I read Luke McLaughlin’s article with a great deal of empathy, yet still with some uneasiness about the taboo of having more than one club (Have you ever switched allegiance as a football fan? You are not alone, 1 August). A world I inhabit.
I too was at the Millwall v Forest game marred by crowd trouble. It was my first! My family are mostly Millwall, who remain my club, but having seen them drop down the divisions and play in the third tier, my head was turned by better technique and Tottenham- and Arsenal-supporting friends. They will never understand my soft spot for both clubs.
Not to mention family in Germany giving me a Freiburg shirt, making them my German team. Then the gift of a Champions League ticket at Celtic Park put another team in the mix, so I’m checking a lot of scores. Now in the Borders, I am agitating to see Gala Fairydean Rovers this season. They will be yet another team for me to keep an eye on.
To this day, when people ask me which team I support, I pause sheepishly and say, “Millwall but…”. I suppose I just love football!
Michael Opitz
Kelso, Roxburghshire
Over the course of his life, a man could well change his wife owing to personal choice or events outside his control. It is quite likely that his political views will sway depending on the ineptitude of governing parties or his own finances. His religious persuasion may be amended or completely turned off. But he must never, ever, change his football allegiance, particularly for the heinous crime of glory-hunting, else he shall always be known as a plastic fan.
Neil Bage
Bourne, Lincolnshire
If Luke McLaughlin wants to change teams, good for him. I often wish that I could. However, similar to the last words of Queen Mary I, when I am dead and opened you shall find my blue and white hooped heart. It’s not just that QPR was our local team. It’s not just that going to matches with my father was our time, unbreached by family or his congregation.
Despite its rather rocky record over the last 50 years, I’ve stuck with the club. Chairmen, managers and players come and go. There are promotions and relegations (we don’t do cups). The fans remain. And the longer we stay (and the longer we suffer), we begin to understand how our commitment to the cause is at the root of the club’s identity. We hold its memories, and create new ones. We give it life. And it gives us hope. I understand that Luke feels this is too much for him. I’ll give him a wave at the Millwall game next week.
Ariel J Friedlander
Modena, Italy
