john68 wrote:I have always found the fans of the supposed London clubs to be the most miserable and humourless. Arsenal, Chelsea ans Spurs fans always seemed to more arrogant than others, even back in the 60s.
Maybe they suffer from a "London is England" syndrome.
I'm pleased to not see my team mentioned in yr post (IIRC you were there at that famous mid-80's match between WHU and MCFC?)
The thing I'd say about Spurs is that, in fairness to them, they've changed the least out of those you mention.
Both others, but especially Chelsea, were a very different proposition even up to the late 80's (when Arsenal started challenging again for the title after a fallow time). Arsenal were a part of North London and the burbs to which their support had escaped to. Chelsea were notoriously racist in the 80's and nastily violent up until their 'renaissance' under Matthew Harding. Nowadays, their fanbase has little to do with the area in which the club is based.
The same goes for Spurs, but only to a degree. They are the fanbase most similar to West Ham; they stretch out into the Home Counties, because families have moved that way, but they're still a 'London club'. I shouldn't really, but I respect them for that. My cousin's a Spud. Happens that he was in the away end, when you lot invaded the pitch during that televised FA Cup match.
Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 2:24 pm