Supporting your team

Yesterday I had a meal with a Spurs supporter and his wife. He never misses a game at home and enjoys traveling away, especially in Europe. I said to him that Spurs is a team that had its best days some 55 years ago but is still rooted in their past. His wife added that throughout their marriage she was waiting for Tottenham to wake up from its slumber as a sleeping giant.

Over the same period I have witnessed 5 Fulham relegations, 2 cup finals and 4 promotions. For us having a good time with the boys is as strong a driver as for my Spurs pal though we carry less expectations of success. Even after 13 consecutive seasons in the top flight our generation of Fulham supporters felt that one day we would lose our status as we did last season. For a Spurs fan relegation is unthinkable though it once happened, as it did to Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea. Only Everton have remained a premier club over the period since Spurs won the double.

The problem is we all agreed is that you cannot change your football team. This is the one constant in a life which might hit you with vicissitudes, so, in this sense, it provides both a comfort as well as pain.