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[Blog] Foreign Fans, Are We Really Appreciated? Written by Sindre94 on Monday, 9th Jan 2012 13:11
First of all I would like to let you all know who I am. My name is Sindre Eliassen and I'm a 17-year-old Norwegian bloke with a burning desire for Ipswich Town. I have been a true and hardcore fan since I was about six, when my dad succeeded with turning me into a fan like himself.
It was at an early age when I started to pick up on names like David Johnson, Matt Holland, Marcus Stewart, Martijn Reuser and Richard Wright. I somehow knew so much more about the English game than my mates and was soon called The Encyclopaedia, just because I knew names from a team that no one had ever heard about.
At the age of nine (2003) I participated in a football school at Portman Road and was mascot for the mighty Blues when we went to Sunderland on 30th September, that chilly midweek night in 2003. I was realising that my life was almost all about this football team from Suffolk that no one had heard about.
Now when Facebook became a part of my life, I started getting in touch with English Town fans, and I thought that was great. Each day I wrote this wallpost where I let my opinion be heard, but it didn't last for long.
It was only about a year ago when I got very weird and personal feedback regarding my name and the fact I'm a Norwegian. I used to come out with comments like, "We should start Scotland more, I think he has a lot to offer to our team!". But I didn't have to wait long until I heard, "Armchair fan you don't know anything go and support your local team instead".
Hopefully, not all of the Town fans are like that (I know they aren't) but I need to know where these comments come from, why are foreign fans not wanted by certain people, what have we done wrong?
I hate to say it but I often feel like a few of my Norwegian mates are perhaps the best fans I've ever seen or experienced.
One of Norway's best fans was sleeping at the floor on the Norwegian airport Torp on Friday, before he travelled to England early doors on Saturday just so he could go and watch Town meet Hull in the third round of the FA Cup, before travelling back shortly afterwards.
I know three or four people in Norway about the same age as me who support Ipswich, imagine that, three or four out of 5 million!
There aren't many of us, but we are so proud to support this mediocre club in the Championship. Teams like Man Utd, Liverpool, and so on have 30 or 40 thousand fans in their supporters clubs, while we have about 500 very dedicated and loyal fans.
As a 17-year-old I'm travelling by myself to Ipswich in April to watch us play Birmingham and Palace, and I've saved money for one whole year just to watch us play two decent teams. Ask yourself, would you do that?
I think we deserve a lot of respect for spending so much time, money and effort into something a lot of people take for granted.
I just wonder, is it something wrong on supporting Ipswich, do you 'local' fans feel afraid of different cultures in the club, or is it great that we have a fanbase on a global basis? I hope 100% of you prefer the second option.
Finally, I want to thank all of you who respect us and give us the appreciation we deserve, we really admire you too for supporting a team that seems to be stuck in the Championship. Thanks, and have a nice day, COYB.
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Hello , like most clubs we have our fair share of morons , but its a small amount so please do not let these idiots put you off , in fact im very proud that we have a following fan base from all over the globe so keep it up . also opinons matter it makes it more intresting to hear other views . all the best and thanks for supporting our team .
Good man Sindre :) Its nice to know that people overseas take more than just an interest in Ipswich Town, and actually want to communicate with other Town fans to voice their opinions! Well done, and lets hope the Birmingham and Palace games in April are ones that we win!!
Dont listen to the haters fella, they take it too far at times. Any kind of support from all fans in valued, you are a credit to the club. After a while you start to see the fans that are worth listening to and the ones that are not. Best ignored.
It has nothing to do with coming from Norway Sindre....it's called 'fickle fans' who all think that they are the next Alex Ferguson!! We ALL have our own views on matters at Portman Road (not very positive ones at the moment though!!) and we all have a right to expect that others will respect that whether they agree or not. Unfortunately, the standards of this country (and many others too) has nosdived in the past 20 years or so and this is reflected in football just as it is in society as a whole.
