In a week that saw Coventry City take 8000 supporters to The Emirates Stadium for a Capital One Cup clash with Arsenal, which is nearly as many as turn up for home games at The Ricoh Arena now Coventry City are struggling in League One, one 'City Supporters Rep' allegedly said he felt that anyone who does not have a season ticket is not a true fan. Fair enough everyone is entitled to their opinion, but, even if the comment was said, it once again raises the old chestnut as to who are real fans?
Let us assume the City supporters representative did utter those words did he really mean that a 10 year old who has been given a season ticket by a parent, but has been to only half a dozen games is a true fan while the 80+ year old who has followed The City for 75 or more years, through the good times and the bad and who may no longer be able to afford a season ticket or maybe in failing health and cannot sit through two hours in the open in mid-winter, is not a true fan?
OK these are two extreme but possible, even probable scenarios, but they highlight the absurdity of claim that only true fans are season ticket holders. There are many dedicated fans that go to every home and away game, to every league and cup game; some even go to pre-season friendlies, under 18’s/21’s/reserves games. I take my hat off to those dedicated fans that take the time and trouble to watch their team, but not everyone can afford the time or the expense to do so.
Yes there are those who only go to high profile games, so called glory hunters, but they do pay their money for the privilege
I know many fans that drive hundreds of miles to watch Coventry City, they come from Wales, the south coast, east coast even from Ireland, but not all of them have season tickets, but I would never claim they are not true fans. I know fans that now live in Canada, the US, Australia. I know of several Coventry City fans who are serving their country in the armed forces, they can’t drop everything to attend a game, are they not true fans when they wear their favourite team’s colours or wave their Sky Blue flags in Afghanistan or Iraq or wherever the government of the day decides to send them?
Any fan who pays their money and goes through the turnstiles and shouts themselves hoarse, hurls abuse at players and officials, sing their songs in support of The City are true fans. It matters not one iota whether they go to every home game, every away game or half a dozen games, so long as they pay their money and support Coventry City they are true fans.
I could cite my own example: I have followed Coventry City since my grandfather took me when I was five to my first game at Highfield Road in 1960, I am now in my late 50’s which means I have been a fan for well over fifty years and am a recent member of The Diamond Club, but according to the supporters rep I am not a real fan as I have never been a season ticket holder. Incidentally, my grandfather told me he was taken by his father to the first ever game at Highfield Road and saw Coventry beat Shrewsbury 1-0, Queen Victoria was still on the throne then! Supporting Coventry City is in my genes.
Each and everyone one of us who support Coventry City has different personal circumstances that dictate how they live their lives. What matters, especially now the club is in dire financial trouble, is that fans turn up and watch Coventry City. It does not matter whether they elect to pay for the privilege by buying a season ticket, a six or twelve game package or whether they pay on a game by game basis on the gate, what matters is that fans turn up with their money.
The only times Coventry City were not in financial trouble was when 25,000 to 35,000 fans turned up for each and every game, week in week out. There were times when a mid-week reserve game would attract a gate of 10,000+. So instead of slagging off the fans who only turn up occasionally and alienating them please turn your energies into attracting them back on a more regular basis, you will be doing your club a huge favour.