Pretty much a random shower thought but got me thinking.
A Big 6 fan has got the success, the chances at winning trophies regularly, their team generally wins most weeks, they get to see the best of the best play for their club. Their team is recognised around the world. They get to watch European football almost every year. If you can’t attend games you can watch them on TV most weeks because they get shown more often.
On the other hand, you’ve got the ungodly amount of toxicity. Big 6 fans are absolutely rabid towards each other. Every match thread is a cesspit of anger. You’re constantly looking at the other teams at the top and hoping they lose as well. You get all the mockery when your team dares to not pick up 3 points in a match. Every refereeing/VAR decision that goes against them is met with cries of corruption, that there is a conspiracy against the club or to favour another club. Is the high of winning as much as the low of losing for them?
An other 14 fan on the other hand, success is hard to come by. Other than perhaps a run at the FA Cup or Carabao Cup, maybe an occasional Europa League appearance, you’re basically cheering for not getting relegated every season. You know that chances are you may never see your team lift a trophy in your lifetime.
On the other hand (I know I’ve repeated that phrase too much), every win perhaps feels more special. And if you do win a trophy, or that European run, or that promotion from the Championship, it’s the best thing ever. You don’t have those weeks where you’re expecting an easy 4-0 win and anything less is unacceptable, you genuinely never know what you’re going to get and every win is huge. You can generally have a nice chat about your team rather than “ugh you support ___, grr grr grr i am going to tell you why they are the evil of this world”. You’re not going to see a loss memed about by the rest of the footballing world for the entire week. You don’t have to sit through an entire week of analysing why VAR has ruined football because they hate your team specifically. (Seriously, as much as Liverpool had that dodgy Spurs game, if they’d have had the season Wolves have had so far with referees there would be outrage on another level and City would probabaly have a few additional charges.)
Weirdly the time early Klopp time was more enjoyable and relaxing than the successful Klopp years. Don’t get me wrong the victories where amazing and some of the best moments I’ve had celebrating with fans around town and the parades.
But it’s so god damn stressful, every draw feels like a tragedy and defeat feels like the end of the world (chasing Man City does this for you) there’s also just so many games that matter it gets mentally tiring. The end of 2021/22 season was a slog with massive games every 3 days and frankly I was happy when the season ended and didn’t really get into the start of the next season for ages.
That said I wouldn’t want to go anything else the highs of winning the champions league and European trips are some of the best memories you can have
There’s nothing enjoyable for our fans. Same can be said about Chelsea.
To me there’s nothing better than watching your team play amazing football so good that you just think they’re the best in the world. Seeing Henry do amazing stuff with the ball is what made me love football and that’s what I really want to see in my team. To be brutally honest there are some teams big teams that I look at and think I would get absolutely no joy from being a fan of said team because the footballing highs just aren’t there.
A Big 6 fan has got the success, the chances at winning trophies regularly
I’m sorry what
Depends on you. Are you the type of fan who likes X club and then football (usually people whose family supported one club and it goes back generations) or do you enjoy football and then support a team becuase something about them you enjoy.
I’m the latter. As a resut, I enjoy any experience. I liked following Palace back in the 2013s, I liked following Wolves when they were killing it inthe championship, Brentford’s come up, Newcastle and Rafa and Brighton as well. I liked watching Newcastle last season when they were trying to mkae CL, I really enjoyed watching Brighton too.
Heck I enjoy watching my local club in the lowest league of english football. give me enjoyable football and i’ll watch. Not sure why people are so extrmeley loyal to one club, you’re really missing out!
I love being a Liverpool fan and wouldn’t change it for anything amount of money. Been one since birth, would go to games with my dad as a kid when it was affordable, and Anfield is the most “home” feeling place in the world for me.
I remember watching through college on shitty pirated streams, mostly losing, and loving them anyway.
The more recent run of being relentless and powerful has been such a joy, but even last year, through actual misery and fear losing and drawing so many at the start, we also then would bang out a 7-0 win.
It’s not just about watching the games though; I enjoy all the media content put out by the club, and YNWA is a mentality for true fans. With the recent Diaz stuff, we all felt wounded and afraid and just wanted his dad home. When it’s the anniversary of Hillsborough, it’s a somber reminder of tragedies that happen, and that we need to love and hug our loved ones because you just never know what could happen.
When I’m sad, I rewatch Istanbul and feel a sense of power again. When I need a reminder of the power of hope, I watch CORNER TAKEN QUICKLY and I’m just in awe of the players for what they’ve accomplished.
I can’t speak to what it’s like supporting other teams, and I don’t think it’s really a big 6 versus the rest. I think it’s just whatever it means to you.
