I love Arsenal because of Pires. Then their free flowing style make me love them deeper and deeper.

How come there's noone who mention how they started supporting Arsenal? Where's all the Gunners? Ok.. I'll share my experience.

The year was 1998. I started watching football at the age of prolly 10. That time maybe one month watch once only. Cause my dad set a curfew on me which is I must sleep before 10pm. Also, that time my love into football isn't that strong. The only team I knew that time was Aston Villa and Arsenal. I tend to mix then up. Seriously. I don't really knew it was ManUtd era that time. I follow the match but not the league. My friends constantly talked about David Beckham=. I was like "Beckham? A ManUtd player? No la, Beckham its Arsenal player." Then I realised I mixed up David with Dennis Bergkamp.

Then it was France98, my dad let me watch most of the dad with him. So from there I started to love watching football but still I havent follow any team yet. From the World Cup, I get to know players like Petit, Zidane, Owen and so on. But the player that caught my eyes was Robert Pires and the Iceman (Bergy). After the WorldCup, I keep my eye on them. I was followed Arsenal but still without the 'depth' in it. Cause primary school was guarded strictly by dad. Cant watch to many games. Euro2000. We all knew what happen. France won again and I love Pires more. And guess what, he signed for Arsenal. By then, I was in secondary school. No more strict rules. Yay.

This moment, I became a serious Arsenal fan. Their freeflowing football. Goal kick + 3 touches = goal. Beauty of football. Its really nice when the team you support won the season without defeat. But its really frustrating this few season. We won nothing. Although we can always say, the future is bright with those youngster, still it mean nothing if you cant win. I'm confident we will be back challenging the other 3 for the title. In AW we trust.

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Added on May 6, 2007, 12:28 amActually I dont really consider Liverpool supporter as glory hunter. Liverpool was having a very hard time around 1995-2000 if I'm not wrong. If memory serves me right, they only won UEFA Cup that period. (sorry if i'm wrong)

One particular forumer stated: I support Liverpool when they won Milan after being 3 goals down. So if Milan won this time, you're gonna support Milan?

This post has been edited by prelude23: May 6 2007, 12:28 AM

Hmm... This a debatable point. Its hard to support a team which you cant really see them play you know. Like Blackburn was relegated to Championship after winning the league at 1995 (correct?) and only gain promotion few seasons back then. By then, if you havent see your team play for like few years, you may have lost interest with them. Leeds case too. They are a great team. But its the club failure to manage financially lead them to relegation. Now even worse. To League One.

Malaysia fans are really different from UK fans. Lets dont mention Championship or LeagueOne team. I'll take Fulham or Boro as example here. How often can we see these team played week in week out? Maybe twice a month? I mean live telecast of course. Malaysia mainly only show those big teams but not those smaller team which makes people hardly will support those smaller team. Let alone those Championship teams. I've heard many things about Birmingham this season because they've loan 3 Arsenal youngster. But I've never see them played. Only in YouTube. In UK, you can support smaller team like attending the matchday and so on. But I guess its hard for people here to support smaller teams. But I still believe theres die hard fans who still follow their team even they get relegated. Out of 10, I think there's maybe 2 or 3.

Btw, I would like to pinpoint a 'type' of fans. Some people only become fans because they're occasionally betting that team. They like the team because the club helped them winning money. Like Chelsea last 2 seasons. Now ManU. But they know nuts bout football. I got a friend as example. Once I ask him, what he know about ManU, he say know those things are useless, most important, know they can help you in winning money its ok already. This statement really makes me . Don't only know how to bet. At least know something about the club you're betting on!

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Added on May 6, 2007, 11:11 amOh wait DukeRed, I missed your last sentence. Somehow we agree on the same point.

This post has been edited by prelude23: May 6 2007, 11:11 AM

English clubs don't even have an election to win.

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Added on May 7, 2007, 10:42 amHey, enough bashing on RealMadrid. They are different from Chelsea. In Chelsea case, one sugardaddy came and take over the club and inject them with millions transfer fund. Their management did not even work for the fund.

But I believe RM is different. As verx and soul said, they got their business plan and their huge transfer fund does not come overnight. Its been decade and this is their tradition I guess. And its good to be own by your own fans. Rather than some business tycoon who took over the club without knowing much about it right? I'm not refering to any particular club here.

RM have the luxury to buy player but not playing them. Thats why many considered RM as the graveyard to footballers.

I'll say the problem about RealMadrid for the past few seasons is their manager. I've lost count on how many manager have managed RM for the past 5 years. Luxembergo (right spelling?), Capello, Queiroz, Camacho, Del Bosque, Ramon and so on... How often do you see a giant club change manager so often?

Well, my knowledge on RM is not really that much. Don't be hard on me.

This post has been edited by prelude23: May 7 2007, 10:51 AM

Hmm... At least RM money came from their own fans. Unlike Chelsea.

Nice point DukeRed

But actually, I think the Manutd fans were saying that their hatred towards RM is because RM buy good players but often end up benching them and not playing them which I think is quite true. But hey, RM have the luxury for that thanks to their business plan and solid history.

This post has been edited by prelude23: May 7 2007, 11:34 AM

Corrected.