Is it possible to like teams who are traditional rivals (not Rangers or Celtic read thread)

I don't really have other teams that I would say I like. I definitely have teams that I dislike though.

Enjoy watching good games of football in the premier league, don't particularly care who wins.
 
AndythephotoDr said:
My mate thinks I’m a bit strange as I say I have a soft spot for both Liverpool and Manchester United. Liverpool were my team as a kid I think due to the number of Scots there were and I like Man Utd mainly because of an admiration Alex Ferguson.

Neither team is Rangers and the match the love I have for our club but I do have an admiration for both clubs I mention without being properly into them. I can watch both teams play and will them to win without the consuming passion I have for Rangers.

As I said my pal thinks it’s strange liking it rivals.

Are any of the rest of you drawn to teams who shouldn’t go together? Like both Barcelona and Real Madrid or Inter and AC Milan for example or do you feel you have to get into that rivalry thing?
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The only other team I have any interest in is my boys team.
However I love football ,I’ll watch any games.
 
I've always supported Nottingham Forest but have a soft spot for Notts County too. Before I was allowed to go to Ibrox myself, I did used to go to Firhill with some pals when we were away or if I wasn't going with my Dad. This was in the 70s when it was less safe going to games, and sometimes the Filth were at home same time as us.
 
There are a few English teams I like to see doing well and in Spain I like Real Valladolid, Athletico Madrid and don't mind Real Madrid also.

Only really love Rangers though
 
I follow Roma and I found it very difficult to want Lazio to beat the tims last year (still wanted the tims to get beat obviously, but it was the first time I’ve struggled to support a team playing against them). I would agree with the OP that it is possible though, as there are a few German teams that I like, for various reasons.
 
Always had a soft spot for AC Milan and Inter milan. Both have had some amazing teams, down through the years.
 
Mr Wilton said:
I once worked with an Italian guy from Rome. Was a Lazio fan, but he wanted Roma to do well in Europe as it represented Italy and was under the impression that most fans in Italy would be similar. Couldn’t understand why I wanted them to get beat regardless of who they were playing!
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Got to say this season I was genuinely pleased that Celtc qualified for the group stages in Europe.
My logic being after a tough European match they are more likely to drop points on the Sunday.
I want us to win the league this season more than anything else.
A good run in Europe for us is financially rewarding but I’m not expecting us to win the tournament.
I’d be happy to go out in the knockout stages and focus 100% on the league
 
ibrox1975 said:
Got to say this season I was genuinely pleased that Celtc qualified for the group stages in Europe.
My logic being after a tough European match they are more likely to drop points on the Sunday.
I want us to win the league this season more than anything else.
A good run in Europe for us is financially rewarding but I’m not expecting us to win the tournament.
I’d be happy to go out in the knockout stages and focus 100% on the league
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As was the same, as long as it wasn’t the CL with all the money!
 
I often used to hear when younger how Liverpool and Everton fans respected each other’s team :oops:

Now I don’t know if that was ever really true, but having been in a pub in Liverpool during one of the recent derbies I feel it can be safely filed under b*****it.
 
Corkinator said:
I’m quite similar to yourself, I was a big Liverpool fan right up until Rodgers took over. I now enjoy seeing them get beat!! I also like seeing Man U do well under Ferguson.
tbh I only really support Rangers, I go to forest and Notts county games but they’re not really rivals.
I’ve been to few East Midlands Derby’s (forest v derby) I don’t actually mind Derby, and the atmosphere is shit compared to a an old firm or even exciting spl game.
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How can reasonably big teams in one city ...not be rivals?
 
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There are teams I don’t mind but they are not rivals to a side I like.

I can’t see how it’s possible.
 
Leeds have always been my English team but I always had a soft spot for Man U growing up with Sir Alex.

I didn't realise they were rivals till I was a bit older!
 
My wife's family are mainly Benfica fans with one Sporting fan and they generally want all other Portuguese teams to win in Europe, even Sporting.

Their only exception to this general goodwill is Porto. They loathe them and one cousin is an outcast because of his support for them.
 
I go from liking certain teams for a variety of things, could have been liking the strip when I was younger ie Barcelona Inter or Sampdoria. Sometimes styleof play ie Manu under Fergie although it was more grudging admiration. I like to watch Klopps Liverpool especially with the now Gerrard connection.
 
