Other clubs you have soft-spot for.

Part of following football is (for me) embracing that shared misery and suffering that all of us go through - irrespective of the club you support (big 6 not withstanding).

Therefore, any fan who supports any other club outside the big clubs I can empathise with as we are all pretty much in the same boat (no cup wins, miserable performances, occasional and fleeting glimmers of hope etc).

Some clubs (either through travels, or friends) I have an affection for...who are yours?

Mine?

Charlton Athletic.  They lost their stadium, had to travel all over London and Kent to play "home" games for years and through the efforts of their own fans got The Valley back.  It was a pleasure to see Grimsby play back at The Valley when they first re-opened it - it was a proper dump, so to see what they have now is quite remarkable.  Plus they had Clive Mendonca!

Portsmouth: Crazy fans - always an incredible atmosphere at Fratton Park - the antithesis of the modern football stadium as well.  Grimsby played there a few years back and lost 4-2 - was amazed at the great atmosphere.

Dulwich Hamlets: I go there couple of times per year - very impressive what they put together, good community support and pleased to see they have their ground back.



Edit:  Just to be clear - I dont mean other clubs you support (there can only ever be one!!) - just those you for some reason keep a look out for

Man United, Scunny, MK Dons

Only England for me  

Quoted from MeanwoodMariner

Man United, Scunny, MK Dons

That did make me laugh!!  MK Dons!!  Does anyone actually not hate them?

Liverpool are my second team.

Brage

Grimsby reserves

Carlisle

They about the only club more isolated than us and always be seem to get decent support .
My main reason though is when I was a kid in the 80s I went to watch town play there with my old man , when we got outside the away end a copper cake over and said’ all kids this way ‘
He then got a steward to open the gate and let us all in for free .
I’ve always thought that was a nice touch that you’d never see happening again these days

I got brought up in a Man Utd supporting household, although my older brothers also attended BP. My oldest brother was a huge Duncan Edwards fan and one of my other brothers was obsessed with George Best. I was bought football kits of Man Utd and Brazil when i was young, and it wasn't uncommon when i was a young lad at school for everyone to have a second team. As soon as i started going to BP by myself aged 12, there was no other team for me. Football wise, the Buckley years were fantastic, but the excitement of the Lawrie Mac era was incredible for a 12 year old. I still loved Man Utd as a second team when they had Coppell and Hill playing for them on the wings, and Docherty as manager. I also loved Bobby Charlton, still my favourite all time non Town player. It's more of a sentimental thing for them now, as they remind me of my two brothers, who are sadly no longer with us. I always think back to that night in 68 when they won the European cup and my brothers going crazy in my Ma's house. Not fussed about them now though.

Was East Stirling when in the Scots league, based on one NYD match when nearly every other fixture in Scotland was postponed for ice/snow, they somehow got their game played but with an official attendance of something like 26 supporters turning up.

Forest, mostly because I liked Des Walker when I was a kid, but also because Clough was entertaining.

I loved the Forest sides of the 1980s - when I first started to get into football.   Awesome badge.

SC Eendracht Aalst

Acrington Stanley because they are the club that wouldn't die and are a good bunch of lads.

I always look for Carlisle as my dad was from there  and Millwall as Mum came from Deptford.
Go to watch Hamburg a few times a season too.

Accrington Stanley - always had a soft spot for them, I had a friend who supported them and I went to watch them whenever town wasn't playing when I lived in Grimsby, amazing fans.. About 4 months ago I come across their chairman on twitter, even bigger soft spot for them now and always look to find his tweets on a daily basis.

Exeter - son was born their and I'm not that far from their still. I do go to the odd game aswell.

Wrexham - Pearson.

Always look out for Exeter City results as I know a few people who are Exeter fans, and Brechin City for some unknown reason.  

For foreign clubs, Racing Clubs Lens in northern France - my wife is from that part of France and it is a bleak, northern hinterland of old mining villages.  If you think Barnsley is bleak, try visiting Lens and the surrounding area.  Great, compact stadium as well.

Great song they sing as well...

"Au nord, c'étaient les corons
La terre c'était le charbon
Le ciel c'était l'horizon
Les hommes des mineurs de fond"

West ham , stupid reason really, at junior school the first football shirt I was given to wear was claret and blue and I still remember saying I'm West Ham and I have never wavered towards any other team in the higher leagues through their bad and better times.
My other team is Boston United, As a youth and in to my twenties I lived 200 yds from York street and supported my local town along with most of my mates.I lived in Boston for 40 yrs. I still manage to see 3 or 4 games a season when Town aren't playing or to far for me to travel.