When my dad was my age Everton had won the league twice in the previous 5 years. I’ve never seen them lift a trophy in my lifetime. Villa, Forest and Leeds fans in their 30s have never seen their team lift a major trophy when the previous generation saw them regularly compete for league titles and go all the way in Europe.
Just because clubs are part of the big six now doesn’t mean to say that group will be the same in 25 years.
As to whether or not it’s more enjoyable? I would say my twenty odd years as an evertonian have been “character building” to put it politely. That being said, one day I believe I will see an Everton captain raise a major trophy (not the championship or the JPT) over his head and on that day it will be all the sweeter for all I’ve endured.
This
Best is supporting my little brother’s u12s team. One week it’s 14-3, the next it’s a 0-5 thrashing. Whiplash shit
Issue with supporting the “other 14” is the media never praise you for getting a result against the top 6 - The narrative is just where did it go wrong for the top 6 side.
We can look at this in a few categories and so I will
Short-Term Success
Big 6: You’ll see plenty of wins for your club, probably trophies (unless you picked Spurs) and overall good finishes. It’ll be exciting fun and watching the team will be fun. It’s a lot easier to become a fan of these teams because things are going well.
Other 14: You are likely to have a 50/50 record at best and could be facing relegation at worse. It’s not improbable at some point you’ll employ an ugly style of football to survive and even then it may fail. FA Cups, Premier League, Champions Leagues etc. are unlikely to come to you. It can be a bit hard to get into a times because 12th place might be the good finish you’re aiming for and you could be losing more matches than you are winning.
Long-Term Success
Big 6: Instant gratification will usually come back to bite you. It sets your expectation high and anything but victory feels like a disappointment. If you don’t win a trophy (unless you picked Spurs) feels like a failure. You are pretty much guaranteed misery because your expectations are too high to be realistically attained. Your expectations are so high 10th place is a disgrace and even 5th is considered bad
Other 14: Maybe you get relegated, maybe you just barely survive. Maybe your team almost went bankrupt. But you are use to the losses and can accept them a bit easier. But those wins, particularly over the big 6 are incredible. When you win the Championship or FA Cup or Europa Conference League or Europa League or whatever else it is incredible and probably 10x time better than a big 6 win. Your expectations are more realistic and 10th place is typically pretty decent and 5th is absolutely awesome
Media Coverage
Big 6: Absolutely everywhere, everyone is talking about your squad what went well, who was good. You’re in title race, you’re looking at this exciting manager or player to bring to your club. But at the same time if you lose it is being put in your face absolutely everywhere. I remember when Wolves beat Spurs & Man City this season. People were roasting their fans every where.
Other 14: You’ll barely hear about your club and half the time when you do it’s really obvious they barely know what they’re talking about. If a player is playing well “They’re going to move to a bigger club”. Most pundits are just from the 6 “bigger” clubs, mainly the old “big 4”. When you beat a big 6 side it’s always what they did wrong, NOT what you did right. But I think the communities are a bit more tight knit in comparison. Also if you get relegated r/Championship just seems to be a really fun subreddit.
Overall
My advice is always to pick an other 14 club. Yeah, it’s rougher to get into for a start. You want to be winning and stuff. But the benefits of the long term commitment are just so much better and will give you untold joy that a big 6 club will just not be able to give you.
This is a fantastic write-up, thank you
Teams 4-7 are the most fun. Are you getting CL or Europa? Are you unlucky enough to get Europa conference, so many movable parts in those few spots
Don’t take this the wrong way guys but… it feels like there’s a lot of copium from other 14s in this sub. I would never discount the joys of being a fan of other clubs. But being a Liverpool fan is quite exhilarating.
I enjoy the banter we get when we lose. And I enjoy the thrill of winning, no matter what match.
I don’t think one is better than the other. People always comparing for some reason… Being a fan of a football club is beautiful for everyone in their own, sometimes different ways.
either bottom or top table teams are fun to watch , midtable mandems are boring
Probably being a “other 14” fan and watching a lot of the big six. Best of both worlds. Get the banter of big six, and the genuine high of a middling English club success.
Was so proud of Fulham making that Europa League final fifteen years ago.
Been supporting Brentford about a year… Started liking Soccer after the world cup and didn’t want to pick a “big six” because being a Yankees fan (they’re a bit like Man U at the moment great history and playing like shit). Anyways, although its a different sport supporting a top team vs supporting a mid team I can honestly say I get way more pumped for any Brentford game than I have a lifetime of supporting the Yankees besides maybe a World Series game. Every 3 points is like crack.