Non-Mackems - Why do you support SAFC?

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Bobby Kerr's Tash

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Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I'm not trying to be funny... just genuinely curious.

I'm Sunderland born and bred - lived 30 of my 34 years in Sunderland and Washington so for me there was never gonna be owt else. Not from a footy following family either, though me Dad will own up to being a Mag when pressed :eek:

I know some of you are from different countries or parts of the UK and have never even visited Sunderland or the SOL (or the glory that was Roker :D ), so... what made you follow the Lads?

Apologies if this has previously been a thread :oops:
 


The supporters from different countries or parts of UK all have NE connections, mostly Sunderland connections. Whether it's Parents, spouses or whatever I have yet to meet a Sunderland supporter who "just decided" following SAFC was what they are going to do. Tasmanpaddler, for example is now living in Australlia, however as a youngster he attended St. Bedes school and regularly went to Roker Park (recent knowledge). He was best mates then with my best mate now. All exiles have connections AFAIK. I would be interested to hear of any supporters of SAFC who have never been to Sunderland or haven't been brought up in the correct manner by their parents.
 
mine cant really go down as a good reason but:

i had spent my life mnot reallt following football and for sum reason don't know why i sed yes to a trip out with a (sunderland supporting) friend to a league cup match against luton(think we won 3-0) well i arrived at the stadium of light and fell in love with the club, stadium, team and especially support which was memorably amazing, after that i went to a few more games that season and then next season got a half season ticket the seasons and since then i hav followed sunderland home and away

no-one in the world can explain it but before football and sunderland there was nothing now there is everything

btw i have lived all my life in newcastle
 
Blind Faith said:
mine cant really go down as a good reason but:

i had spent my life mnot reallt following football and for sum reason don't know why i sed yes to a trip out with a (sunderland supporting) friend to a league cup match against luton(think we won 3-0) well i arrived at the stadium of light and fell in love with the club, stadium, team and especially support which was memorably amazing, after that i went to a few more games that season and then next season got a half season ticket the seasons and since then i hav followed sunderland home and away

no-one in the world can explain it but before football and sunderland there was nothing now there is everything

btw i have lived all my life in newcastle
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Brought a tear to my eye that did.
Or mebee I'm just tired :wink:
 
Houghton Ref ™ said:
The supporters from different countries or parts of UK all have NE connections, mostly Sunderland connections. Whether it's Parents, spouses or whatever I have yet to meet a Sunderland supporter who "just decided" following SAFC was what they are going to do. Tasmanpaddler, for example is now living in Australlia, however as a youngster he attended St. Bedes school and regularly went to Roker Park (recent knowledge). He was best mates then with my best mate now. All exiles have connections AFAIK. I would be interested to hear of any supporters of SAFC who have never been to Sunderland or haven't been brought up in the correct manner by their parents.
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Oddly enough my brother is an example of the 'just decided' type - he's a lifelong follower of Dirty Leeds :eek:

Never been to Elland Road, lived his whole life in the NE, only seen Leeds play at Roker/SOL... but is a true 'White' to the core :?

Now you can see what prompted me interest :)
 
My brother-in-law is also commited to Leeds, dating back to the seventies when they were the Man Ure of that era. Most people grew out of it, he never did. But my point is, I have yet to meet a "just decided to" supporter of SAFC.
 
Houghton Ref ™ said:
My brother-in-law is also commited to Leeds, dating back to the seventies when they were the Man Ure of that era. Most people grew out of it, he never did. But my point is, I have yet to meet a "just decided to" supporter of SAFC.
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Medina?
 
Hair Flick said:
Houghton Ref ™ said:
My brother-in-law is also commited to Leeds, dating back to the seventies when they were the Man Ure of that era. Most people grew out of it, he never did. But my point is, I have yet to meet a "just decided to" supporter of SAFC.
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Medina?
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Yeah, I thought that too. Has he any SAFC connections?
 
I think I fit what you're looking for. I've never set foot in the UK, not sure I'd ever heard of Sunderland until the digital cable systems arrived here four years ago and brought full coverage of the Premiership with it. As you put it, I guess I "just decided."

Somewhere in the second season (2000-01) SAFC became a team I wanted to see do well, in part because of Phillips, who I found amazing to watch. Then I read an article in the Times Online (printed it and I think I still have it somewhere), that talked about the spirit in the squad and all, hooked me a bit more.

