Plastic Fans In 2022

[Beighton Owl 87]

43 minutes ago, R-Sole14 said:

Where do I fit as a Wednesday fan with no connection other than watching them on telly?

Plastic

[Drewswfc]

I can't stand it. It makes my ******** boil when I see a youngun walking about in Sheffield with a manure/Barcelona or any other team shirt on.

I blame there parents, clubs owned by multi multi millionaires paying players hundreds of thousands of pounds a week all getting donations from young kids parents all over the world. 

If everyone supported their local club there wouldn't be the disparity in football there is now.

[R-Sole14]

52 minutes ago, Beighton Owl 87 said:

Plastic

Good thing I’ve plenty of half and half scarves from all our big matches I can cry into after such a hurtful comment.
 

[matthefish2002]

I don't think people are committing a crime or anything but do find it strange that many people and not just younger ones follow a football team more of a fashion accessory rather than a reason of any local connection.

Would find it difficult to have an attachment to any side in any sport without them representing the area I am from.

 

[Beighton Owl 87]

1 hour ago, R-Sole14 said:

Good thing I’ve plenty of half and half scarves from all our big matches I can cry into after such a hurtful comment.
 

[sheffield_dave]

13 minutes ago, matthefish2002 said:

I don't think people are committing a crime or anything but do find it strange that many people and not just younger ones follow a football team more of a fashion accessory rather than a reason of any local connection.

Would find it difficult to have an attachment to any side in any sport without them representing the area I am from.

 

I agree completely but think there could be counter arguments.

 

Do fans abroad spend more money than local fans? Would a viewer in China argue the commitment of buying as much merchandise as they do, getting up at the times they do to watch games, and the effort they make to travel to the stadium (no matter how occasionally) is a bigger commitment?

 

Maybe the real answer is actually that a “fashion statement” approach is actually better. That “legacy fans” are ridiculous and a bunch of sad acts for placing this much importance on 11 blokes kicking a ball about. Maybe “plastic” fans have got it right by having other things going on in their lives, and the buying a shirt and just looking out for that teams results is actually completely fine.. 

 

Just playing devils advocate..

[matthefish2002]

10 minutes ago, sheffield_dave said:

I agree completely but think there could be counter arguments.

 

Do fans abroad spend more money than local fans? Would a viewer in China argue the commitment of buying as much merchandise as they do, getting up at the times they do to watch games, and the effort they make to travel to the stadium (no matter how occasionally) is a bigger commitment?

 

Maybe the real answer is actually that a “fashion statement” approach is actually better. That “legacy fans” are ridiculous and a bunch of sad acts for placing this much importance on 11 blokes kicking a ball about. Maybe “plastic” fans have got it right by having other things going on in their lives, and the buying a shirt and just looking out for that teams results is actually completely fine.. 

 

Just playing devils advocate..

 

Manchester United always got accused most of having 'plastic fans', I wonder with they fall from grace in recent times they fans from abroad has gone down?
 

[H2Owl]

It's just the way it is - With Sky now all you ever see is Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City. It feels like they are the only teams that exist and it's easy for kids to support one of those teams.

 

Would be good if Sky committed to showing 1 live EFL match per week from each of the 3 football leagues instead of just the 'big 4' or 'big 6' of whatever the number is now. 

[Kopparberg]

3 hours ago, sheffield_dave said:

Maybe “plastic” fans have got it right by having other things going on in their lives, and the buying a shirt and just looking out for that teams results is actually completely fine.. 

 

Just playing devils advocate.

I think I’ve just realised what it is… it’s a mixture of the above and a ‘risk free/misery free’ way of feeling connected to something but without the ‘hurt’ involved.

 

(If they’ve picked a top 6 team) 

[beswetherick]

8 hours ago, R-Sole14 said:

Where do I fit as a Wednesday fan with no connection other than watching them on telly?

A masochist?

 

 

[Geedee]

8 hours ago, H2Owl said:

It's just the way it is - With Sky now all you ever see is Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City. It feels like they are the only teams that exist and it's easy for kids to support one of those teams.

 

Would be good if Sky committed to showing 1 live EFL match per week from each of the 3 football leagues instead of just the 'big 4' or 'big 6' of whatever the number is now. 

It's all about viewing figures  forget the other three leagues who accept their own  fans wants to a premier league game like Fulham v Bournemouth 

[Maddogbob]

Personally I do have an issue with it.

 

But it's more of a way the terms are used.

 

If you don't attend games, but watch on TV, you are a fan. IE you watch an epl team your are a fan of said epl team.

 

If you attend you are supporting the club, in a physical sense. So you are a supporter.

 

Now I know someone will come along and say, well I pay in via ifollow. You arnt physically there. So sorry on that basis you are a Fan. You enjoy the game, but you are in your own home and not physically supporting the team in person.

 

There is no issue with either.

 

When you start being a bellend and have 4 teams then you are plastic. That needs people being burned. For that shiz.

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Maddogbob

[Putney]

22 hours ago, sheffield_dave said:

I agree completely but think there could be counter arguments.

