GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
I have been asked by many people in the past why I support an Italian club when I live in England. It is seen by some as unusual, unnecessary – perhaps even wrong. I have been ridiculed by some for my choice of team at times. Fortunately, though, I have also met many people who support the reasoning behind my choice of team.
I won’t bore you with the details. After all, there is an ‘About’ section of this website which tells you why I support Roma. But put briefly, my support for Roma exists because of my experience of the club; the passion I felt in the supporters when I attended my first Roma match; the unforgettable atmosphere in the stadium when the Curva Sud is full. That first Roma match I went to was genuinely a life-changing experience for me. Perhaps, though, more defences need to be offered as to why it is acceptable to support a foreign team. I have plenty. Some people believe it is irrational to support a team from abroad. However, many people support teams in their home country that are not from their hometowns or cities (mainly the case for successful teams). I personally know Liverpool fans, Manchester United fans, Tottenham Hotspur fans and others from my local area, yet none of those three clubs are within 40 miles of where those fans are from. Yes, they may be accused by some of being a glory hunter, but many still accept their choice of team, as part of their identity, not to be questioned. So, if they can support those teams, what is the difference for sides from foreign countries? Many people do indeed support the team from their town or city. But hometown loyalty seems of little importance to football support these days when you consider the lack of homegrown players at professional clubs. Rarely is it the case that a club will have a large number of players, as well as coaches and owners, from the local area, at a top flight club (Athletic Bilbao in Spain albeit being a clear exception). So, it does not seem fully true that by supporting your local professional team, you are supporting your local area – at least not as true as this might have once been. Real loyalty in these cases would more appropriately relate to non-league football, where players are more likely to be local to their clubs. Maybe the most sense supporting your local professional team makes is for ease of accessibility; but should that really be the main reason to support a team (or to support anything, for that matter)? I believe there are more important factors that should be considered first. So why do we choose the football teams we do to support? Are we obliged to follow in the footsteps of our parents and adopt their teams as well? This tradition is the case for many, and is not an illogical reason to support a team. (I personally will always have a soft spot for the team my dad supports in England). But support should be about personal choice, free from external influences. It is for the fan to weigh up the reasons behind his or her support, on a direct, personal level. It is nice, perhaps ideological, for all families to support the same team. But it doesn’t have to be the case. Another line of argument is from our other interests. We all have favourite bands, films, books and so on, and these often come from foreign countries. Why should it be different for football teams? Support for a team stems from interest in them, for whatever motives. The fan may be attracted to the team’s style of play, for example, just as a music fan may be attracted to a band’s style of music, or a literature fan may be attracted to an author’s style of writing. Style in this sense knows no boundaries of location. It transcends national borders, reaching out to whoever the appropriate audience is, wherever they are. If a football fan likes the style of a team, then they have a good reason to support them, regardless of location. People may also find partners from foreign countries and enter happy relationships. In many ways, this is similar to the relationship between football club and supporter. It is one of mutual adoration. And yes, it is more common that two partners will be from the same country, but there are many cases of relationships that have blossomed between partners from two different countries. Football support is equally a love, and it can work in the same way across nationalities. The fan simply finds the best partner, the best club, for them. My purpose here has not been to criticise those who do support their local professional teams, or the teams that their parents do, and I have definitely not intended to say that everyone should support a foreign team! But to those who do, I have tried to show that their support is perfectly justified, and they are not wrong in their support. And that is the purpose of Giallorossi Yorkshire. For there must be several other Roma fans in non-Italian countries. The club’s online presence is offered in many languages, and this is for a reason. Roma – our club – know that it is perfectly normal for people in other countries to support them. And we are lucky that we belong to a club that recognises that.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
All
Archives
October 2019
|