[Archived] Foreign Rovers Fans

[tony gale's mic]

haven't seen a topic like this on the board and have always wondered, we have people from many corners of the world posting on these forums. i'm a blackburn lad so have little input personally into this topic but do wonder sometimes what made the fans from abroad pick rovers over so many teams. i guess quite a few will be expats but i'd imagine there'll be many who aren't too.

[Lathund]

I honestly don't remember. One possible reason could be that Rovers, as well as my local team IFK Göteborg, play in blue and white. Another one that I had a couple of good games with Rovers in Championship Manager (That's how Atalanta became my favourite Italian team too). Either way, it was around 1997, and I was 11 at the time. At that age you don't always think logically when making decisions

[Nate]

Well, when I was at primary school, we played a team called Blackstone. Anyway, my grandfather used to play the 'Soccer Pools' over here. One day after he died I found some pools tickets in my mothers car which he had left there. One of the games was Blackburn v Millwall. So straight away I drew a correlation between Blackburn and Blackstone and the rest they say is history.

Ever since I have also had a soft spot for Millwall as well, but chose the right team.

[Eddie]

I remember a similar topic being around at one point, always interesting to see what attracted people though. I have no other Rovers fans in my family, they all support United, City, Liverpool and Wrexham, so it was really by pure chance. I was on holiday on the Isle of White in 1994 and wanted to by a Subbuteo (spelling?) team and went with my Grandfather and Dad to buy it. When we got there they only had United, City, Blackburn and Newcastle, so I wasn't sure what to do. My dad, as a United fan, said he'd pay for it if I bought Manchester United, my Grandfather, as a City fan, said he'd pay for it if I bought anyone but Manchester United. I decided to display a bit of diplomacy and tried to choose between Newcastle and Blackburn and as I liked the blue and white kit more I went for Rovers. Although, I must confess that the first football kit I ever owned was a Manchester United one that was given to me by my Grandparents.

[vizcaya]

Well... I started following English football in the mid 80s. Around that time I had several teams that I "supported" (these included Liverpool (was a big fan of KD already then) and Derby (for some bizarre reason, can't remember why). But I had already taken a shine to Rovers, liked the kit and and the badge (and also thought Blackburn Rovers was a nice name). Didn't support Blackburn during those days, but always had a lookout for Rovers' results etc. But, when KD joined as manager (coupled with the arrival of a certain mr Berg (who actually ended up in a Rovers shirt by accident), that was it for me. And I've remained a true blue and white ever since! (although, I was so depressed when Shearer was sold that I wanted to give up following football altogether )

[The Dart]

I was 11 and needed to pick a premiership team to support (Section 3, Paragraph 2 of childhood rules.). I looked at the league table and didn't fancy ManU, Liverpool or Arsenal all too common. Blackburn was the special one the top 4. This was circa 1994.

[American]

Brad

[Philly Rover ®]

Pretty much what he said. I had a coach when I was younger who was a huge Leeds United fan, so I liked them for a little bit though I didn't really follow the Premiership all that much. When I got more into it, I decided to pick my own team, and I went with Rovers because of: (A) Big Brad; and ( I quite liked the look of some Irish winger named Damien Duff when I saw them play in the 2002 World Cup.

However, I think I speak for most of the Americans on this board when I say that although Brad drew us to Rovers, we're now completely sucked in and won't jump ship even when he retires, oh, 25 or so years from now.

[yankrover]

I'm with Philly. I started following 'soccer' after the 2002 world cup. I thought both Duff and Brad were brilliant so when I found out they were on the same team I started paying attention. I thought Rovers were on the up and would be playing in the champions league in no time with a great manager like that Souness fellow (I obviously didn't know much about football at the time). It fell apart quickly after that but it was too late. I was hooked. I don't regret it at all. Most people I know here in the states follow Liverpool, Chelsea or United-I think it's a lot more interesting to follow Rovers.

[LA Rover]

My dad (born in Greece) was a Spurs fan (Ossie Ardilles days - so there's that connection), but the first match I ever saw on television here was Rovers stuffing Norwich 7-1 in '92-'93, and I was hooked ever since. Plus, I didn't want to root for Spurs.

[yellowsubmarine]

I love Blue and White. And the blue and white halves jersey stood out among the rest in 1994.

It has been 13 years of ups and downs.

[Driftpeasant]

Back in '99 I had a friend from Manchester who was a huge ManU fan and Would. Not. Shut. Up. about ManU and that damn treble season. So, just to be contrary, I looked at the standings, picked the SECOND worst team (the worst would have been gauche) and then read up on them to see who Rovers were so I could talk intelligently about him. Then I read about Uncle Jack and the run in 94 and who and what we were, and fell in love with the team.

It started as spite, and ended up becoming love. And now I'm Blackburn till I die.

[B.R.F.C]

When I first seen them in 1992...Primary school was horrible with 15 boys, 14 being Man Utd fans and me being the sole Blackburn fan. Was a good final year there what with us winning the Premiership though. Got into a right bit of trouble for wearing my Rovers shirt that Monday that Santa went to extreme lengths to get for me at Christmas. Have also always liked Rovers and how they are willing to come over and bring in talent from Ireland both North and South, so much so that my Mums friend son was a pretty handy Academy player at Ewood (Gareth Scates).

