Who wants to answer my stupid American questions about Engish football

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So, I'm an American and my only exposure to English football is playing Pro Evolution 3 on PS2 and the rare time I can drag myself out of bed on a saturday to watch a game in a bar. But I am endlessly fascinated by the sport in general, and the English variety in particular. I'm constantly confused by all the nicknames for teams and references to stadia and all the complicated scheduling of the different cups. If you have links to things where I could find out that it would be nice. But what I am really interested in is the breakdown of fans for the different London clubs. Based on the video game, I am a fan of Fulham, but I'm not sure what that says about me. Are there general profiles for the different clubs' fans based on age/class/race/personality/behaviour?

― Mitchell Wimbish (Mitchell), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

C0ckn3y r3dz r great in bed.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Leeds fans have a positive attitude towards racial integration.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal set the standard with their gentlemanly conduct, fairplay and sportsmanlike behaviour.

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Spurs fans are in general wittier and more handsome. And never complain about anything. No siree Bob.

― Matt (Matt), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Liverpool fans are known for their dedication to earning an honest wage.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

David Robinson Spurs? Or different kind of Spurs? Too many Spurs. Alamodome. Spurs?

― El Spinktor (El Spinktor), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal fans tend to be middle class mature students. They are Dido's main source of income.

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Spurs?

As in Tottenham Hotspur, a North London football club.

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

That isn't a stupid question, Mitchell...

There are, to a certain extent, stereotypes of supporters of different clubs. But, increasingly I think, these are being shown up as stereotypes and not much else. I mean, for Premiership clubs certainly, teams attract pretty much all types. This is especially true, I think, of the 'top teams': Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea (and Liverpool to a certain extent). Anyway, the stereotypes seem to have more to do with geography than anything else.

Football, and who you support (and what that says about you), is so deep seated that it can mean almost nothing at all.

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

What were your other questions?

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm a (default) Arsenal fan and I pay Dido no money at all.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 22:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Some club nicknames:

Tottenham: Lillywhites
Arsenal: the Woolwichers
Crystal Palace: the Do Do Ron Rons
Fulham: the Cottagers
Chelsea: Les Millionairoes
West Ham: Eastenders
Charlton: the Also-rans

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Are the London clubs' names all names of neighborhoods?
Why would WEST Ham be called EASTenders?
British humour?

― Mitchell (Mitchell), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

obviously there is not a neighborhood called Arsenal, right?
Does Aston Villa play in London?

― Mitchell Wimbish (Mitchell), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:05 (twenty-two years ago)

aston villa are from birmingham
milwall fans are fast reclaiming the right to call themselves human beings

― mullygrubber (gaz), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal are so called because it used to be a gun-factpry workers team, oddly enough.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

There IS a neighbourhood called Arsenal, actually...

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Ok im done pissing about (i feel guilty now).
These are the real nicknames;
Arsenal - Gunners
West Ham - Hammers
Chelsea - Blues
Charlton - the Addicks
Crystal Palace - the Eagles/Glaziers

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

the addicks is a pretty funny one??? wheres that from?

― mullygrubber (gaz), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:21 (twenty-two years ago)

cockneyspeak for haddocks. 'Charlton's nickname The Addicks is believed to derive from the fact that the club used a fish and chip shop for post-match meals in the early 1900's.'

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought it was a truncation of 'Athletic'?

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

that would be 'the aths'

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"At[hle}tics"?

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

ive not heard that one, to be honest
where did you hear/read it?

― pete s, Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't, I just always assumed it.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Dom, you forgot that all Man United supporters own 5 bedroom houses in the Kent countryside.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Or Torquay.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Rushden and Diamonds fans have all supported their team for a long period of time.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 5 February 2004 23:51 (twenty-two years ago)

http://redsky.vip.sina.com/player/united_24.jpg = http://www.mrbreakfast.com/images/34.jpg

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 6 February 2004 00:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Since when has Man U. let in 12 yr olds?

― Nichole Graham (Nichole Graham), Friday, 6 February 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

12 yr old scotch eggs!

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 6 February 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

well there isn't really a bit of london called arsenal, the tube station's only called that because the club paid for it (it was gillespie road before that). arsenal also originally started near the woolwich arsenal which was a place that made guns in south london, but then they moved to north london like the dirty franchisers they are...

west ham is in east london

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 6 February 2004 09:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't let Meg hear you sy things like that, Steve. Ooh!

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Friday, 6 February 2004 09:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I was going to say, where in London is a neighbourhood called Arsenal?

Arsenal are the dodgiest team in history - franchisers, bribing the FA to stay in the top flight erm that's enough to go on with I think.

― chris (chris), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, there's the small matter of this cunt as well:

http://www.givemefootball.com/images/keown_vannistleroy_bi.jpg

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that the one on the left or the one on the right?

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Arsenal monkey boy on right.
Manyoo horse face on left.

