say well how can you support that team if you dont come from there.
On a side note regarding PSG, they have a very high African following so I am guessing that may be why we now have their club shop in this country to reflect the diversity of London - It was VERY loud in our local area Saturday night when Gabriel missed!! |
My point is more along the lines of why do they not support their local team which to most of the bods in the pub was lprob at most half a mile away from them..surely if we are to survive we should be getting them in to LR ? | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 17:05 - Jun 1 with 1697 views | Padulas_Shampoo |
In my lifetime I've always considered Arsenal to be more of a 'franchise' club along with Man Utd and Liverpool. Community aspects have long since departed those three football clubs in favour of building a global high-worth brand. I'm sure someone that cares about all three will have a list of things they do in their respective local communities but for me that's somehow not the same. They use their local areas as a vehicle for virtue rather than understand that's their entire point of existence. The truth is they're not reliant on their local areas anymore and haven't been for at least a quarter of a century. They have bigger fish to fry. These days Man City and those dicks up the road have forced their way into that category too... despite having resisted the dark side for so long.
It's never made any sense to me how anyone could build any such feeling of belonging in those sorts of societies. It's wildly synthetic and there's probably only one thing that matters to the people that do - winning. They probably develop a mindset where there's no real point existing if you don't win whereas the MO of any community football club is that existence itself is paramount.
I can only assume those that follow those franchises from afar were never lucky enough to share the types of bonds that are nurtured at a proper community football club. If they weren't taken to one by a family member, if they didn't grow up with a football club gently woven into their family tradition or routine; how could they possibly understand? For them it was probably just reduced to a commoditised choice, much like buying a certain brand of car, trainers or clothes. On that basis it's not really surprising that people don't care about the geographical location of the club they elected to follow.
I rather pity those people. Not in a condescending or patronising way... far more literally than that. Being given the chance to fall in love with QPR and experience all that comes with that relationship is close to the top of a list of the things I'll die absolutely rim-full of gratitude for. I'm very aware of how lucky I am to have that relationship in my life and to literally not remember a time that it wasn't.
So philosophically... Maybe it's best to not get frustrated when you see these types of fans and consider that perhaps they weren't as fortunate as you. I know that sounds dramatic but I genuinely believe this goes far further than what shirt they happen to buy or whose results they happen to celebrate. Think of all the emotions they have missed out on, despite having a proactive interest in the sport. When you think of it like that, it's actually very sad.
I hope they enjoyed this season, wherever they're from. [Post edited 1 Jun 17:09]
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| Location, Location and glory hunters on 17:08 - Jun 1 with 1693 views | robith |
I was kind of ambivalent about Arsenal, but got mildly aggrieved when I decided to cancel a lunch reservation on Sunday cos it was on the parade route.
Fast forward to Sunday morning and the restaurant themselves cancelled and closed for the day as their staff we getting harassed by fans whilst trying to get into work.
Then they've left the place is an absolute stake. I'm not one for whataboutery but if it had been England, or like Glasgow Rangers, it would be national news.
NORTH LONDON FOREVER, or until I get the train back to when I'm actually from, f**k the people that actually live and work there |  | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 17:52 - Jun 1 with 1631 views | Wicca57 |
From my perspective, I was born and raised in Peterborough, when I was around 9 years old I used to do the "kick-a-bout" over the local rec' with all the other sprogs, at that time around 1966 everyone I played footie with were followers of the so called big teams at the time, spurs, Liverpool, Wolves, Leeds, I thought to myself I'm not going to be like you lot, I'll pick my own team and I chose Queens Park Rangers 😳😳😳, still here 60 years later, I go to see the great team of 75/76 I was at Wembley In '82 (couldn't make the replay) and I was there in 2014 | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 18:42 - Jun 1 with 1551 views | captainmycaptian |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 17:05 - Jun 1 by Padulas_Shampoo |
In my lifetime I've always considered Arsenal to be more of a 'franchise' club along with Man Utd and Liverpool. Community aspects have long since departed those three football clubs in favour of building a global high-worth brand. I'm sure someone that cares about all three will have a list of things they do in their respective local communities but for me that's somehow not the same. They use their local areas as a vehicle for virtue rather than understand that's their entire point of existence. The truth is they're not reliant on their local areas anymore and haven't been for at least a quarter of a century. They have bigger fish to fry. These days Man City and those dicks up the road have forced their way into that category too... despite having resisted the dark side for so long.
It's never made any sense to me how anyone could build any such feeling of belonging in those sorts of societies. It's wildly synthetic and there's probably only one thing that matters to the people that do - winning. They probably develop a mindset where there's no real point existing if you don't win whereas the MO of any community football club is that existence itself is paramount.
I can only assume those that follow those franchises from afar were never lucky enough to share the types of bonds that are nurtured at a proper community football club. If they weren't taken to one by a family member, if they didn't grow up with a football club gently woven into their family tradition or routine; how could they possibly understand? For them it was probably just reduced to a commoditised choice, much like buying a certain brand of car, trainers or clothes. On that basis it's not really surprising that people don't care about the geographical location of the club they elected to follow.