Nobody.

Hamilton Academical
Fabulous name and I was born in Hamilton..... Canada! 😁

Orient results  [Craig Clay ]      Wrexham results  [Summerfield  Pearson ]    like to keep tabs on Town ex-players as a matter of interest

Charlton (Wright, Tees, Green and Mendonca plus that fantastic old terrace at the original Valley)

Fulham ('little' London club, traditional and a great, proper ground)

Leyton Orient (as per Fulham)

Hartlepool United (traditional club with the 'application for re-election' record!)

Overseas clubs Feynoord and Sparta Rotterdam

Aldershot and Woking as I spent most of my Army career in that area.

Even got to go to a few games as well - especially when Town visited.

Adelaide United, family reasons

Clouds

Probably more of a southern bias because of where I've lived all my adult life.

Hampton & Richmond Borough - lived in Hampton for several years and got to quite a lot of the games. Friendly folk, could have (proper) beer on the terrace, nice to be able to walk to a game. And because you can shout 'cum on you Beavers!'  

Kingstonian - (formerly) local to me. Cool shirts despite the Donny look. 3 fish on their shirt too. A throwback to when Kingston was a town in its own right with industries like Hawker and Sopwith.

AFC Wimbledon because of the history of their (re)formation and I have the memory of that inaugural game against Sutton when 6,000 people packed into Gander Green Lane for a pre-season friendly, a genuinely hairs on the back of the neck moment. Being cheered for being a Town fan was nice too (to be fair they cheered everyone who came in wearing another club's shirt).

Honourable mentions for: Clough era Forest; Brentford (the Grimsby of London, always great to see Town at Griffin Park, bussable journey); Woking (the most civilised club bar queue in the world); Exeter (fan-owned success); Sarfend (the Grimsby of Essex, many a good Town game there); Clee Town (gotta be good for NEL to have a club like that).

I'm also a big fan of a mint club with a cuppa

Feynoord because I lived in Rotterdam for a few years and they became my adopted club. Wolves because of family being from there so half my family supports them.... And they have a cool badge and kit.

My old man was a Spurs fan when he was alive, I don’t follow them in any shape or form and enjoyed winding him up when we beat them 1-0 but I always look out for their result and happy to see them doing so well this year.

Used to be Leeds then got a grip

I really don't give a toss about any other team, the only result that makes me cheer or drunk off is Town.

At Cheltenham there was a flag with I think a Town crest on it and a West Ham one. Can't see the point in that.

I have a bigger list of teams I want to lose every week and look out for them first

Port Vale as thats the team my Mums side of my family support and its my local team

Woves because what young lad at the age of 7 just getting into football wouldn't want to support a team called Wolves  

I always pick a new team in the Premiershite to "support" each season out of the teams that got promoted to make MOTD a little more exciting to watch

SC Portimonense - on the Algarve, play in a stadium of 4000 capacity, in black & white & have already beaten Sporting & Benfica this season.

Just the one, Nur der HSV!!!!

St Etienne - great first album and seminal 70's kit.

30 years ago my old friend and myself decided after a heavy drinking session in the kingsway club to stick a pin in a map, and we would go on the saturday for a booze up and watch them.It happened to be Greenock morton and an interesting boozy weekend was  had by all,followed their results since

Man Utd (i’m from Urmston, grew up admiring Ryan Giggs) and Glasgow Rangers, watched them beat Celtic when I was a kid and was transfixed by Jorg Albertz battering a free kick into the bottom corner and followed them ever since.

Don’t understand the question?

Leyton Orient - A mate of mine is a die hard Orient fan and they've been through it with ownership troubles and nearly losing their club but they're finally on the way back. Proper club too with a good old school ground so I always look out for their results.

Wigan - Always admired the way they overachieved for so long pulling off great escape after great escape to stay in the Premeir League and even when they did go down winning the FA cup. Would like to see them get back into the premier league.

Not really a soft spot as such but I also admire Burton and Accrington for the way they've built their clubs up and worked within their means to arguably overachieve. Burton spending two seasons in the championship was impressive. Accrington's owner is open and honest with his clubs fans and knows how to engage the club with the community which I'm slightly envious of.

Either the season we went down or the one before that a few hundred town fans went to Accrington to support them against Barnet if I'm not mistaken as we weren't playing and we needed them to beat Barnet. From what I can remember they welcomed our fans with open arms that night and encouraged us to wear our Grimsby Town shirts.