― Pinkpanther (Pinkpanther), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I rather half-heartedly support Bolton. They're nicknamed 'the trotters', I'm told because Bolton people eat pickled pigs trotters. The skanky northerners.

― Cathy (Cathy), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Darlington is also known as the Quakers, because their old ground Feethams was built on a fault in the earth's crust.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Bolton are known as the Trotters as way back in the mists of a bygone age they had no home ground and would play at various stadia around Greater Manchester.

A good place to start with football would be to watch Spurs against Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round. Great goals, a sending off, rookie keeper debut, top strikers off injured, amazing comeback etc. And Spurs losing. If this doesn't move you, you have no soul.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Wimbledon are known as the Dons because the club was shown to have the highest proportion of graduates among its fans of any professional club.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:49 (twenty-two years ago)

(now i am becoming confused between truth and lies...)

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Wimbledon have moved to Milton Keynes. Their players have moved to Upton Park.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

...waiting for the rebuttal...

― sgs (sgs), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Steve, my comment was true (the fact) and false (about the reason for the nickname).

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 February 2004 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

(this is what's melting my poor ickle brane, and dom doing the same thing).

i wonder if there was an "explain me baseball" thread if it would decend into this much silliness so quickly...

― CarsmileSteve (CarsmileSteve), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:00 (twenty-two years ago)

you might want to start this thread again in a few days, after people have stopped pissing about.

― Stringent Stepper (Stringent), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Silliness and pissing about are integral parts of being a football fan.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Because people are going to stop pissing about in a few days??????

About 80% of the stuff on here is factual. If you were really serious about finding this stuff, then there are other sites to check first. You'd hardly go to a chat room and expect 100% factual answers. Unless you're a tofu-eating, Guardian reading cockhead.

― MikeyG (MikeyG), Friday, 6 February 2004 11:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 45 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

can you get to watford on a 7-day oystercard?

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 9 March 2006 23:38 (twenty years ago)

hmmmm....dont think so. you might be able to scam it thru the barriers at euston, then hope no ticket dude gets on. its only abotu a fiver to watford anyway i think.

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 9 March 2006 23:53 (twenty years ago)

its only about 15-20 mins to the ground from watford junction!

Not if the rain destroys your map.

― Tehrannosaurus HoBB (the pirate king), Friday, 10 March 2006 08:27 (twenty years ago)

BORO 1 ROMA 0

― Russell Dixon (Skinny), Friday, 10 March 2006 09:33 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

Do any English teams wear green kits?

― mizzell, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:44 (seventeen years ago)

Plymouth Argyle

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/content/images/2005/05/27/squad_470x400.jpg

Plymouth Argyle

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:45 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.subsidesports.com/fe/images/product/large/PlymouthHSS0708.gif

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

a weaving of xposts

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/somerset/content/images/2006/08/01/1_440x330.jpg

Yeovil Town play in green and white

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

did Liverpool used to ?

― Ant Attack.. (Ste), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:46 (seventeen years ago)

here is top MLS goalgrabber Darren Huckerby in the yellow and bit of green of Norwich City

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/20080405/14/4240646621-soccer-coca-cola-football-league-championship-norwich-city-v-burnley.jpg

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:48 (seventeen years ago)

that's a real fucking eyesore of a kit

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:48 (seventeen years ago)

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00392/forest_green_392286a.jpg

Forest Green Rovers away kit

― Peter "One Dart" Manley (The stickman from the hilarious 'xkcd' comics), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:49 (seventeen years ago)

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e312/bubmeister/LiverpoolGreenAway.png

allegedly green 3rd kit

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:49 (seventeen years ago)

Northwich Victoria still green and white?

― Ant Attack.. (Ste), Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:51 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.chaddertonparkfc.co.uk/1984.jpg

Chadderton Park FC

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:51 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/images/0708/bristolrovaway.jpg

Bristol Rovers away

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:54 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/images/0708/bristolrovaway.jpg

― Roberto Spiralli, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 15:54 (seventeen years ago)

THE MIGHTY LINNETS

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2742857987_8a89fb465b.jpg

― Jarlrmai, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 16:13 (seventeen years ago)

hold on a second GIS is lying that's Southport.

― Jarlrmai, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 16:14 (seventeen years ago)

http://d.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/ng/sp/empics/20071013/19/3837897220-soccer-fa-cup-third-round-qualifying-gainsborough-trinity-v-blyth.jpg

Blyth Spartans

― William Bloody Swygart, Wednesday, 3 December 2008 16:22 (seventeen years ago)

three months pass...

arsenal will wear green away shirts next year apparently.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/03/25/article-1164758-0416D542000005DC-205_468x360.jpg

― mizzell, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 14:14 (sixteen years ago)

fugs

― ilx robot (jergins), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:46 (sixteen years ago)

not as bad as new Chelsea shirt:
http://www.football-shirts.co.uk/fans/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/chelseahome0910.jpg

― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:54 (sixteen years ago)

The placement of the seams makes it look like some kind of athletic exo-skeleton. Are they REALLY outlining the pectoral muscles on purpose??

