Comments on: How Did You Fall In Love With Your Football Team? http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156 Daily News & Analysis of the English Premier League Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:52:53 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Pandamonium http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-28806 Pandamonium Sat, 15 Nov 2008 23:38:05 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-28806 Growing up in California, I never followed soccer but when I was living in England for a few months after college, that's all there was to follow. First match I saw at the pub was Arsenal v. Man U in the Fall of '00. Arsenal won 1-0 with the lone goal scored by Henry (I think most remember that goal). I was hooked. Growing up in California, I never followed soccer but when I was living in England for a few months after college, that's all there was to follow. First match I saw at the pub was Arsenal v. Man U in the Fall of '00. Arsenal won 1-0 with the lone goal scored by Henry (I think most remember that goal). I was hooked.

]]> By: Gunner Fan http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22784 Gunner Fan Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:24:51 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22784 I'm a big Nick Hornby fan, and I read Fever Pitch years ago even though I knew or cared little about soccer, so I was at least aware of Arsenal. Then I got hooked on the sport during the '06 World Cup and decided to really follow it. I started learning about the teams and the whole "big 4" thing and decided it would be kind of lame to support one of them. I actually thought I might pick Spurs! But then I watched every game I could for months, and by the middle of the season Thierry Henry, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal had completely won me over.<br><br>Then I met my girlfriend, who happens to be from England, SE London to be precise. Her dad supports Charlton so now I follow them as well. I'm a big Nick Hornby fan, and I read Fever Pitch years ago even though I knew or cared little about soccer, so I was at least aware of Arsenal. Then I got hooked on the sport during the '06 World Cup and decided to really follow it. I started learning about the teams and the whole “big 4″ thing and decided it would be kind of lame to support one of them. I actually thought I might pick Spurs! But then I watched every game I could for months, and by the middle of the season Thierry Henry, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal had completely won me over.

Then I met my girlfriend, who happens to be from England, SE London to be precise. Her dad supports Charlton so now I follow them as well.

]]> By: mark http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22699 mark Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:42:40 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22699 One of my earliest childhood memories was with my friends at the park, we was about to start playing football and we was arguing about who was going to be John Barnes as we was about to play football. I guess this is where my love for Liverpool started that, wow i guess that must have been 15 or so years ago. One of my earliest childhood memories was with my friends at the park, we was about to start playing football and we was arguing about who was going to be John Barnes as we was about to play football. I guess this is where my love for Liverpool started that, wow i guess that must have been 15 or so years ago.

]]> By: Canuck http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22297 Canuck Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:12:04 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22297 Living in Canada it was hard to catch football matches since it wasn’t very popular. My dad taught me right away though that it was the best sport ever and called football not soccer. <br><br>I never really watched club matches that much besides the Serie A matches my coach made my team watch and the Arsenal matches my dad would occasionally watch. One of my teammates eventually demanded I start watching a league regularly since I played the sport. So I started with the 2000-2001 EPL season. I was quickly amazed by a Dutchman who seemed to score with easy. I started following his team and one day at practice told my teammates that I supported Manchester United now. Most of them groaned and said I only picked them because they always win. I tried to explain why I picked Man U, but still to this day they still tease me that I only picked them because they always win. Living in Canada it was hard to catch football matches since it wasn’t very popular. My dad taught me right away though that it was the best sport ever and called football not soccer.

I never really watched club matches that much besides the Serie A matches my coach made my team watch and the Arsenal matches my dad would occasionally watch. One of my teammates eventually demanded I start watching a league regularly since I played the sport. So I started with the 2000-2001 EPL season. I was quickly amazed by a Dutchman who seemed to score with easy. I started following his team and one day at practice told my teammates that I supported Manchester United now. Most of them groaned and said I only picked them because they always win. I tried to explain why I picked Man U, but still to this day they still tease me that I only picked them because they always win.

]]> By: StagsFan http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22281 StagsFan Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:24:10 +0000 http://www.epltalk.com/how-did-you-fall-in-love-with-your-football-team/3156#comment-22281 I grew up in the 70's a small town in the Pennsylvania mountains, called "Mansfield". Although Pennsylvania is an American football hotbed, the communities in this area are quite small and were settled by Scottish/British immigrant farmers. Naturally, soccer was the fall sport in the schools as opposed to American football so I am one of the few Americans of this generation who played the game as a youth all the way through school.<br><br>One Sunday, at age 14, I was reading the sports pages and noticed that they were posting all of the tables from the four English divisions. I had heard of a few of the teams in the top division (namely Liverpool) but some of the other names (Tottenham Hostpur and West Bromwich Albion) made me chuckle so I kept reading.<br><br>In the middle of the Third Division, I couldn't believe my eyes ... Mansfield Town ... matching my own hometown! I immediately wrote a letter to the club and introduced myself as their probably most passionate American supporter.<br><br>Later that year, Mansfield Town earned promotion to the 2nd Division for their one and only time and each Sunday I tore open the paper to see where my club stood. Since then, I've followed the club through many highs (such as FA Cup 3rd & 4th round fixtures) but nothing like the low of last season's relegation to the Conference.<br><br>I now have two teenagers of my own who both play soccer. They took endless enjoyment last season whenever Fox Soccer Report displayed the tables and I would scream at the TV, "Come on you Stags" but I think they've learned a few things about being a true fan from watching me agonize over my clubs fortunes, I grew up in the 70's a small town in the Pennsylvania mountains, called “Mansfield”. Although Pennsylvania is an American football hotbed, the communities in this area are quite small and were settled by Scottish/British immigrant farmers. Naturally, soccer was the fall sport in the schools as opposed to American football so I am one of the few Americans of this generation who played the game as a youth all the way through school.

One Sunday, at age 14, I was reading the sports pages and noticed that they were posting all of the tables from the four English divisions. I had heard of a few of the teams in the top division (namely Liverpool) but some of the other names (Tottenham Hostpur and West Bromwich Albion) made me chuckle so I kept reading.

In the middle of the Third Division, I couldn't believe my eyes … Mansfield Town … matching my own hometown! I immediately wrote a letter to the club and introduced myself as their probably most passionate American supporter.

Later that year, Mansfield Town earned promotion to the 2nd Division for their one and only time and each Sunday I tore open the paper to see where my club stood. Since then, I've followed the club through many highs (such as FA Cup 3rd & 4th round fixtures) but nothing like the low of last season's relegation to the Conference.

I now have two teenagers of my own who both play soccer. They took endless enjoyment last season whenever Fox Soccer Report displayed the tables and I would scream at the TV, “Come on you Stags” but I think they've learned a few things about being a true fan from watching me agonize over my clubs fortunes,

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