Fulham fans, and how they are all "Ruperts"

[Whiteroom]

This is something that I presume you all hear a lot. One of the VERY regular criticisms of Fulham is that its fan base is full of 'toffs'. I don't actually think that it's really true, but presuming we do have a larger 'posh' contingent than most clubs, what is the problem?

[Jack Fulham]

I don't go to away games. Too busy playing polo :54:

Fan base has never really bothered but a lot of people seem to be obsessed with it.

[SimpleTactics]

I don't go to away games. Too busy playing polo :54:

Fan base has never really bothered but a lot of people seem to be obsessed with it.

Yes Jack

[Fulham76]

You shouldn't be allowed within 1,000 yards of the cottage without a tweed jacket & cravat!

[Berserker]

I'm not Posh but seeing as i'm adopted maybe i'm a secret Cynthia

[Logicalman]

If those that believe we are all Ruperts on here had any idea about the history of the Hammersmith & Fulham area over the past 60 years, and the people, then they'd understand how wrong they are.

Basically, I couldn't care less, because once I meet one of them, they can tell right away I'm from good working class stock, and VERY proud of it. My parents were from Walthamstow and Blackfriars, and we were drug up in the Peabody Estate, so there's not a lot of Rupert-class in that!

[Lighthouse]

Does our own poster 'Rupert' know about this? He should be told.


I have never understood class. I was brought up to treat the hoypoloi and the comman people almost as equals to the people who have to use the tradesmans entrance.

[Berserker]

Me and Rupert have had a laugh about Ruperts in the past

[RaySmith]

I'm adopted too! though my south-east London background where I was brought up, and from where I first travelled to watch Fulham is definitely not posh-in fact, the complete opposite.

But football and football supporters have changed a lot since I started supporting Fulham in the early 60s.

Now there is a different type of supporter - not just at Fulham. You need to be quite well off just to be able to afford a ticket, and the old fan values, which I still retain, of loyalty, getting behind your team  through thick and thin, group solidarity - have been replaced with idea of fans as consumers, who pay a lot of money for a product, and thus expect results.

Today's fans would never  accept 60s Fulham, and long term manager Beddie Jezzard, who were always fighting relegation - it would be 'Jezzard out', and 'why does Haynes think he is better than everyone else?', and general  complaining about the team's lack of success - but then in those days we only paid one shilling and sixpence to see the team, and £100 a week Johnny Haynes was the first player to break the minimum wage barrier, through the support of PFA Representative one Jimmy Hill, that meant top players only earned the same as an ordinary working man.

But football has changed greatly, as has society and people's attitudes - not always for the good imo.

[HatterDon]

Our Rupert can't be a real Rupert because he lives in Luton. Nobody posh has ever lived in Luton.

[Junichi]

[Berserker]

he's  a Tim, but get your meaning.

[AnotherVicHalomLoveChild]

When I'm not away skiing I am ironing my mustard or plum cords so as to look smart for my next visit to the Cottage
I'd love to get the full on Rupert version, you know yellow with the lovely lines on but Harrods don't seem to sell them anymore, must ask MAF oh can't do that anymore
I like to be surrounded by "my" sort of people & I miss the days spent standing @ the Putney End & having a jolly good chin wag with the away chaps especially those Brummie fellows
Peaky bounders, blighters whateva
Haw haw

[epsomraver]

I don't go to away games. Too busy playing polo :54:

Fan base has never really bothered but a lot of people seem to be obsessed with it.

I play polo too, but keep getting my tongue stuck in the hole, brings tears to my eyes and Nanny has to get me a biccie to stop the tears

[epsomraver]

He stands next to me !

[Peabody]

Cor blimey, you lot ave taken over ain't ya?

Wot ever next guvnor, I ave ter doff me cap to yer but you did wanna shut the Cattage.wot wiv yer Fulham Alliance an all that mumbo jumbo.

Me, a Rupert? No never.

[Shredhead]

I remember some grafitti on the Fulham Palace Road in the 80s that said 'Fulham Yachting Types'. It made me laugh and inspired me to write a letter to The Face in response to an article by a certain Robert Elms about football casuals. The letter said something like we all wore deck shoes and expensive sailing windcheaters. The muppets published it.
I also had a letter published in the Guardian Weekend magazine a year or two back when they suggested that Fulham fans all wore polo shirts with the collar turned up. It turned out it was a sub-editors mistake - the article's author apologised personally to me!

[Whiteroom]

If someone is on the posher side of the scale, does that make them a lesser supporter?

[Lighthouse]

If someone is on the posher side of the scale, does that make them a lesser supporter?

Any more than time as a supporter makes any difference. In all walks of life we like to alienate people to feel superior. Now everybody is working class even if we haven't had a class system for decades. Its an inferiority complex fans sometimes feel.

[FFCAli]

When I'm not away skiing I am ironing my mustard or plum cords so as to look smart for my next visit to the Cottage

Surely your butler does that?