I rather pity those people. Not in a condescending or patronising way... far more literally than that. Being given the chance to fall in love with QPR and experience all that comes with that relationship is close to the top of a list of the things I'll die absolutely rim-full of gratitude for. I'm very aware of how lucky I am to have that relationship in my life and to literally not remember a time that it wasn't.
So philosophically... Maybe it's best to not get frustrated when you see these types of fans and consider that perhaps they weren't as fortunate as you. I know that sounds dramatic but I genuinely believe this goes far further than what shirt they happen to buy or whose results they happen to celebrate. Think of all the emotions they have missed out on, despite having a proactive interest in the sport. When you think of it like that, it's actually very sad.
I hope they enjoyed this season, wherever they're from. [Post edited 1 Jun 17:09]
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If I had the words this would be it | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 08:12 - Jun 2 with 1385 views | stevec |
At the bar of our hotel in Truelos bay, Skiathos, waiting to be taken to the flight home, when along the sea front walks a fella in his QPR shirt.
We’re everywhere, not an Arsenal shirt in sight. | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 08:26 - Jun 2 with 1363 views | johann28 |
Had a chat with a self-proclaimed Arsenal fan sporting a shiny looking team shirt on the tube going home from central London on Sunday evening. He claimed to have supported them 'for years' but when attempting to talk it was obvious that I knew more about them than he did. I suspect that he just bought the shirt to watch the final game and feel good by being part of the merry mass on Sunday. Sad, If you ask me, but understandable I guess.
That was my judgement until he told me that, as with me of course, that he'd been born in Hammersmith. Treasonous tw*t. [Post edited 2 Jun 8:30]
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| Location, Location and glory hunters on 09:39 - Jun 2 with 1308 views | thehat |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 17:05 - Jun 1 by Padulas_Shampoo |
In my lifetime I've always considered Arsenal to be more of a 'franchise' club along with Man Utd and Liverpool. Community aspects have long since departed those three football clubs in favour of building a global high-worth brand. I'm sure someone that cares about all three will have a list of things they do in their respective local communities but for me that's somehow not the same. They use their local areas as a vehicle for virtue rather than understand that's their entire point of existence. The truth is they're not reliant on their local areas anymore and haven't been for at least a quarter of a century. They have bigger fish to fry. These days Man City and those dicks up the road have forced their way into that category too... despite having resisted the dark side for so long.
It's never made any sense to me how anyone could build any such feeling of belonging in those sorts of societies. It's wildly synthetic and there's probably only one thing that matters to the people that do - winning. They probably develop a mindset where there's no real point existing if you don't win whereas the MO of any community football club is that existence itself is paramount.
I can only assume those that follow those franchises from afar were never lucky enough to share the types of bonds that are nurtured at a proper community football club. If they weren't taken to one by a family member, if they didn't grow up with a football club gently woven into their family tradition or routine; how could they possibly understand? For them it was probably just reduced to a commoditised choice, much like buying a certain brand of car, trainers or clothes. On that basis it's not really surprising that people don't care about the geographical location of the club they elected to follow.
I rather pity those people. Not in a condescending or patronising way... far more literally than that. Being given the chance to fall in love with QPR and experience all that comes with that relationship is close to the top of a list of the things I'll die absolutely rim-full of gratitude for. I'm very aware of how lucky I am to have that relationship in my life and to literally not remember a time that it wasn't.
So philosophically... Maybe it's best to not get frustrated when you see these types of fans and consider that perhaps they weren't as fortunate as you. I know that sounds dramatic but I genuinely believe this goes far further than what shirt they happen to buy or whose results they happen to celebrate. Think of all the emotions they have missed out on, despite having a proactive interest in the sport. When you think of it like that, it's actually very sad.
I hope they enjoyed this season, wherever they're from. [Post edited 1 Jun 17:09]
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I love this......perfectly written.
Followers of the big franchise clubs will never understand how we can be so emotional and passionate about a Kieran Morgan last minute winner at home to Birmingham on a Tuesday night in a half empty stadium. | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 10:28 - Jun 2 with 1269 views | losethedrum |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 16:16 - Jun 1 by captainmycaptian |
My point is more along the lines of why do they not support their local team which to most of the bods in the pub was lprob at most half a mile away from them..surely if we are to survive we should be getting them in to LR ? |
I agree with your point on supporting the local side , however despite some small midweek home attendances of 13/14k we averaged 16,840 with most saturday home games sold out or near our current capacity of just 17,500 so we cant actually get that many more in to Loftus road . | | | |
| Location, Location and glory hunters on 10:47 - Jun 2 with 1235 views | NorrisGreen |
Those Arsenal fans converged on London from all over London, the UK, the world. I'm sure if we won the Premier League, tens of thousands of ex-pat Rs fans would decide to pay homage by spending a day or the weekend on a trip to The Bush and lots of locals with varying levels of affiliation to the club would hang out their windows.
Obviously Arsenal are a massive club with loads of armchair followers and we wouldn't muster a million "fans" for anything. But, in the exact same circumstances I'd guess 50 to 100,00ish would pop out to wave at the bus (and get very very drunk). | | | |
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