Dortmund. Red has always been my favorite color but I’ve always loved the black and yellow kits, I have a BvB training shirt kicking around (no pun intended). And in 2013 when we were far from the CL it was fun to watch their exciting young team. They had a pretty good manager, too, if I remember correctly: I thought “that guy has had a good career, winning the Bundesliga (twice) and DFB-Pokal and getting to the CL final,” figuring that would be his peak.
Honorable Mentions: Bournemouth, Preston North End (my relatives who introduced me to LFC live just south of Preston in Lancs), West Ham, New England Revolution. And, of course, my “local” side, the Portland (ME) Phoenix in the US 4th Tier.
Don’t care for Tottenham but not all Spurs fans are bad — I went to WHL in London because I didn’t know if I was going to get to go to Anfield a second time (first time as a real fan) on that trip (thankfully I did) but found a UEL game for 25 quid the day of the game. Harry Kane was emerging and I was like “that guy’s gonna be a player.” Found two fans on the train with their scarves and said (in my American accent) “I’m obviously not from here so I’m following you guys to the ground” and they took me right in with open arms. Anyway, Phil and Ryan, wherever you are, thanks for the pint and the craic.
I lived seven years in Frankfurt, so I went to the home matches of Eintracht. I remember a European game against Newcastle. They got a goalless draw thanks to their outstanding keeper, it was Shay Given.
So I’ve got a softspot for them.
So do I for Wolves.
No problem Prolix. To be honest I only started them to get a bit of reaction and increase the number of threads. Pleased to see the interest.
For me Aston Villa have always held a soft spot. Had some lads on trial there many years ago and the lads got to see a first team game. Some years later Ron Atkinson became manager. A good customer of mine was a fan of Ron´s and asked if I could arrange for him to meet Ron as he knew that I knew him quite well. One phone call and two tickets for a match were left on the gate for us and my customer got to spend about 45 minutes chatting to his idol.
Villa are a sleeping giant really but I think someone must have slipped a sleeping pill into the water around there.Should do a lot better this season though.
Don’t really have a second team so to speak, but during the eighties if Liverpool didn’t win titles I cannot say I was disappointed if Everton won, it just re-enforced the idea that the city as a whole was the football capital of the world to me, plus some cousins supported Everton so was always a friendly rivalry, not the toxicity of the stuff around nowadays
I lived about 20 minutes walk from Celtic Park at one point. I did go to odd games and enjoyed the atmosphere but never an Old Firm match.
When Rangers won the 9 titles in a row in 1997 it was like a bloody war zone. Rangers were actually playing in Dundee that day but hoards of their “fans” showed up around the Parkhead and Dennistoun areas intent on Catholic bating, fighting, vandalism and general acts of sectarian fuckwittery. I am certain that none of this had anything to do with football. We just hid in our flats and waited for the police to muster themselves.
Oh, and my flatmate’s car was vandalised. He was actually a Protestant and ex-RAF. I think he may have invented several new Scottish swear words in the statement he gave to the police.
But the sectarian thing is the main reason I lost interest in top flight Scottish football. When my son got to the age of following football I was determined that he should just follow our local lower league club or a team he would have some interest in. I suggest that he follow Liverpool but he insisted on finding out the nearest club to where he was born. As he was adopted we had to look it up on a map. It turns out that the nearest stadium to where he was born was Old Trafford. I suggest that he should follow cricket instead.
Ajax
I used to live in Holland and Ajax always played the most attractive football to me. They had awesome players and so much talent coming through their youth academy.
Honestly don’t know why, but probaby stems from the Keegan era when they entertained the PL so much. Always look out for their results…no matter how shite they are.
Borussia Dortmund. It started with Klopp rumors and their underdog Champions League final loss against Bayern.
It’s continued as they brought a couple promising American teenagers through - Christian Pulisic and now Gio Reyna. And easy club to root for in style of play and ethos.
Late to the party (as usual), but throw my hat in for Groningen FC. Where my extended family is from. Developed some good young players there, that Ajax, and others always steal. VVD and Robben being a couple of them.
