This summer I went to Berlin with my 15-year-old son. Unfortunately, we couldn't catch a match as Union Berlin were playing at home and it's impossible to get tickets. Hertha were thus playing away.

We'd planned to visit the Olympic Stadium where Hertha play.

We did the tour and there were five English chaps in our group. The accent sounded to like South-West.

Afterwards, once outside I went up to them and asked them if they'd been to Wembley and how it compared.

They were aged, I think, between early fifties to mid-sixties.

Turned out they were from Bristol and followed Rovers. We had a really good chat about the links between the clubs: Joey, Bobby Thomas, Gareth Taylor.

One of the older chaps spoke about Ralph Coates and Martin Dobson.

It was really great to meet genuine fans who have seen their club go down to the National. They also spoke about Eastville, Bath and now The Memorial.

Top chaps and a million miles away from the media hype about the PL, CL and Saudi Arabia.

Gas Heads - have they not gone electric yet?

Always good to chat.

It's great meeting other football fans who are not obsessed about tactics and stats.

I work with a lot of PNE,Liverpool, Blackpool and Rovers fans.I also meet fans of clubs from all over the country. Their different perspectives of football especially about us is fantastic and one of the best things about being a fan.I am always impressed that fans of other clubs have far more in common and differences only small.The banter is great and only adds to the experience. Rivalry is a positive part of competition but irrational "hatred" plays no part in my support.

Hi BigAlClaret,

You're absolutely spot on with this comment. Absolutely spot on.

"I am always impressed that fans of other clubs have far more in common and differences only small."

Its because essentially, all football clubs in comparison to fan base are basically the same. There no real difference between Burnley and Preston North End or Derby and Cardiff or Norwich and Stoke.

A great place to meet genuine fans of other clubs is at England cricket matches, especially those abroad. I've been abroad more than once and mingled with the "barmy army" and it's just packed with real footy fans from all over, including the less fashionable and less "successful" clubs. You see loads wearing their shirts who just loving talking about all things footy related over numerous beers both on and off the cricket.

BigAlClaret wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 10, 2023 10:30 am

I work with a lot of PNE,Liverpool, Blackpool and Rovers fans.I also meet fans of clubs from all over the country. Their different perspectives of football especially about us is fantastic and one of the best things about being a fan.I am always impressed that fans of other clubs have far more in common and differences only small.The banter is great and only adds to the experience. Rivalry is a positive part of competition but irrational "hatred" plays no part in my support.

That's absolutely bang on.

I never worked locally (in Burnley) which led to me working with Preston & Blackpool fans more than any other club for many years along with fans of many other north west clubs. I spent time working in Manchester with both City & United fans too along with supporters again from other clubs.

More recently, since 2016, other than last season, I have been involved with the FSA's Premier League Network Group. Until COVID all meetings were either in London or Manchester and I have had the opportunity to meet and become friends with supporters from across the country. I spent time with two of them just eight days ago when they came to watch Spurs at the Turf, mercifully before kick off and not after the game although I have chatted with both since.

We are all the same, just a different club, just different colours, but we are all the same. Nothing wrong with banter, nothing wrong with rivalry. Some support bigger clubs, some I have worked with support smaller clubs, but ultimately we are all football fans.

I meet fans from other clubs on almost a weekly basis at Northern soul events, mostly Leeds,Preston,Blackpool,Bradford, the Sheffield clubs, A few from Blackburn and the Manchester clubs, most have a great respect for Burnley historically and current. We are basically the same.

I went on the Bernabeu a few years back. In the bar pre-game with fans from Forest, Spurs and Barnsley. Not a bother, great craic. Only disappointment for me was 90% of them had purchased and were wearing RM shirts, I was in my Clarets shirt as it’s an obvious ice breaker.

Been to a few games at Selhurst Park, in one one of their hospitality sections, and the fans are always a delight to talk to.

Pretty much every fan of an over achieving club is going through the same set of emotions as us.

I know a lot of fans from loads of different clubs: Burnley, PNE, Rovers, Blackpool, Boro, Hull, Sunderland, Leeds, Rangers, Celtic, Birmingham, Villa, Plymouth, Man Utd, Man City…. I also travel all over the country following Burnley and speak to home fans in most towns/cities.

There are an element of knobs from all clubs, but most, sound minded fans are happy to talk football despite who you support. I enjoy talking about football in general with likeminded fans of clubs.

Me and my son are nearing the end of a many year odyssey to do the 92 and that has meant us watching some very random matches such as this summer Portsmouth v Bristol city , Crawley town v Crystal Palace and Cambridge v reading and it’s always a delight at these matches to chat to the home team fans which is generally where we are and get their views on their own teams and Burnley which is overwhelmingly positive as they always tend to see us a small town side overachieving and it gives them hope . It is always friendly and also amusing to note how universal football fans frustration with their own teams is at times.

Roger1960 wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 10, 2023 8:00 pm

Me and my son are nearing the end of a many year odyssey to do the 92 and that has meant us watching some very random matches such as this summer Portsmouth v Bristol city , Crawley town v Crystal Palace and Cambridge v reading and it’s always a delight at these matches to chat to the home team fans which is generally where we are and get their views on their own teams and Burnley which is overwhelmingly positive as they always tend to see us a small town side overachieving and it gives them hope . It is always friendly and also amusing to note how universal football fans frustration with their own teams is at times.

Can echo this post from my experiences in the past when on my travels taking in footie games and chatting to the locals ...

I think there is a common understanding, around the country, that Burnley is a football town.

There are so few real football towns, where just about everyone identifies with the local club, no matter what.

My 3 golf partners down here in Cornwall are proper footie fans, a gooner, a cobbler and a baggie. Great fun playing golf and talking football.

I live in a random town in the US and the other day met an American Crystal Palace fan.
Given 90% of fans here are wearing the usual shirts I thought it was nice to see. He'd visited Sellhurst Park lots of times and said he had a lot of respect for Burnley.

I also saw another today wearing an Everton top which is also pretty rare.

Soccer is definitely gaining in popularity here which is great to see. Even the MLS is a lot better than it once was.

I was in Colorado earlier this year wearing the old Endsleigh quarters shirt.

Old fella was staring and the badge for a while, then he came closer and asked me if it was the team JJ Watt was involved with.