'Bandwagoner' vs 'True supporter' - What's the difference?

[klf]

I'm posing this question because I hear people talking/complaining about people jumping on a team's bandwagon all the time. I'm just wondering how you tell a true supporter from someone who jumps on the bandwagon?

I was always under the impression that a 'bandwagoner' was someone who takes interest in a team just because they are successful, or because they are starting to find their feet and make a real impact in the game.

What I would like to know though, is why this is a problem. Why do people feel the need to complain about it? A 'bandwagoner' is still showing support to your beloved team, isn't that what's important? Maybe they haven't been a fan for as long as you, maybe they will get bored of it and stop following the team, but that's their perogative. I think the important thing is that, even for just a little while, they are there supporting a team. That's what the game is all about, right? Fair enough they may not be as passionate as you, but you know in your heart and your head that you are a TRUE fan, people will come and go, and good on them, so be it, but you will ALWAYS be there, so why do other people matter?

I have to admit that I get a little defensive about this because I've been called a bandwagoner once, and it really bugged me. I've lived in QLD all my life, and in the past it's been a predominantly rugby league state, so that's how I was brought up. I'd never watched a game of AFL, I sure as hell didn't understand it, so I just automatically disliked it.

Then I met my ex-boyfriend, and he has been a passionate Collingwood supporter since 1990, he was 9. He introduced me to the whole AFL world. As I watched games and began to understand the game I fell in love with it. And obviously Collingwood were my team of choice because they were who we watched the most, they were the team I got to know first, I was also always moved by the emotion shown by all the supporters, I automatically knew it was a special club it wasn't about whether they were winning or not.

If I wanted to be a true bandwagoner, I would have gone for my local team who just so happen to have won the last two premierships. But I have little to no interest in the Lions, which is really a bit of a bummer seeing as I'd actually get to see games if I liked them.

I really think that calling people bandwagoners is a bit rude. Maybe that's just because I have been called one and got incredibly offended, or maybe it's because it IS rude. I do understand that it'd be annoying to see people just suddenly supporting your team when they're doing well when you've been there through the harder times, but how do you really know anyone's reasons behind their support for a team? Maybe they weren't introduced to AFL as a kid, maybe they live in a place where AFL isn't as recognised as in Melbourne for example, there could be any number of reasons, and really, who cares? It's not a competition to see who loves a team the most, the supporters all have a common goal, to be passionate about their team and show them all the support they can.

What do you think?

I just know that I'm incredibly glad that I was introduce to AFL, and more importantly, the Pies, and I'm positive I'm going to be a life long fan. It's a disappointment that it took so long to realise what I was missing out on, but it's better late than never. Now I just have to look forward to experiencing the excitement and the atmosphere at my first game, and I'll get to share it with all of you.

(Sorry that ended up a bit bigger than I anticipated! )

[Donny]

Welcome to Nick's, klf.

You made some good points in your post. To each his/her own. It takes all kinds.

I suppose some of us 'dyed in the wool' Pies fans, 'my blood runs black & white' and 'never say die' type of Pies supporters would say, it's not so much the ones who jump on the bandwagon it's the ones who jump off when things get tough.

After all, we weren't all born into a Collingwood family. I was 11 when a kid I met in hospital 'convinced' me to follow Collingwood.

That was '57. We came 5th. that year and missed the finals but I liked what I saw and whenever I read anything about the famous club, I became more intrigued and knew I was already part of something special.

In the following year's GF we beat the Redlegs in perhaps our most incredible victory ever and prevented them equalling our proud '4 in a row' record. It became even more significant when Melbourne won the next two !!

During the next 32 years it never even crossed my mind to look for another team to support.

[AnthonyC]

klf you've made some good points, but let me tell ya, no good can come of this topic. Do a search on "bandwagoner" and you'll get the gist. Me, I'm a voting member, so what, does that make me more loyal or passionate or love the Club more than someone who's not, not IMO. The more the merrier I say. Good to see you're on board.

[klf]

Thanks to both of you for your replies!

MAGFAN8 that's an awesome history you have with the Pies. Maybe in 50 years I'll be saying.. 'Yeah back in '03 when Collingwood won their first premiership since I'd become an AFL fan'. And hopefully my little boy will be able to follow suit! Although, we are having a few battles with my soon to be brother in law who is desperate to buy him Bombers stuff.

AnthonyC, I'm in total agreeance with you - the more the merrier. To those that keep supporting their teams and stay on for the long haul, good on them, for those people who choose to give up on when the going gets tough then it's their loss I say!

[MissMagpie_20]

I agree you make some good points klf. Like Donny says though, its not so much the bandwagoners that jump aboard that bothers me, rather the ones who jump off when were in trouble. I agree, the more ppl supporting Collingwood at any given time the better, no matter what their supporter status, but the thing that annoys me is when the bangwagoners who disappear in times of hardship call themselves true supporters.

I have no idea what actually constitutes a true supporter, but I know that its in my blood to be a true Magpie. I was put in black and white as soon as i was born and have never looked back. I couldnt live withut Collingwood. I eat, sleep, breathe and live Collingwood. Weekends are empty without Collingwood, cricket season KILLS ME, weekends are miserable if Collingwood lose, guys arent worth going out with unless they barrack for Collingwood, haha. Collingwood is my top priority and rules my life and I wouldnt have in any other way

[Magpie Andy]

I dont really like bagonwagnors, people who go 4 the pies from since the were 3 - 8 whatever have more of a spirit, You can c at every game that the bagonwagnors put in the effort to cheer

I want collingwood 2 win for ever but someone said if they lost enough games to get rid of bagonwagnors the club would be much better

But then again we have commercials trying to attract people to be a member so i dont really know its either people join because they have an insperation for the club or they stay with their own side

[klf]

[magpie willow]

Yeah i dont like bandwagoners either i see kids at school who went for north and other sides who jumped on our bandwagon this year and they think that they are diehard fans when they are not and sometimes it just shits me when I think about how I was born with black and white blood and have been going every week i can remember since 1994 and I see these kids and whenever we lose they dont wear their collingwood guernsys the next week or dont go the next week but true fans like me will always have the guernsy on no matter what cos I always beleive in Collingwood and love them to death and that is why seeing people who can just come claim themselves to be a pies fan when they are successful and leave them when they are not upsets me dearly but at least I know through thick and thin no matter what happens every year week in week out I will be there cos I love this club!

