Am I a Football Mongrel - are you?

You didn’t read the title wrong…I’m asking if any of you would admit to being a football mongrel.  That is to say that you have, for whatever reason not just supported the team you support now or have other teams that you ‘keep your eye out’ for either domestically or internationally.  We’ve all admitted to supporting Cameroon in the 1994 World Cup (yeah, cheers Turnip head!), or wanting plucky AFC Wimbledon to rise through the leagues as they have - but have you ever taken it a bit further than that?

I have. I do.

I support Stockport County now, a season ticket holder on and off for 20 years.  Away game goer, tattoo donning, ‘buy a new shirt every year’ supporter.  Aren’t we all?  But underneath my blue and white exterior lie a plethora or reds & blues and blacks and reds.  The first of which was Liverpool.  As an impressionable youngster on the Stockport council estate playground there only seemed two teams to support - United, the Trafford variety or Liverpool.  It was really no contest at the time as Liverpool were then the most successful domestic English club, WHY would I want to support Man Utd?  Incidentally, you can see irony of that statement not just then, but now, and the future of the kids today in the playgrounds - football is cyclical is it not?

I soon outgrew this phase as I got older, just a few years older in fact - as I became more involved in the game I wanted more, not just on the pitch but off it.  I wanted to see the football first hand, I wanted to bring the Subbuteo figures to life and not rely on Match Of The Day or Granada Reports to see goals.  Having been born in Stockport, raised in Stockport, proud to be from Stockport and now living in Stockport, I saw it only fitting that County would be my team - regardless of level.  Why actively pretend to be from somewhere you’re not?  Again, you see the irony.

That’s when my then step Dad took me to County.  I was hooked.  You can’t beat that match day feeling from waking up on a Saturday morning to catching the goals you’ve already seen in the flesh repeated on TV that night, or the next day, or the Monday night round up.  It’s priceless.

Wait, there’s more!

Around the age of 15/16 the football management games were all the rage - Championship Manager, Club & Country and Ultimate Manager to name just a few - but one caught they eye that still lives with the hardcore of us today.  Championship Manager.  To the point where I downloaded a (legit) copy of CM0102 recently just to play it’s football management super awesomeness again.  Me and 3 mates used to sit in night after night competing for honours and looking back, wasting hours on end.  Our clubs of choice were spread across Europe, me, I plucked for Paris St Germain.  Ajax, Man Utd and Liverpool were the other choices, but nothing stopped me winning the Ligue 1 and Champions League in my first season.  It’s amazing how that can get you in football terms - beating your mates at what was then and still is now an excellent game to play. I’m 30 years old by the way!  I can still remember some of the players, Chrispohe Revault in goal and Patrice Loko up front.  Signings followed, a young Mickael Silvestre at left back.  I bet my mates can name some of their signings of the time.  Mario Paletti anyone?  Since then I’ve kept my eye on PSG and watch them on the box when I can.  I’ve purchased a few shirts and will continue to do so.

Did I mention that my middle name is Colin……..after Colin Bell.

That’s my story - what’s yours?  E-mail me at russcjohnson@hotmail.com with your story and I’ll post it on here - make it bloggy style though!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little blog - until next time.

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