What is a 'proper fan'?

[Red Bill]

Particularly with the recent cup match with Liverpool, there's been a lot of talk about proper fans and use of terms like 'plastics'. I was wondering what people thought constituted a 'proper fan'

Its been suggested that there are a hardcore of maybe 2500-3000 fans who turn up to every home game, and about 2000 floating fans who turn up when they can, that makes up the usual crowd on match days. I think the figure for the hardcore sounds about right but think the figure for floating fans is vastly underestimated. I wouldn't be surprised if the number of occasional fans isn't nearer to 5000-6000, somewhat borne out by the attendance for the Liverpool matches, the play off finals at Wembley and countless other big matches throughout are history that all City fans want to be at. There are those who perhaps attend 10 games a season and maybe the odd choice away match, then there are some who come to only 4 or 5 games a season and a great many who come even less. Since I moved back to the west country about 8 years ago, I've been been attending 17-18 home games and 7-10 aways, but in the previous nearly 40years, I had never been to more than 3 games in any one season, but I consider my self a life long fan. Am I wrong? Have I only been a fan for the last 8 years? Or am I still not a 'proper fan' because I don't go to every game home and away? But then I do make a round trip of 170 miles to watch each home game, so am I more of a fan than someone who lives on Well Street? Of course I'm not, we're all just fans who need no qualification from anywhere or anybody.

Personally I find this 'holier than thou'; I go to all the games so I'm a proper fan and you don't so you're a plastic, borderline fascist. There are so many reasons why people don't go to every game, from geography to family or other commitments to simply the fact that football isn't that high on their list of priorities. It doesn't mean they don't really like football or love their club. To me if someone considers themselves a fan of City and turns up to see them once in a while, then they're a fan. I truly believe that some people don't want anyone else to come to City, or thats certainly the way it seemed from some of the resentful comments on the Liverpool ticket thread, particularly for the game at Anfield.

I have the greatest respect for those fans who go to all 46 games in a season, they do their clubs proud, but it doesn't make them the only 'proper fans'. At the end of the day, who the hell is anyone to tell another person how they should enjoy football or support their team. We're all 'proper fans'.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

Go home & away every week - go once a season - go when ever you can , go when you fancy it.

It doesn't matter - City has and never will be big enough to turn people away

 

[Devon_Lad]

I went to Southend at home in '03, United home and away in 04/05 and Liverpool home and away in '15. Not to forget the two Wembley games.

Unless you have an Exeter City keyring and an ECFC mug to drink tea out of (the latter must be publicated on the 'what did you last have to drink thread') then you ain't proper City.

 

[geoffwp]

We're all 'proper fans'.

Absolutely bill,except the plastics of course. Oh,and anyone who also follows Liverpool though I don't think anyone on here is that daft. .
Good OP.

 

[contrabombarde]

Good post Red Bill....It's all in the definition I think, for example, my daughter and son in law call themselves Liverpool fans but yet as far as I know they have never put a penny into the Liverpool coffers. These sort of fans should be called "followers" If like me you attend City matches when you can ( bearing in mind financial and health restrictions) as we get older then you are a true fan.

There should be no competition as to who attends most matches or who puts in the most money into the club.....If your head and heart are in the club then you are a true fan.

While on the topic of watching City at Liverpool.....Who can blame anyone for wanting to watch their team play one of the most famous clubs in the world especially if there is always the faint hope of a shock win.

I have always considered myself a proper fan and will continue to do so even though in my heart I expect us to remain a middle of the road 2nd division club.......Where there's life there's always hope. Sorry for rambling.

 

[sladie]

the sort of thread id normally steer well clear of

BUT

I dont think anyone is more a fan that anyone else, what i do think is this, The hard core is around 3k that turn up even when we are dog mess, we then have a couple 1000 that due to work/family/playing on a saturday can only do half the games, these make up the other 5/600 on a home game, then we have the extra that come for rovers, yeovil argyle Luton and Oxford, depending on when the game is depends how many can make it

For the Liverpool game i think the club should have done a voucher system (for non ST holders) so when the tickets went on sale the people that go most weeks were sure to get a ticket, then the remaining say 3000 go on community sale, 99% of everyone at Anfield will have a connection to ECFC, yes they maybe Liverpool fans but they are prob the ones that turn up Boxing day, opening day of the season and Argyle

If we could somehow harness the extras and get them to come back even 6 times a season we would be in a better place

 

[Hants_red]

A real fan will have signed up to Exeweb.

 

[sladie]

A real fan will have signed up to Exeweb.

tongue in cheek comment??

I know fans that travel 200miles (round trip) for a home game (and see every game) but have never and would never sign up to a football forum...........

 

[geoffwp]

I guess if you were a 'true fan' of anything you would have a great interest in that subject. You would study it in a way so as to learn about it and become knowledgeable about it. If you aren't interested enough in the subject to do that, and you are content to remain ignorant about it, perhaps you might not be a true fan but more of a follower (to use contras term). Bill has mentioned the Liverpool game and that's an interesting one. I'm thinking of the dual city/Liverpool scarfs etc. A bloke I know got tickets for himself and his wife and they both wore those scarfs. He admits he was drawn to the game because of who the opposition was and the way it was presented in the press. I don't know the last time he ever went to a game but I do know when I mentioned Tom Nichols he looked at me blank. I have a feeling he may have thought I was talking about a character in East Enders!
So for me a 'proper fan gets involved in some way, going to games when they can but also taking an interest and knowing about the club. Are those others welcome? Of course they are. Maybe they in turn will be bitten by the same bug that bit all of us here and will become proper fans.

 

[Langer]

I'm a real fan cause I got a ticket for Liverpool home leg