All truly loyal fans watched us at Loftus Road. Discuss.

[FatFreddysCat]

Sorry but a post about loyalty IS pathetic. If you live miles away and have a job that makes you work Saturdays etc etc. Am I a better fan because I travelled from Scotland on a Friday Night to Brighton and then back up to Fulham to watch Rochdale. I bet there were fans who didn't turn up who lived around the corner.

So there are many reasons I refused to go to Loftus Road having had a season ticket for for twenty years, failed relationships because of my obsession, failed jobs because I wanted to watch Fulham instead of work.

No people who went to Loftus ROad are no better and no worse than those who didn't. A fan is a fan is a fan. An American fan who has never watched a live game is as important as a fan than anybody else. Loyalty posts ARE simply divisive. Although I defend your right to make it.  :005:

I'm with yer on the lost jobs Lighthouse, Fulham have cost me a few jobs, especially a very very cushy number at Ryder truck Rental. Good money and it was job and knock and it was a disaster if i went over 5 hours. Sorry i was  collecting paper from reclycling bins in a hiab truck. But i'd come back and they'd say Spence can you collect a truck from Watford? Fulham? Heathrow? It'd take me an hour and a half,but i'd get 4 hours overtime at a minimum at £26 an hour, and that would happen at least three days a week. Anyhow long story short,I skived off early and knocked a few jobs to go toLiverpool when we lost 3-1??? Peschy wonder goal, the new Qpha boss who i trained up,then fell out with found out and sacked me. By the way anyone know Mark Osbourne TA, thought he was billy big bollacks, till he got called up for Iraq, then bottled it.Still at Ryders Park Royal i believe. WAs sitting opposite me at Qpha away and wouldn't even look in my direction.

[Terry Tibbs]

Steve, like it or not, you're a Fulham supporter!!

An American fan who has never watched a live game is as important as a fan than anybody else.

I've watched a 'Live game' on TV...in HD!  The Cottage 'looked' magnificent!   

I know, I know  :yellow:

Part of the reason my signature mentions "Following" is because I wasn't born Fulham and I can't attend games...I chose Fulham.  The way I figure it though, is if I'm still around after 5 years, then I think I could justifiably be called a Supporter.

[HatterDon]

I must admit I went to Loftus Road 2 or 3 times in the 70s. When Luton were in the lower divisions and playing up north or out in the West Country, I'd go to the smoke or to Ipswich to watch top flight football. I saw at least one match at every First Division ground there EXCEPT for the dog track. I also saw a match at The Old Den [still have nightmares about that one], and at the Cottage. I can't remember whether the trip to the river was for a Luton away or just to see the place.

While most of the matches I watched in London were in the Norf London Library [easy half empty tube from Cockfosters both going and coming], I quite enjoyed Loftus Road. Of course, this was almost 40 years ago. As  I remember, during my ONLY season as a Luton supporter in the top flight, the only London trip I took was to see The Hatters at WHL.

And, like Mr. Orino, I'm a real Fulham supporter and a club member, who only saw Fulham @ Loftus on the telly. Glad we're home now, and I'll be making a pilgrimage one fine day.

[Burt]

I went there to see the mighty whites...

Having been in my blood since 1974 its not something you can give up just like that, and to be honest the thought of not going never really entered my mind. I had to go.

[TonyGilroy]

The whole loyalty thing is weird for me.

Football is a hobby. A leisure pursuit. A diversion from life's problems - heath, family, finances etc.
It's not real life.

I go to football because I like to and Fulham's my club. I forget my problems at football. I reckon it's good for me to do so. So when the club moved to Loftus Road I kept going because the alternative was not to. Others opinions are and were of no relevance to my decision.

I shared the very real doubts and fears as to what MAF's plans for the club were. I was inclined to trust him but was by no means sure that that was the right call.

A permanent ground share at Loftus Road would have been massively detrimental to the club but that was never the stated intention. And had it happened my choice would have been to accept it or stop watching Fulham. I'm glad I wasn't faced with that choice.

[Vinnieffc]

I went to Subbuteo Stadium and also back in the days when we only got 4000 or so at the Cottage, but I don't think that makes me any more loyal than someone who has just started supporting the club but goes to every game they can.

[Peabody]

Yes I was there, though whether that makes me a better fan is open to debate. At that time, I was working on the Information Booth, which they transfered to Loftus Road. It did'nt work oit so they scrapped it. As for pubs in the area, we, along with many others, joined the local residents club and got cheap beer and somewhere to sit.