Unless you are a real supporter of a particular club, liking rival teams is not a problem.
 
I have a ST for Milan therefore detest Inter and Juventus, however when they play in Europe I like to see them doing well, was delighted when Inter pumped Spurs in the CL coupla seasons ago. Mind you, that was mainly because of 200 or so Spurs fans singing 2 songs non stop in Piazza Duomo on the afternoon of the game, fannies.
 
Wife is a Birmingham City fan. Most of my friends are Aston Villa fans.

Personally I don't care if either team win 10-0 or lose 10-0. But for them I hope they do well.
 
They were selling these scarves at the Libertadores final in Madrid. I'm only nominally a River fan but I would never wear one. And I would be amazed if any (nominal) Boca fan would, either.


River-Plate-Boca-Juniors-half-scarves.jpg
 
Bangersbc said:
There are teams in the world that I enjoy watching because of the quality or style of football they display... But in terms of caring if they win or lose it is just:

1. Rangers
2. Scotland

In that order. As much as I enjoy watching both Barcelona and Real Madrid, I'd never call myself a fan being I will not give two hoots as to whether they actually win or not. I'd just be looking for a good game.

There is of course the "Anyone against them" mentality that I thought was universal. Certainly domestically I'd be delighted to see celtic humped weekly, but my newfound appreciation of the coefficient has muddied the waters somewhat. I'll be quite annoyed if celtic fail to get any point in their group for example.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want them in the champions league without us. I dont want them going further than us. But I do like the idea of them (and the other clubs representing Scotland) pulling their own weight. Celtics complete mediocrity in europe during their 'glorious 9 in a row' is chronically under-reported by the media. In what should have been a near decade of virtually guaranteed champions league participation, they have been anonymous and allowed the countries coefficient to embarrassing levels.

Thank Dave King for Gerrard and Rangers return. Our coefficient has almost recovered... But if we all perform in Europe, the money might just drag the league out of this cesspit... So long story short, I'm a fan of Scottish teams in Europe... Although if I'm honest with celtic I can only manage 'neutral' at best...
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Rangers and Scotland for me but have had a soft spot for Newcastle ever since the Keegan/Robson teams of the 90’s as loved their style of play.

Not quite the same these days with the current owner but have been down quite a few times of the years to St James’ Park as a good day out on a Saturday.
 
Used to work with a guy who was a Celtic fan but liked to see Rangers do well too because it made his old dad happy.

I had a sneaking suspicion he was just a boozehound who didnt really care about football but would go to the pub and support anybody if he could get wasted, though.
 
Wouldn't say I have a like for one over the other but many years ago on holiday I was in the Barcelona club shop, got a few strange looks, had a barca top on and forgot I had pulled on Real Madrid shorts didn't bother with it but then thought to myself what would my reaction be if someone went in to the Rangers store wearing a Rangers top with celtic shorts, I would think they were nuts.
 
ibrox1975 said:
Got to say this season I was genuinely pleased that Celtc qualified for the group stages in Europe.
My logic being after a tough European match they are more likely to drop points on the Sunday.
I want us to win the league this season more than anything else.
A good run in Europe for us is financially rewarding but I’m not expecting us to win the tournament.
I’d be happy to go out in the knockout stages and focus 100% on the league
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I want them beat in Europe but not embarrassed if that makes sense. Them just missing out on qualifying from the group is alot better than bottom and humped every game. It just reflects bad on the scottish game which in effect looks bad on us too. As its seen as less of an achievement from the outside if we win tbe the league. When talking to english people and they say we would stuggle in the championship i usually point to our 2 groups from the last couple of seasons and ask how many championship sides genually compete with porto etc. Any epl club fan wouldnt be saying porto braga feynord psv etc would be bottom six epl or relegated but seem to think we would be. Thats the level we are at the now i think and it will be for a long time unless we get bought over by an oil rich russian. We may get in the champions league and obv we would prefer that but we arent competing with the top sides in that. In the europa we can. Well atleast until the champions league sides come in.
 
Nothing wrong with it. I don't personally have one. I've only ever liked a second because of players. Henry - Arsenal, Gerrard - Liverpool, I quite like Tottenham just now because of All or Nothing and think Son is class. So I'm a bit of whoor in a way
 
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