Sindre - to confirm other posts: there is no question, anyone on this planet is welcome to the band of Ipswich supporters. The fact that you live in Norway is not a reason to bar you... ignore the mindless comments of the few. ITFC, particularly this dismal version, is fortunate to have fans who are so forgiving and who, in the end, cannot give up!
Ignore the self-righteous so-called-fans who think that you have to go to every single game to be a true fan. They are the minority and most people are aware that you cannot make every game if you have commitments in life and even more unlikely if you live in a different country. We need all the real supporters we can get at the moment and you are most welcome!
Your support is respected and valued and puts some of the supporters who are closer to PR to shame. It quite often amazes me how people from all over get attatched to this club and if from a distance it seems all negative, its because we all care about ITFC.
Great blog Sindre and please ignore the idiots, you are as much a part of ITFC as anyone else. I have been a supporter since the mid 60's and am really glad to hear of supporters from your part of the world. Scandinavia has always had a lot of Ipswich supporters and remember in the 70's they were often coming to Portman Road but that was when we were one of the best teams in the country. Your support is valued and appreciated, believe me.
I remember sitting in the Upper Cobbold many moons ago, 2001 and we have liked 200 dutch fans over for the game all wearing orange. I think, could be a dream mind...
Dusseldorf Lads from Germany still come, QPR away last season was Brilliant, they have split Fortuna 95/ITFC scarfs. Very friendly and very vocal. Awesum.
Firstly, a small number of town fans are idiots, all clubs have them but ours seem to quite vocal! I hope that by the time you come across we are playing slightly better! The qpr away last season with the german fans was quality! It's good to see some great loyal supporters! I live at the very north of England so I also get to only a few games! Don't worry about them!!
Not at all, this is to get a clearer opinion on foreign fans, Im just saying that I've put alot on stake just to watch Ipswich, and I feel AT TIMES, CERTAIN people don't appreciate the effort we foreign fans put into watching Town
Nice vid! Cant believe i havent seen it before. Think I saw u too be fair, not standing far away from where i was. Immense effort for both you and them to travel all this way. Is one of the great things about football. Gotta love it.
Qpr away last season was awesome. Unfortunately I was in the home end but quite close to the german fans who helped to create a superb atmosphere. It certainly confused the qpr fans to see all these Germans pre match with Ipswich scarves. Keep up the fantastic support and I hope you enjoy your visit.
Great blog sindre. Im irish & itfc fan since 78. Have never had negative vibes from anyone so keep supporting our great club& ignore the very small minority.
Although I was born in England I too could be described as a foreign fan I suppose having lived in the Netherlands for the last twenty years. I do know where you are coming from on this because when I sometimes partake in Radio Suffolk phone-ins there has been the occasional objection to my call on the grounds that I am not a season ticket holder and cannot get to many games. These people thankfully are a small minority and the argument surely is if we can have foreign players and foreign managers why not foereign supporters too! I am delighted that you support the Town and you deserve all the credit in the world for bringing this topic up because it does need addressing. Keep following the Town my friend because supporting Ipswich is a crusade and when it rains it positively pours but when the sun occasionally shines it can be blinding! That is what being a true supporter is about. Fair-weather fans are the ones that are usually the most critical and they are best ignored. Complaining becomes second nature to them.
I know where you are coming from Sindra and although I was born in England I have been living in the Netherlands for the last twenty years, which is half the time that I have supported Town! If players and managers can come from foreign countires then why not supporters I ask? In fact, like most sensible supporters here, I am positively delighted that you support the Town! There may be many more rainy days than sunny ones at this present time but rest assured, when the sun shines on Ipswich Town, it is radiance personified! And although these days are few and far between they are well worth waiting for my friend. Fair-weather supporters only seem to see the dark days and they are the ones that do most of the complaining and are best ignored I think.
[Blog] Foreign Fans, Are We Really Appreciated?
