I'm sure some would call me a plastic because it impossible to support two teams in the same sport and country. Surely I'm just looking for glory. Well here is how it actually is.
Charlton
Let me start by stating I wasn't born into a football family. I don't have parents who already had the kits and were regularI'm a south east Londoner. Charlton Athletic was always my local team. What I love about CHarlton is that it's a family club. I've only been to two matches (one which I can remember this past fall vs Yeovil Town) but what I really liked is that the Valley is a warm and cozy little stadium and the fans are friendly. I got my first Charlton shirt last season and when I wore it around town and even at Stansted airport it would strike up conversation. Maybe the guy working at boots talking about how he was just at the last cup match or a sales clerk talking about how they live right by the stadium. And at the match I sat in the upper stands by the drums which was entertaining. I also was pleasantly surprised by how many families were there and into it. Grandmother's making jokes to their grand kids about players and commenting on "Chrissy Powell's Red Army." With the slightly more intense atmosphere of the bigger clubs, it's nice to have a calm but lively and appreciated group of supporters so close to home. I have been schooling in the USA for over a decade now and in that time Charlton has only been in the EPL for 3 seasons. Also the following is not that large at all in the USA since they aren't a big club. So for the longest while I just had no context for the club. For the longest time they were just a team I used on FIFA. Since I've been at Dartmouth, I've gotten more of a chance to go back to London and I've started to pick up the culture again. I like being able to watch teams I support so I really hope they become an EPL team soon so I can actually see matches and get to know the players. I think Chris Powell has done a great job and he is truly loved by the fans. I hope for much success in the Championship and with the revamped site and my new follows and followers on Twitter in the Charlton community I will be sure to try and keep up this season.
Chelsea
My supporting Chelsea was a gradual process because like I said, I don't come from a family that really supported an team. My extended family are Arsenal fans mostly as is the case if you're in south east London and want to support a big London team. As I got older schooling in America, I started watching more Premier League. I used to like a some of the Man U players (Giggs, Beckham, etc) but never fully became a fan. My neighbor in London had always tried to get me to be a Gooner. In some ways I almost could have been. But the Mourinho style and combination of players really drew me to Chelsea. Also th amount of England players in positions I find tactically crucial. I am a huge Lampard fan (he's one of my top 3 players) and I also really like Ashley Cole. As I watched more EPL, I wanted a team to support from London so I could still be close to the home stadium whenever I returned. It was a bit of a debate between all the usuals but, gradually, I started watching more Chelsea but I didn't really fully favor a team. A few years back I started getting the shirts and the gear and all that. I think one thing that drew me to Chelsea is that it is almost always a close match. It feels like you are an England fan. I will be happy however when the off the field controversy becomes less with the players. It seems like the youth are a bit more sensible and Roberto Di Matteo has been some good PR for the club because people respect him.
Conclusion
So to sum it up, Charlton will always be a family club representative of where I've grown up in the earlier parts of my life and the culture of my home area while Chelsea represents the tactical side of my support and the kind of interest I could only get with more understanding of the sport. The two rarely meet so I never really have to pick. And with they way money is dividing the sport right now I'm sure I will have kids before they become truly equal teams so no worries there. And in the end it doesn't really matter if anyone thinks that's plastic. I get the gear, I go to matches when I can so I consider myself a fan.
Yours truly,
Daniel
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