My take on the thread title,

It's okay "to fall in love" with a team as a glory hunter. It's simply because not everyone has the time and patience to analyze EVERY TEAM in the world to decide which one fits his/her interest the best. I believe most of us (maybe not all) started to support our beloved team because of some reasons such as team popularity, peer influence, etc...

However, club-hopping glory hunters are different stories. I guess I do not need to elaborate further on this.
I would like to stress, DO NOT discriminate glory hunters. They are also human who deserve respect. They have done nothing illegal. They help to increase the popularity, income and support for the club.

Enough said, glory hunters who bash back the club "blindly" (without valid facts, just emotion and anger - because of the team is losing?) are hated the most. But yet, you cannot do anything about it since there is a freedom of speech.

The correlation between buying the original merchandise and supporting the club is in the economic nature itself. Its like buying pirated dvds and not contributing back to the ppl who put in effort to make the movie, to which the inclination would be pure injustice to the ppl who put in the sweat and tears. I saved the same 5 bucks on that crap of a keychain and id contribute it to a fund to buy an original jersey. I distinctly remember when there was a heated debate on buying a fake jersey/AAAAAAA jersey and an original jersey. Fundamentally the contribution heads back to the club. On that basis, i find myself being a better supporter. Maybe to satisfy you, id have to go to Old Trafford every week to catch the game, then id fit the definition of a "REAL" fan since merchandise is the WORST manner of showing support to your club! Watching the telly during the game doesnt contribute to the club materially, going out and getting the goods does. You dont like it? Then next time send an email to Liverpool or Real Madrid and congratulate them instead of buying the jersey...

Ive never for one moment been embarassed if my team has lost, even in the most humiliating manner. Infact after i posted my last one here, only then did i remember after the 4-1 mauling to the hands of Pool which i watched at home via Livescore cos i switched off the tv at 3-1, i actually wore my United jersey to the mamaks and i wore it with pride, and i met my pool mates ! LOL! turned out to be the best thing cos i took a bet with him, that night itself when United lost to them, that United wud go on to win the league. Now i get to burn his Liverpool Jersey

With due respect to your beliefs on the appropriate traits of a "REAL" fan, I dont think switching on the tv or switching off the tv wud make a difference to the way the match is being played or the final outcome. Neither do i believe that I have to sit and swamp myself in public whenever the team plays immaterial of the result. Its not about what you're doing during the match that counts, its your stance after the match.

When United lost 4-1, 2-0 consecutively, not once did i say that the team was rubbish, that we're going to capitulate in immense proportions. I stuck by my club...i will continue to do so, just as i said after we had gone 2-3 years on a barren run. (I cant be blamed if they havent gone on a barren run for 20 years so i can show my loyalty ...)

So for some of you, you can take the piss on whether sitting down and watching a football match is a measure of ure loyalty to the club, to me i think it counts for shite. So the likes of MariMo, you can laugh and roll on the floor laughing, but its the way that i support my team, whether theyre being mauled, or whether theyre dishing out the beating

Verx - this post was originally intended for ya, but the nasty nature in it is towards the Pool fans who think theyre the worlds greatest lot. So extrapolate the necessary context and leave the tone