 

Do fans abroad spend more money than local fans? Would a viewer in China argue the commitment of buying as much merchandise as they do, getting up at the times they do to watch games, and the effort they make to travel to the stadium (no matter how occasionally) is a bigger commitment?

 

Maybe the real answer is actually that a “fashion statement” approach is actually better. That “legacy fans” are ridiculous and a bunch of sad acts for placing this much importance on 11 blokes kicking a ball about. Maybe “plastic” fans have got it right by having other things going on in their lives, and the buying a shirt and just looking out for that teams results is actually completely fine.. 

 

Just playing devils advocate..

 

Considering how finite are lives are, it is interesting how people choose to spend their free time following a team that'll ******** them off much more often than not.

 

 

[SiJ]

Got quite a few mates who support one of the big 6, proper plastics. 

 

Tbf, one of them got to a few games at Anfield last season for the first time probably in decades. 

 

It is what it is, but trying to talk football with these people can be somewhat arduous. 

 

The thing is, I reckon most football fans know a fair bit about Man U, Liverpool etc., - I mean, how could you not given the level of media coverage they get!?

 

On the other hand, they don't have a Scooby Doo about anything outside the Top 6 and will often talk about Wednesday and other teams in a pretty patronising tone. 

[R-Sole14]

19 minutes ago, SiJ said:

Got quite a few mates who support one of the big 6, proper plastics. 

 

Tbf, one of them got to a few games at Anfield last season for the first time probably in decades. 

 

It is what it is, but trying to talk football with these people can be somewhat arduous. 

 

The thing is, I reckon most football fans know a fair bit about Man U, Liverpool etc., - I mean, how could you not given the level of media coverage they get!?

 

On the other hand, they don't have a Scooby Doo about anything outside the Top 6 and will often talk about Wednesday and other teams in a pretty patronising tone. 

 

I think that last sentence is what a plastic fan is. Here you could comfortably say over 90% of people support one of the Top 6. The majority of them you could term plastic.

 

In saying that, there are some who do support on of the Top 6 but do have a interest in football outside of the Top 6. It's just the team they support lives inside that bubble and people gravitate to success. Those people you can have a good conversation with about football, while they may have limited knowledge outside of the Premier League they enjoy talking about it.

 

Obviously, I didn't start supporting Wednesday because I got excited by the prospect supporting a team aiming for promotion out of the third tier. I guess that's why I'm a Plastic Masochist.

[Maddogbob]

You arn't a plastic though buddy. You are a fan. You could have abandoned Wednesday when they slipped down the league's. Most plastics, well that's kinda what they do.

 

You watch games and although you arn't physically there, you pay in to do that. 

 

Ergo fan.

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Maddogbob

[R-Sole14]

11 minutes ago, Maddogbob said:

You arn't a plastic though buddy. You are a fan. You could have abandoned Wednesday when they slipped down the league's. Most plastics, well that's kinda what they do.

 

You watch games and although you arn't physically there, you pay in to do that. 

 

Ergo fan.

 

 

 

 

I don't think I'm a plastic. I don't think anyone is calling me plastic either, without tongue in cheek. I mean if someone actually wants to label me a plastic, that's fine though.

[Maddogbob]

13 minutes ago, R-Sole14 said:

 

I don't think I'm a plastic. I don't think anyone is calling me plastic either, without tongue in cheek. I mean if someone actually wants to label me a plastic, that's fine though.

By definition you arn't for me, yeah I get the humour side, but for me I'm just stating that you arn't.

 

There is a huge difference. 

 

Being sorta labelled a plastic hits a nerve UK wise. Difference in cultures, Aussies are more laid back in that respect.

 

I imagine you have something similar in Australian sports ie folks following the top teams, although travel to games (unless your pretty local). Isn't something that can be done regularly due to distance. So that sorta changes things.

 

For example AFL/NRL  fans in Perth following Melbourne teams etc.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Maddogbob

[R-Sole14]

34 minutes ago, Maddogbob said:

By definition you arn't for me, yeah I get the humour side, but for me I'm just stating that you arn't.

 

There is a huge difference. 

 

Being sorta labelled a plastic hits a nerve UK wise. Difference in cultures, Aussies are more laid back in that respect.

 

I imagine you have something similar in Australian sports ie folks following the top teams, although travel to games (unless your pretty local). Isn't something that can be done regularly due to distance. So that sorta changes things.

 

For example AFL/NRL  fans in Perth following Melbourne teams etc.

 

 

 

Because of salary caps in our competitions teams struggle to sustain success over a long period, so it's not so much of an issue. Plus culturally here, fans of the other clubs would absolutely try and peg any plastic fans down.

 

If a news site here had their top 4 sports stories about a single club (Major scandal/achievement withstanding) they would be absolutely slated.

 

 

[Geedee]

A lot of people have a preference for one of the big clubs. My club is Wednesday but I have always followed Manchester United mostly because of George Best and also Barcelona because I lived in Spain for a while and a mate of mine was a big fan.