Regardless of any of that though my one real love will always be for Grimsby Town. I've got black and white striped blood.

Afc Wimbledon

West Ham, well they did win the World Cup, and Forfar, stopped there many years ago when we went to see The Open at Carnoustie.

Quoted from sonofmadeleymariner

Port Vale as thats the team my Mums side of my family support and its my local team

Woves because what young lad at the age of 7 just getting into football wouldn't want to support a team called Wolves  

I always pick a new team in the Premiershite to "support" each season out of the teams that got promoted to make MOTD a little more exciting to watch

You write fairly well for a 7 year old but you must learn how to stop writing sentences which have double meanings

Was a ST holder at Manchester City for several years in the 80's and 90's. There wasnt a lot of glory back in those days. Since the success has come I still support them and still go now and again but the passion isnt the same for me.

The reason for City ......I have older brothers who support United. Though when I was very young I liked Liverpool as my boyhood idol was Steve Heighway. They always won though (where's the fun in that!!) so switched to City when as say 9 or 10.

My 'other' teams are mainly down to family reasons. My dad was a trawlerman from Fleetwood which is why he ended up in Grimsby. I grew up in Barcroft St and begged my mum and dad to let me go to BP but it was ages before they relented. My first proper match was in 1976 to watch Fleetwood Town in the Cheshire League. Soon after i watched Blackpool (my dad's team) in the old 2nd Division against Sheffield Utd. It wasnt until the 77-78 season I finally got my dad to take me to watch the Mariners and we didnt miss a home game for 5 or 6 seasons after that.

My mum was from Co Donegal in Ireland so I have always liked Glasgow Celtic and go up occasionally. These are my 'main' teams'.

I also look out for Finn Harps in the League of Ireland (they are Donegal;s main team) and Donegal Celtic (who are not from Co Donegal at all but Belfast and play in the (N) Irish League. I like the name.

I have been a keen follower of foreign football since a boy. Not a fan of anyone in particular but have a soft spot for Real Madrid. There was something magical and glamorous about them reading stuff as a kid in the 70's. Plus my dad was on the Real Madrid trawler a few times and I do have some Spanish ancestry. Also Hellas Verona in Italy as i went to the city on a school trip in 1980. And not to forget Panathinaikos as they have Shamrock on their badge.

Think that's it!!!

Quoted from MeanwoodMariner

Man United, Scunny, MK Dons

Love the fact that 16 nitwits with no sense or understanding of irony have red crossed you. Dear oh dear.

PS Kemi Kings, Rayo Vallecano, Haecken, Valenciennes, and Red Bull Salzburg I like.

Luton - Not sure others will feel the same way but feel like we went through the same struggled at the same time, similiar type of club and we had some good matches against them while other top teams in none league always seemed to be a bunch of dirty cheats

Afc wimbledon - just think its incredible what theyve acheived and i’ll always be hoping they can stay above mk dons

Kidderminster harriers - another team i admired from our none league stint, just like the club

Chievo verona - purely a football manager related one but genuinely still check their results every week

Ado Den Haag from Holland. They have a Heron on their badge so always look for their results. I like Herons

Scunthorpe.









In a swamp at the bottom of our garden.

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

Scunthorpe.









In a swamp at the bottom of our garden.

Thanks Mrs. Doyle. I’ve been waiting for that. Was it originally a Les Dawson mother-in-law gag?

Quoted from WHYWONTYOULETMESIGNUP

Luton - Not sure others will feel the same way but feel like we went through the same struggled at the same time, similiar type of club and we had some good matches against them while other top teams in none league always seemed to be a bunch of dirty cheats

Afc wimbledon - just think its incredible what theyve acheived and i’ll always be hoping they can stay above mk dons

Kidderminster harriers - another team i admired from our none league stint, just like the club

Chievo verona - purely a football manager related one but genuinely still check their results every week

I know what you're saying about Luton. There are quite a few parallels. I've got a good mate who supports and scouts for them so I do look out for their results and want them to do well. They've been good in the old acca this year too.

Orient cos I lived in Leyton for a couple of years and used to go and watch them with a few mates. Armenia Bielefeld in Germany as I spent a fair bit of time there in 80s and used to watch them too.