[epsomraver]

I went to Loftus road including our first heady days in Europe, bet some have forgotten that and the huge trophy that now sits hidden behind an egg cup in the trophy cabinet, I am sorry I don't see the fact I went makes me a better fan than those who chose to stay away, the real test was when we plummeted down the divisions in the late 60's , the people who stuck with the club through that era to my mind are the  true fans, I had so called true fan friends who went off to watch Brighton as they were on an up, yet today they still see themselves as loyal fans. God forbid but I wonder how many "fans" would stay with us if we did a "Charlton

[Peabody]

Now here's a thing, a man who sits a few seats away from me at The Cottage, is a serial football fan. He has been to every ground in England/Wales  (iam not sure about Scotland, he has on him a written progtamme of which  game he is attending and has season tickets for various teams. He wears a Fulham cap and scarf so you would think his main loyalty is to FFC but little things he has said, lead me to suspect he is a Chelsea fan. He did follow us at Loftus Road and he is always at each Fulham home game. My point is, that this is a man whose hobby is watching football matches, is he any more a better fan than someone who admires us from afar? no I dont think so. Mind you, it must cost him a bob or two,

[Burt]

Loyalty to Fulham is more a sense of being "committed to the cause" than attending games.

Do I count myself more loyal than those of you in Oz, the US, Sweden, Belgium etc. just by virtue of the fact that I am able to go to the Cottage and the odd away game? Of course not. More fortunate, perhaps (depending on the result!), but not necessarily more loyal.

[finnster01]

Now here's a thing, a man who sits a few seats away from me at The Cottage, is a serial football fan. He has been to every ground in England/Wales  (iam not sure about Scotland, he has on him a written progtamme of which  game he is attending and has season tickets for various teams. He wears a Fulham cap and scarf so you would think his main loyalty is to FFC but little things he has said, lead me to suspect he is a the dark side fan. He did follow us at Loftus Road and he is always at each Fulham home game. My point is, that this is a man whose hobby is watching football matches, is he any more a better fan than someone who admires us from afar? no I dont think so. Mind you, it must cost him a bob or two,

Mr Peabody,
I have read about a few people having been to every team in the league, not sure about the Wales bit though. I am actually curious about this hobby. Does this guy include the Welsh league as well or only Cardiff, Swansea and the odd Wrexham year (i.e. Welsh in the English league system)?

I am also curious as to what they do when a team build a new stadium (Emirates, Britannia etc). Do they go back? Obviously whatever Conference team that comes up provides a tad of a new challenge, but if this was your life's obsession you would be running out of targets at some point, and what do you do then? Go to Germany every weekend etc.?

Sounds like an extremely fun thing to do, but I take the gentleman in question has no family or life outside of football (and there is nothing wrong with that by the way)

[Peabody]

Finn  I think this guy only concentrates on English football, including Cardiff, Swansea and Wrexham. It is amazing to see his programme for the season.

[Scrumpy]

I agree 100% Sorry Scrumpy, I don't want to cause any offence, but this sort of thread is one of the prime reasons I left the OFAL (apart from being banned, of course!).  Seriously, there was always loads of threads saying people couldn't say they were real supporters unless they had been at a certain game, been supporting for a certain amount of time etc etc etc.  No one can tell me I don't love this daft club, and I would NEVER EVER presume to do the same.  All the best to you, Scrumpy.

hmm seems like cottage corner.

Fair comment Terry, and no offence taken. I left the Offal for similar reasons. I was just trying to point out the 2 sides to this particular argument, and my specific views.

Some very interesting comments from all the usual suspects.

[Terry Tibbs]

Good on you, Scrumpy. Reading my post to you again, I think it was very ham-fisted.  Thanks for reading between the lines and being so cool.  Yeah, I think it's great on here....the OFAL is a car crash.  Too bad, but that's how it is when they let the muppets rule. I must admit, I never went to the toy stadium when we moved there.  Seeing us in the early 80s (with that sh!tbag Stainrod playing for them) was enough.  I'm 6ft 3, and my legs are still recovering.  All the best geezer. :54:

I agree 100% Sorry Scrumpy, I don't want to cause any offence, but this sort of thread is one of the prime reasons I left the OFAL (apart from being banned, of course!).  Seriously, there was always loads of threads saying people couldn't say they were real supporters unless they had been at a certain game, been supporting for a certain amount of time etc etc etc.  No one can tell me I don't love this daft club, and I would NEVER EVER presume to do the same.  All the best to you, Scrumpy.

hmm seems like cottage corner.

Fair comment Terry, and no offence taken. I left the Offal for similar reasons. I was just trying to point out the 2 sides to this particular argument, and my specific views.

Some very interesting comments from all the usual suspects.