Football fans have responded to a recent article about switching club allegiance, with many revealing they support more than one team. The letters, published in response to Luke McLaughlin's piece 'Have you ever switched allegiance as a football fan? You are not alone', show a range of perspectives on the topic.
One Fan's Confession
Michael Opitz from Kelso, Roxburghshire, wrote in to share his experience. He said: '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.' Opitz, who attended the Millwall v Forest game marred by crowd trouble as his first match, explained that his family are mostly Millwall supporters, and Millwall remain his main club. However, after seeing them drop down the divisions, his head was turned by better technique and friends who support Tottenham and Arsenal.
Opitz added: '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.' He also mentioned his interest in seeing Gala Fairydean Rovers this season. When asked which team he supports, he says: 'I pause sheepishly and say, Millwall but… I suppose I just love football!'
Traditionalist View
Neil Bage from Bourne, Lincolnshire, offered a contrasting perspective, arguing that changing football allegiance is a heinous crime. He wrote: '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.'
Loyalty to QPR
Ariel J Friedlander from Modena, Italy, expressed his unwavering loyalty to Queens Park Rangers. He wrote: '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.' Friedlander explained that QPR was his local team and going to matches with his father was their special time. Despite the club's rocky record over the last 50 years, he has stuck with them. He said: '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.'