Used to watch Man U since the 77 Cup Final as well as Town but gave that up 2-3 Season`s into the Premier League era when I saw the way things where unfolding in terms of cash distribution. Whilst it`s not United`s fault they are a successful business model it`s clearly wrong wrong how the 72 teams below the Prem are treat and they help monopolise this. I still look for their results but it`s Town all the way. Have to say having 2 or more teams to support was commonplace growing up in the 70s and Man U,Liverpool and Leeds in the GY area seemed to be the 3 main teams with the London teams having a few followers. I still remember Man U getting hammered 6-0 by Ipswich with Gary Bailley saving 2 penalties and getting teased without mercy on the Monday at School I have hated Ipswich ever since

I think most people know I have a soft spot for Grimsby.

Lived in the town for 3 years, daughter still lives there now so I spend a lot of time down that way.
Got plenty of friends in Grimsby too, so always try to make a game when I can.

Always look out for the results after I've been to the Darlo game, first game I look for. Done 6 games this season, hopefully will have done 10 by the end of the season.

UTM.

Whoever happens to be playing against Scunny.

I don't have a soft spot for other teams... I just have teams I want to lose more!

Went to Uni in Sunderland and worked at the Stadium of Light for a season so naturally look out for their results and want them to do well (or at least not get relegated any more than the past two seasons)

Nottingham Forest ....... I used to watch them when I lived there for a while in pre-Clough days, Cloughie was at Derby if I remember right. Forest had a great side then and finished 2nd in the old Div One in 1967 in spite of being very unfashionable as a team. Jeff Whitefoot, ex Man U and Grimsby Town, was still playing when I first went to see them and later on they had Jim Baxter but not for long. The goalie was Peter Grummitt who would have walked into some recent England teams and they had the Welsh captain Terry Hennessy at centre back. Ian Storey-Moore played left wing, later transferred to Man U and up front they had Frank Wignall who was the nearest I saw to Tees and Rafferty for heading and Joe Baker, ex Hibs, Torino and Arsenal, who was unlucky not to make the 1966 squad.

Quoted from 1mickylyons

Used to watch Man U since the 77 Cup Final as well as Town but gave that up 2-3 Season`s into the Premier League era when I saw the way things where unfolding in terms of cash distribution. Whilst it`s not United`s fault they are a successful business model it`s clearly wrong wrong how the 72 teams below the Prem are treat and they help monopolise this. I still look for their results but it`s Town all the way. Have to say having 2 or more teams to support was commonplace growing up in the 70s and Man U,Liverpool and Leeds in the GY area seemed to be the 3 main teams with the London teams having a few followers. I still remember Man U getting hammered 6-0 by Ipswich with Gary Bailley saving 2 penalties and getting teased without mercy on the Monday at School I have hated Ipswich ever since

I remember being at school in the late 60s/early 70s EVERYONE had a second team. At one point the school tried to raise funds by working with a producer of china mugs. Everyone wanted a GTFC one but they didn't produce 4th division ones so we all ended up with one from our "second" team. At the time Man U, Leeds and Chelsea were the most popular.
Teams I still look out for are Hamilton Academicals (love the name) and Q.P.R. who I first heard of really in 1967 when, as a third division team they won the league cup beating West Brom in what I think was the first Wembley final. They also-a bit later had Rodney Marsh and Stan Bowles..real characters. Strangely I wasn't put off them despite being bricked from the multi-storey flats around South Africa Rd on one of our visits there in 1982 by their "fans"!

Quoted from barralad

I remember being at school in the late 60s/early 70s EVERYONE had a second team. At one point the school tried to raise funds by working with a producer of china mugs. Everyone wanted a GTFC one but they didn't produce 4th division ones so we all ended up with one from our "second" team. At the time Man U, Leeds and Chelsea were the most popular.
Teams I still look out for are Hamilton Academicals (love the name) and Q.P.R. who I first heard of really in 1967 when, as a third division team they won the league cup beating West Brom in what I think was the first Wembley final. They also-a bit later had Rodney Marsh and Stan Bowles..real characters. Strangely I wasn't put off them despite being bricked from the multi-storey flats around South Africa Rd on one of our visits there in 1982 by their "fans"!

yeh most of the kids i knew at school in the mid to late 70's had a second 'big' team. Then it was United, Liverpool and Leeds being far and away the most popular. Leeds were often on the big match (Yorkshire ITV) or match of the day.

There were a couple of Newcastle as well ( they were from Geordie families) beyond that you got the odd one like Everton, Spurs, Arsenal , City , Chelsea, Forest & West Ham etc.

Even though teams like Villa, WBA, Ipswich & Derby were good and winning trophies I dont remember any of the kids at school liking them.