― guys i need to eliminate this business associate and im really nervous (Laurel), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:56 (sixteen years ago)

it's gonna do wonders for Fwank Lampard's moobs.

― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:57 (sixteen years ago)

Do you think it'll look slimming on Lampard?

(ha ha, porkpie)

― It is not enough to love mankind – you must be able to stand (Michael White), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 16:58 (sixteen years ago)

while we're on kits - Spain's kit for the federations cup is quite lovely:

http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/7746/bcbd37c36b7305347cd66ee.jpg

― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

Photo?

― It is not enough to love mankind – you must be able to stand (Michael White), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:05 (sixteen years ago)

Facial tattoos included? That's going to make it awkward to go back to their clubs.

― guys i need to eliminate this business associate and im really nervous (Laurel), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:06 (sixteen years ago)

oh i like those

― i like to fart and i am crazy (gbx), Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:12 (sixteen years ago)

Yoda is their trainer

― snoball, Tuesday, 31 March 2009 17:44 (sixteen years ago)

ten months pass...

is there a team that is traditonally supported by the royal family?

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 19:35 (sixteen years ago)

The Germans.

― might seem normal (snoball), Monday, 8 February 2010 19:50 (sixteen years ago)

[Cathy:] I rather half-heartedly support Bolton. They're nicknamed 'the trotters', I'm told because Bolton people eat pickled pigs trotters. The skanky northerners.

[MikeyG:] Bolton are known as the Trotters as way back in the mists of a bygone age they had no home ground and would play at various stadia around Greater Manchester.

Um haha both of these fun facts from six years ago were in the "pissing about" category right? I don't really know, but they're not the reason I've always assumed obvious...

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 8 February 2010 19:58 (sixteen years ago)

is there a team that is traditonally supported by the royal family?

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 19:35 (33 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42577000/jpg/_42577917_qe2_pa.jpg

― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Monday, 8 February 2010 20:11 (sixteen years ago)

Queen + Now Deceased Queen Mother = Arsenal fans. Don't know about the rest of the royal family.

See also: Osama Bin Laden, Roger Daltrey, about 40% of English ILXers.

― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Monday, 8 February 2010 20:12 (sixteen years ago)

Um haha both of these fun facts from six years ago were in the "pissing about" category right? I don't really know, but they're not the reason I've always assumed obvious...

― anatol_merklich, Monday, February 8, 2010 2:58 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Is this the obvious one?
Bolton Wanderers are also known as “The Trotters", due to a pitch that the club used towards the end of the nineteenth century. The pitch backed onto a piggery and clearances tended to end up in the pig pens. Players therefore had to ‘trot’ through the pens to retrieve their ball.

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 21:39 (sixteen years ago)

Haha no! Simply wanderers = trotters surely??

(Have I just been triply trolled? I knew the risk when I asked...)

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 8 February 2010 21:54 (sixteen years ago)

o well that is the second one you quoted, right? they played on different pitches so they were called wanderers

― mizzell, Monday, 8 February 2010 21:57 (sixteen years ago)

I'm pretty sure Prince William is a Villa fan.

― L'obamalâtrie obligatoire (Michael White), Monday, 8 February 2010 22:01 (sixteen years ago)

I think traditionally the royals would have nothing to do with the oiks' game, but I did see William getting presented with a football top on telly once - can't remember which team, but likely it was Man Utd. It had 'Wales' written on the back.

― Ismael Klata, Monday, 8 February 2010 22:03 (sixteen years ago)

ah ok that may be so mizzell, the "wanderers" tag was not mentioned there, so I didn't make the connection.

― anatol_merklich, Monday, 8 February 2010 22:18 (sixteen years ago)

Royals attend more games a year than I do. (Both domestic finals, non?) AND YOU KNOW, PICTURE OF THE QUEEN KICKING IT WITH EVERYBODYS TWENTY FOURTH FAVOURITE RIGHT BACK JUSTIN HOYTE

― 80085 (a hoy hoy), Monday, 8 February 2010 22:25 (sixteen years ago)

Think Prince Harry is a Man Utd fan and William is definitely Villa.

― Number None, Monday, 8 February 2010 22:43 (sixteen years ago)

Prince Harry is an Arsenal fan. William definitely Villa. I am sorry I know this.

― ailsa, Tuesday, 9 February 2010 00:36 (sixteen years ago)

Wasn't Princess Diana a West Ham fan?

― drew in baltimore, Tuesday, 9 February 2010 01:37 (sixteen years ago)

five years pass...

We'll never know now

― MONKEY had been BUMMED by the GHOST of the late prancing paedophile (darraghmac), Saturday, 21 November 2015 00:51 (ten years ago)

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/71472000/jpg/_71472688_3s5b7914.jpg

― xelab, Saturday, 21 November 2015 00:57 (ten years ago)

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