Calling All Football Fans

By: Nick Osborne
Date: 11/04/2005

HAVING gone through the usual debate of big club/small club/own town club and premiership club and who do I support isn't it time the people of Grimsby woke up to the fact that we have our own club to support?

Is supporting the bigger clubs more of a habit than being an actual fan? Going back only a few years, this town was full of Blackburn shirts, Liverpool shirts, Moan Utd shirts, Arsenal etc. Sure, we have a right to decide for ourselves but isn't 'supporting' the bigger club more about appreciating football at its highest level more than being a fan of that particular club?

I know in Grimsby we have supporters clubs for other teams that are well run and they actually go to games, and good for them that's their choice, but lets face it, apart from those, probably 100% of all the people wearing the shirts of other clubs have never been to see them play and never will, apart from on the box.

For me, I interpret that as appreciating good football, and not supporting that team.

If there was a league for apathy for clubs, we would surely be top of the league.

Let's all support our own town club, promote the Town itself and reintroduce some passion and pride into the region. How do we do that when we have little or no resources to buy and build a better squad of players to make a better more successful team? We have to support it that's how; it means showing a little faith, getting behind the team and improving morale and confidence into players and supporters alike.

Someone has to take the lead in this, the club daren't because of the financial implications, but we the fans can, by turning out to support your own club. Imagine, bigger gates, better atmosphere, more money to buy better players, all of a sudden we get a promotion or two and then we attract more fans, more money and even better players. Before long, we all become town fans out of habit of appreciating our own good football.

A dream maybe, but it is very achievable if we support our own club.

As this season fizzles out, just think of the possibilities and potential that we have on our own doorstep for the future, and think about how little you would have to do to improve our lot. If we all forced or coerced just one person to come to the game with us, the gate would be 8k.

Why not give it a go with the last game of the season? Instead of expecting the club to do kid for quid or half price etc, let's all commit to bringing just one extra person with us, regardless of the result, the atmosphere alone would be great.

Nicko. (Still dreaming of football riches)

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