Pretty much a random shower thought but got me thinking.
A Big 6 fan has got the success, the chances at winning trophies regularly, their team generally wins most weeks, they get to see the best of the best play for their club. Their team is recognised around the world. They get to watch European football almost every year. If you can’t attend games you can watch them on TV most weeks because they get shown more often.
On the other hand, you’ve got the ungodly amount of toxicity. Big 6 fans are absolutely rabid towards each other. Every match thread is a cesspit of anger. You’re constantly looking at the other teams at the top and hoping they lose as well. You get all the mockery when your team dares to not pick up 3 points in a match. Every refereeing/VAR decision that goes against them is met with cries of corruption, that there is a conspiracy against the club or to favour another club. Is the high of winning as much as the low of losing for them?
An other 14 fan on the other hand, success is hard to come by. Other than perhaps a run at the FA Cup or Carabao Cup, maybe an occasional Europa League appearance, you’re basically cheering for not getting relegated every season. You know that chances are you may never see your team lift a trophy in your lifetime.
On the other hand (I know I’ve repeated that phrase too much), every win perhaps feels more special. And if you do win a trophy, or that European run, or that promotion from the Championship, it’s the best thing ever. You don’t have those weeks where you’re expecting an easy 4-0 win and anything less is unacceptable, you genuinely never know what you’re going to get and every win is huge. You can generally have a nice chat about your team rather than “ugh you support ___, grr grr grr i am going to tell you why they are the evil of this world”. You’re not going to see a loss memed about by the rest of the footballing world for the entire week. You don’t have to sit through an entire week of analysing why VAR has ruined football because they hate your team specifically. (Seriously, as much as Liverpool had that dodgy Spurs game, if they’d have had the season Wolves have had so far with referees there would be outrage on another level and City would probabaly have a few additional charges.)
Being a fan is better if you support the other 14 but watching it through the media is boring and makes you give up on the game entirely
I find the media impairs my experience of football rather than enhances it. Having a team that the media doesn’t care about sounds pretty sweet.
Teams 4-7 are the most fun. Are you getting CL or Europa? Are you unlucky enough to get Europa conference, so many movable parts in those few spots
Depends on you. Are you the type of fan who likes X club and then football (usually people whose family supported one club and it goes back generations) or do you enjoy football and then support a team becuase something about them you enjoy.
I’m the latter. As a resut, I enjoy any experience. I liked following Palace back in the 2013s, I liked following Wolves when they were killing it inthe championship, Brentford’s come up, Newcastle and Rafa and Brighton as well. I liked watching Newcastle last season when they were trying to mkae CL, I really enjoyed watching Brighton too.
Heck I enjoy watching my local club in the lowest league of english football. give me enjoyable football and i’ll watch. Not sure why people are so extrmeley loyal to one club, you’re really missing out!