[RoversFanUSA]

For me it all started 3 years ago. I remember laying on my couch and just happened to turn on a rovers game. I forget who they were playing but the second i found out Big Brad was playing i was hooked. I was just so excited that he was playing and that after all the crap people have talked about americans not playing at top level, here was the guy i grew up watching playing in the top flight. He is a HUGE reason why i became a keeper myself. I also remember being upset when they picked tony " Suckie McSuck" meola to play in the WC squad over Big Brad. Anyways i loved the halves kit and ever since that faithful day on the couch i have been a rovers fan, and will be one till i die!

[blackburnrvs]

Started supporting rovers in 94, love the blue and white halves jersey and of course at that time alan shearer.

[Rover4ever]

Started supporting them 1993, which was when the media started going crazy over Man United. Blackburn came 4th the season after promotion, and looked a solid enough team (unlike Norwich, who came 3rd, yet got whooped 7-1). The first season I casually supported Rovers, they came 2nd, and thats when I became a diehard fan! They seemed to be an antithesis of Man United with all their glory hunters, who switched to Man Uted after supporting Liverpool in the 80'2

Needless to say, I was the only Rovers fan in my class .......Since 1994 I have followed Blackburn through the relegation, and through promotion and the Worthington Cup victory.......Its been a long time!

[neekoy]

I actually started with a fancy for Chelsea but was keen on Blackburn as well because they were the underdog. My mate was a die hard Liverpool supporter and he was always ###### that Dalgliesh came to us, so I liked that as well

The league title ultimately made my mind up for me when I was on the fence looking for a permanent choice

Still to this day I have never met another Rovers fan that didn't belong to this board

[Daremz]

A question so frequently asked by my friends here in Holland. I can still remember it well. Holland biggest footie-magazine, called 'Voetbal International', had a very big article about Blackburn in about 1995, as them being the recent champions of England. I loved the shirts and when I came in a football-shop the next week, I saw it. I was in love and thanks to a few quids from my dad, I was able to buy the beautiful Asics blue/white halves.

Only, if I said I supported them because of the article of 1995, I would be a 'gloryhunter'. After a few years of normal interest in Rovers (not considered myself a real fan at that time), I really started to like them & follow them when times got tougher (1999 was the first season I really tried to get everything about them - Radio 5 Live, Ceefax, BBC). And eversince, my love grew bigger and bigger. Since a few years I can even say my love for Rovers is bigger than my love for Ajax, the team I support ever since I was four and my daddy took me to Amsterdam.

And eversince the Internet it's so easy for me to follow Rovers. But...the magnetic-function English football (and the stadiums, atmosphere) has on us Dutchies has me caught and I'll probably visit my first English football match (saw Rovers in real life @ Feyenoord and Sparta Rotterdam last year) at January 1st, 2008... and to be honest, I can't wait. I'll have the orange flag (now we have two fellow countrymen in the squad it's so cool to be a Dutch Rover) with me, and be with all you lads at Blackburn End...that will, whatever the result will be, the day of my life!

Proud to be a Dutch Rover. All my friends 'can't understand' me and tease me when we don't win, but I don't care. We'll stand strong!

[Rovers in America]

For me, I started supporting Blackburn back around 1999 or so. That was when I got my first copy of Championship Manager (Think it was the 99/00 version) and I wanted a team from the old League One to take up to the premiership. Blackburn looked like an interesting team for me to take and ever since I've supported them. Started back in the old Alan Kelly days and now we've got the American in goal which is a nice bonus.

Definitely hard being a Blackburn supporter in America. Everyone you know that does follow the premiership is usually a ManU, Arsenal, or Chelsea fan with a few Liverpool also. I definitely didn't want to support any of those because it'd be the equivalent of being a Yankees fan in baseball. I've still never actually met in person another Blackburn fan.

[Che1957]

I used to watch some EPL matches on one of those old backyard satellie dishes in the late 80s and early 90s. I took a liking to Blackburn in the early to mid 90s because they were a small town club that was competing with the big boys. Also -- and this is a bit silly -- I've always loved the rose on the logo. Then, of course, when Friedel signed that made me that much more interested as there weren't many Americans playing over there in those days.

[sany]

Alan Shearer

[Jonas]

Big Brad and the 2002 WC. It took me two years after that to really make the effort to follow UK football, but when I did, I looked for the team that had Mr. Friedel. Mark Hughes' arrival and the battle to stay up really cemented my fandom. I make an effort to follow US players in the Premiership, but I haven't become a fan of Fulham, Man City, or Reading. It's all the Rovers.

[revolutionrock!]

I honestly don't remember. One possible reason could be that Rovers, as well as my local team IFK Göteborg, play in blue and white. Another one that I had a couple of good games with Rovers in Championship Manager (That's how Atalanta became my favourite Italian team too). Either way, it was around 1997, and I was 11 at the time. At that age you don't always think logically when making decisions

Thats why i have a soft spot for Djuregardens(SP) due to being able to win league with Kallstrom and Isaksson and buying them for some crazy money,Kallstrom just behind the front two :lol:

Ahh good times.

[jkritchey]

I followed casually for a few years because of Brad, but Nelsen's arrival really cemented the deal. Never really followed individual teams until Satellite TV gave me a place to watch, and the ability to determine the character of a team. Under Hughes, it's been a pleasure to follow Rovers.

[dillo_dillo]

>>>see also