At that point I started listening to games online every week, and it became hopeless. Reyna coming in the following season solidified it even more. And at this point, my stubborn streak took over. I refuse to let go now and be a bandwagon jumper, although I guess in the beginning that's what I was.

I have great respect for those who have SAFC in their blood as a lifelong thing, I know I can never match that, but I will continue to rise at 7 a.m. Pacific time each Saturday during the season and find myself in a foul, bitter mood far too often two hours later.
 
Bobby Kerr's Tash said:
Hair Flick said:
Houghton Ref ™ said:
My brother-in-law is also commited to Leeds, dating back to the seventies when they were the Man Ure of that era. Most people grew out of it, he never did. But my point is, I have yet to meet a "just decided to" supporter of SAFC.
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Medina?
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Yeah, I thought that too. Has he any SAFC connections?
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As far as I know it was a mate of his Dad and it grew from there.
 
A lad I used to knock around with lived in Nottingham. Anyway his dad was a Mag (had trials for them) but his Dad's mate was from Jarrow and was a follower of the one true faith. Anyway this bloke from Jarrow used to come round and ask my mate which team he supported, to be answered with West Ham whereupon he used be beaten up by the bloke (in a friendly type way). Pretty soon he learned to support Sunderland. Aversion therapy...the future of SAFC.
 
Hair Flick said:
Bobby Kerr's Tash said:
Hair Flick said:
Houghton Ref ™ said:
My brother-in-law is also commited to Leeds, dating back to the seventies when they were the Man Ure of that era. Most people grew out of it, he never did. But my point is, I have yet to meet a "just decided to" supporter of SAFC.
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Medina?
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Yeah, I thought that too. Has he any SAFC connections?
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As far as I know it was a mate of his Dad and it grew from there.
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Aye, spot on Hair Flick.

I have to say though, what makes the club special, is you lot, the fans. This is always beeing said and i agree, the support is awesome. And the way i was treated by people up there was great, especially by people from here.
Can't forget the stadium too.
 
I was born in Jesmond, lived all my life in Gateshead (you can see the Tyne bridge from the end of my street), and love newcastle as a city - one of the best places on earth in my view.

Sadly, My mother and uncle are from Boldon - its a lovely place, but simply too close to sunderland. Uncle took me to Roker when I woz a nipper and that was it - a lifelong sunderland fan.

If only I'd got the metty from Pelaw to SJP - I'd have seen champions league football, travelled in europe with the team and generally had a great time.

I'm glad he took us to roker though - frickin mags. FTM, STID. :lol:
 
Although I was born in SUnderland and lived for years in Co. Durham I now live in Dundee, I get a taxi to Dundee Station every morning to catch the train to work in Edinburgh.

Yesterday the taxi driver got talking about Dundee in Scottish cup this weekend.

Apparently his whole family are going but his two teenage sons want to wear the Sunderland strips!!!!

When asked how they came to be Sunderland supporters, he said that when playing junior football a few years ago they'd been in a tournament in Ashington. They got sick of Mags boasting about NUFC so when they won the tournament they all wore Sunderland tops to wind up the locals.

And it stayed with them.

So now I have so company when I head down on match days.
 
Im a yakka (Blackhall), Dad from Easington, Granda from Seaham.

Not wanting to open another can of worms but with only support from within Sunderland SAFC would be well F****D!

Little yellow fecka with tin helmet on! :wink:
 
Its fair to saw quite a few of the posters here see that this place is a "Hive of activity" and that its a place they can get plenty of attention, and thus tag along with the SAFC side of things.
 
I first saw sunderland play in 1979 whilst visiting my Dad. I was 10 years old then. I live in Germany but follow the news via the web.
The supporters did it for me. I remember one Wednesday night at Forest standing amongst 4000 red'n'whites and we battered Forest 3or4 :eek:ne. LOadsof them left well early. Great night!!
 
SPUFF said:
Im a yakka (Blackhall), Dad from Easington, Granda from Seaham.

Not wanting to open another can of worms but with only support from within Sunderland SAFC would be well F****D!

Little yellow fecka with tin helmet on! :wink:
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You could say that about most teams though.
I reckon a 48,000 crowd at the Sol would have about 20,000 townies there. The other 26 or so thousand would be summat like..
10,000 Tyneside (mostly South) and Northumberland
10,000 County Durham/N Yorks
6000 Rest of the country/abroad.

Of course I could be talking complete bollox :roll:
 
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