Hope that was a good opinion and if you dont like it thats your opinion.

[Yobbo^LuKa]

Geez...all you bandwagon lovers will love em even more when they take your seat in the finals wont ya!

If I knew a bandwagoner had taken my seat at a Final I would be ropable. They are scum. They arent real Loyal Magpies...You cant change teams, you cant not support them when they are down.

I haven't sat in the rain with the rest of the faithful through the bad times to let some bandwagoner take what should be my seat at a final .

Grrrr I could go one forever on this subject!

[Magpie Andy]

CARN PIES

ey will ur right like those idiots i dont appreciate what they are trying to do to our club you need to have the passion oh u people get lost with ur crappy fasion we dont need u 2 stuff our great collingwood if your gonna be a member you need a good excuse

[magpie willow]

Yeah I was spewin how many bandwagoners got the bloody tickets your right yobbo mate they are scum its bloody disgusting how many loyal fans who some hadnt missed a game for 50 years missed out and a bloody bandwagoner who reckons they barrack for us but only come to the granny because we are in a granny get the seat it is unfair!

I might sound harsh I know but I just dont like the bandwagoners I know i suppose its great to have as many supporters as we can but when we are playing bad will they be there? NO is the answer to that!

[klf]

I hope you're not all misinterpreting me and thinking that I'm condoning people who only support teams when things are good and they're winning. I think it's pathetic, but I just don't feel the need to make a big deal out of it.

But then again, I'm not as effected as most of you would be, I don't get to go to games and I don't experience the sorts of things you're all talking about first hand, so maybe that's why it doesn't bother me so much. I wouldn't know what it was like to miss out on a ticket for a huge game or something, so it's normal that we may perceive things differently.

My original post was just intended to see how you actually class someone as a bandwagoner, and boy I sure do know now! I mainly wanted to say that it's not fair to generalise and class people as bandwagons when you don't know their history. If you know someone has dumped your team when they have been losing or what not, then fair enough, they suck ass. But if you say someone is bandwagoner just because they show an interest in your team it's not really fair, how do you know they aren't going to become diehard fans like the rest of you? Maybe they haven't been fans since birth, and the sincere people, those new supporters that really appreciate the club/team/players would be disappointed that they've missed out on something so fantastic for so long.

Man, I think I've used the word 'bandwagoner' far too many times today.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't post about this because I think anyone here has been unfairly generalising about people, I've only been a member of these boards for a few days so I haven't seen too much here. I just brought it up to get opinions from people other than those I already know.

[MissMagpie_20]

Diehard fans missing out on Finals tickets is one of the biggest tragedys in football. Having said that, i know personally i woild never accept missing out. There are ways around it if you want it bad enough.

[magpie willow]

yeah good onya mate its been a great topic

[Pied Piper]

Congratulations to klf for posting this thread. I don't see how no good can come of it as anthonyc suggests, although obviously it strikes a raw nerve with some.

A couple of folks who say they hate bandwagoneers seem to miss the central point - what defines a true supporter? Calling anyone that supports your club "scum" (sorry Will) seems very harsh.

I'll use myself for an example for the moment. I was born in Melbourne and lived there until my teens, when my folks moved to Brisbane. As a toddler, I was told I could do anything I wanted in life, but if I didn't barrack for the Pies... you know the rest. It went well back in the family: my grandmother was friends with 58 premiership captain (in absentia) Frank Tuck.

But me - I was raised on a diet of Collingwood GF defeats - 79, 80, 81. I can't remember 77, thank the lord. My fandom of the club never wavered.

Up in Brisbane from 1987 on, I hardly get to see my team play. The rain, hail or shine argument doesn't apply because I don't get the opportunity. And because I hardly get to see the team play, being on a limited budget, I make no apology for not being a club member.

October 6 1990 was, of course, the greatest afternoon of my life.

But, being so far away, I admit my interest waned somewhat in the dark years of the mid-late 1990s. At that time I hardly even got to see the club play on TV. But it was still my club - despite perennial defeat and an embarrassing off-field situation, I could no more support another than fly to the moon.

It helped in one respect, though: I became a fan of the game itself, better able to appreciate the achievements of others, and hope we learned from them.

Now my club is back with a vengeance. I live from week to week. I devour as much AFL media as I can get my hands on. Nick's, which I discovered earlier this year, puts me in touch with other supporters which provides some sense of connection to a team I rarely see in the flesh.

Having been around long enough to see the team's few highs and many lows gives me a sense of perspective about where the team's at. I pride myself on my knowledge of the game. But I also know that's no substitute for being at the match, being able to see outside the action on the TV.

As some on Nick's know, I'm a writer, finishing off a book at the moment. I'm seriously considering a move to Melbourne for the next one, which might just focus on my beloved black and white stripes.

When I make it down, I'm sorry if anyone feels I'm pinching their spot. But frankly, I think I'm as entitled to a place in the crowd as anyone.

The Weed