So what is a true fan?

[seahawk10]

a true fan is loyal to the end, even when the club performs woefully i'm not embarrassed to say im a reading fan. i never get tired of having to deal with "wait who" from all my friends who dont follow football, or think they do by "following" utd/arse/chelsea/liverpool. i dream of the day i can make the madejski (trying to plan for next season--bit hard on a college budget to get there from the states), but until then i relish waking up every saturday morning and pissing off my sleeping family yelling at my computer screen (whether positive or negative)...reading was my first--and will be my only--football club and that is something im proud to say.
edit: and no i didnt jump aboard when we hit prem, ive been following since end of '99

Seconded on Reading FC being my one and only club. Although I did jump on when we hit the Prem. But you couldn't pry me off with a crow bar now no matter where we end up. Loyal to the end. Nice way to put it.

[earleyroyal]

a true fan is loyal to the end, even when the club performs woefully i'm not embarrassed to say im a reading fan. i never get tired of having to deal with "wait who" from all my friends who dont follow football, or think they do by "following" utd/arse/chelsea/liverpool. i dream of the day i can make the madejski (trying to plan for next season--bit hard on a college budget to get there from the states), but until then i relish waking up every saturday morning and pissing off my sleeping family yelling at my computer screen (whether positive or negative)...reading was my first--and will be my only--football club and that is something im proud to say.
edit: and no i didnt jump aboard when we hit prem, ive been following since end of '99

Seconded on Reading FC being my one and only club. Although I did jump on when we hit the Prem. But you couldn't pry me off with a crow bar now no matter where we end up. Loyal to the end. Nice way to put it.

If we go down I'll feel especially bad for our American/other foreign fans, as I doubt many games in the CCC are televised/covered abroad.

[stl_royal]

a true fan is loyal to the end, even when the club performs woefully i'm not embarrassed to say im a reading fan. i never get tired of having to deal with "wait who" from all my friends who dont follow football, or think they do by "following" utd/arse/chelsea/liverpool. i dream of the day i can make the madejski (trying to plan for next season--bit hard on a college budget to get there from the states), but until then i relish waking up every saturday morning and pissing off my sleeping family yelling at my computer screen (whether positive or negative)...reading was my first--and will be my only--football club and that is something im proud to say.
edit: and no i didnt jump aboard when we hit prem, ive been following since end of '99

Seconded on Reading FC being my one and only club. Although I did jump on when we hit the Prem. But you couldn't pry me off with a crow bar now no matter where we end up. Loyal to the end. Nice way to put it.

If we go down I'll feel especially bad for our American/other foreign fans, as I doubt many games in the CCC are televised/covered abroad.

yeah if we drop, im not looking forward to having to follow mainly through text again, though ive found a pretty decent number of CCC games available to stream online

[Scrappy]

When on holiday you will find a means of watching/listening/reading the commentry no matter how hard it is and no matter how nice it is outside!

[JimmyQuinn'sQuiff]

Too true Scrappy - 'where there's a will' and all that.

It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing. When the boys are getting ready to play, if you still get that tingle, that sense of excitement, that desire to succeed - well, I think you're on the road to being a supporter

This notion that attending every game and singing for 90 minutes is just a little one dimensional. Am I any less of a supporter because I live in Sydney and don't make every game? Of course not.

[JimmyQuinn'sQuiff]

Oh and if the worst did happen and we went down, thankfully Foxtel show some CCC - so at least there's still some opportunity to watch

[West Stand Man]

Can I just point out: you don't have to sing/chant to be a true fan, many true fans go to every home (maybe even every away match) and don't sing at all, just prefer watching games without chanting.

'greed. Also, if I want to leave 5 mins before the end to avoid the traffic then I should be allowed to. Why worry about what other people say about the time you leave?

Whats the point in going to a football game if your not going sing? No wonder the atmopshere at Reading is so poor! To many people have picnics and having rolls in the South and West stand if you ask me. If you are going to go to game you might aswell make some jolly good noise otherwise you might aswell watch the game on the internet/pub or on your TV

It didn't take long did it. A sensible discussion on what actually makes a fan/supporter is already reduced to an argument over vocal or not vocal!

A real fan/supporter might not even be able to get to the ground - it is how you feel about the club that matters. Do you get excited about the season, the game the anything to do with the playing side of the team. You can be in the USA, Korea, or where ever, on a match day but you are still (possibly) a fan/supporter. I don't count the many seasons that I missed by being away abroad in the Army as seasons when I was no longer a fan - and I certainly wasn't chanting or singing in those locations!

['lista]

Whats the point in going to a football game if your not going sing? No wonder the atmopshere at Reading is so poor! To many people have picnics and having rolls in the South and West stand if you ask me. If you are going to go to game you might aswell make some jolly good noise otherwise you might aswell watch the game on the internet/pub or on your TV

Let's give this kid some credit. He does scream and drum and little Reading Town FC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWscR6jDoEM

1:22 - 1:30 Gwarn with your bad self.

Pathetic.

[Bristol Paul]

one that doesn't waste his time on pointless threads like this when it's been covered countless times

[Blue and White Toucan]

Another thread with all the 'I am a true fan' bravado and comments like 'you are not a fan if you don't sing or if you leave five minutes early'

What a load of tosh.

If you follow Reading Football Club in any way shape or form then you are a supporter/fan of the club, even if its just the first score you look for on the teletext.

At the end of the day you probably feel a bit (or a lot happier) when the win and a bit (or very) unhappy when they lose.

Next season come what may this will still be the same whether you don't bother with away games, decide not to renew your season ticket or decide to do things on a saturday which means you can't listen to the commentary.

At the end of the day if you support Reading FC now then you always will, but hopefully there will be a new generation because of where the club are now, and this will be great for future years.

[Forbury Lion]

All the opinions one might have on this topic will differ and differ. But for me, it's someone who loves the club for what they are.

Someone for which the club forms a part of their lives and will remain a part of their lives regardless of what happens on the pitch, what league we're in and regardless of who owns it and what they do with it. For example you can disagree/condem the board for it's behaviour in matters such as the Salako contract extension saga yet still be a fan of the club.

[AbovetheI]

a true fan is loyal to the end, even when the club performs woefully i'm not embarrassed to say im a reading fan. i never get tired of having to deal with "wait who" from all my friends who dont follow football, or think they do by "following" utd/arse/chelsea/liverpool. i dream of the day i can make the madejski (trying to plan for next season--bit hard on a college budget to get there from the states), but until then i relish waking up every saturday morning and pissing off my sleeping family yelling at my computer screen (whether positive or negative)...reading was my first--and will be my only--football club and that is something im proud to say.

edit: and no i didnt jump aboard when we hit prem, ive been following since end of '99

I have to say that's an excellent post. Especially the bit about not being embarassed.

[AbovetheI]

Another thread with all the 'I am a true fan' bravado and comments like 'you are not a fan if you don't sing or if you leave five minutes early'

What a load of tosh.

If you follow Reading Football Club in any way shape or form then you are a supporter/fan of the club, even if its just the first score you look for on the teletext.

At the end of the day you probably feel a bit (or a lot happier) when the win and a bit (or very) unhappy when they lose.

Next season come what may this will still be the same whether you don't bother with away games, decide not to renew your season ticket or decide to do things on a saturday which means you can't listen to the commentary.

At the end of the day if you support Reading FC now then you always will, but hopefully there will be a new generation because of where the club are now, and this will be great for future years.

This thread wasn't intended to be here for people to discuss who the better fan is. It's simply a place for people to state what they think makes a true fan.

[working class hero]

Whats the point in going to a football game if your not going sing? No wonder the atmopshere at Reading is so poor! To many people have picnics and having rolls in the South and West stand if you ask me. If you are going to go to game you might aswell make some jolly good noise otherwise you might aswell watch the game on the internet/pub or on your TV

Let's give this kid some credit. He does scream and drum and little Reading Town FC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWscR6jDoEM

1:22 - 1:30 Gwarn with your bad self.

A nice clip of grass roots football. I reckon the drummer and his mates are 'true' supporters. Singing proudly for a club with little prospect of reaching the LEague - let alone the Prem! They were making more noise than we did against Fulham....

[West Stand Man]

This thread wasn't intended to be here for people to discuss who the better fan is. It's simply a place for people to state what they think makes a true fan.

Read that again, carefully, and I think you'll see the problem. There is strong case to say that the 2 factors you mention are not mutually exclusive; the case is that "a true fan is the same as a good fan" therefore any discussion on what makes a 'true fan' is inevitably going to degenerate as this one has.

For what it is worth, I stand strongly by the view that being a true fan is all about attitude (as a couple of the posts have already said). If you sit on tenterhooks on match days desperately hoping that we win (or at least don't lose), if the first (and possibly only) result that you look for is Reading's, if you openly admit without embarrassment that you are a supporter, then I think you are well on the track to being a true fan.

Just as there are church goers who are not true Christians there are undoubtedly some (a minority) of people who go to the Madejski (and maybe even to some away games) who are not really true fans - but so what. Is it important so long as you are?

[Dirk Gently]

Paraphrasing slightly what you've said, a true fan is one who interacts with the game - whether they're at it or not. So if you agonise about it beforehand, play every kick with the players and if the result affects your mood then you're a supporter. If you can't make it for whatever reason but you still want to know what's happening and and you make an effort to find out - and aain the result affects your mood.

Even more simply - it's the difference between participating and watching.

[Dr Hfuhruhurr]

There is no such thing as a "True Fan".

[Alan Partridge]

Can I just point out: you don't have to sing/chant to be a true fan, many true fans go to every home (maybe even every away match) and don't sing at all, just prefer watching games without chanting.

'greed. Also, if I want to leave 5 mins before the end to avoid the traffic then I should be allowed to. Why worry about what other people say about the time you leave?

Whats the point in going to a football game if your not going sing? No wonder the atmopshere at Reading is so poor! To many people have picnics and having rolls in the South and West stand if you ask me. If you are going to go to game you might aswell make some jolly good noise otherwise you might aswell watch the game on the internet/pub or on your TV

I don't think I've ever said this to anyone on here, but you are a fcuking idiot.

[RTFC Drummer]

That’s my opinion lads about what is a true supporter. 1) If you are a true supporter you won't boo at the end of the game just because your team has lost. 2) Do not leave early just because you want to miss the bad traffic or your team is loosing badly and can't bear to look at the woeful performance. 3) Chant and sing really loudly no matter what the score and even if you’re not the person to have a sing song get involved and create an electric atmosphere. 4) Back the club even if you don't think some things are right for example money in the transfer window. 5) Always look on the bright side of life 6) never stop supporting the Royals even if they do go down ect. HTH

[londinium]

Sometimes... I dont sing
Sometimes ... I leave 5 mins early
Sometimes.... I don't go

All the time... I support Reading FC