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Pointless really as there are so many other clubs to choose from - my vote would have been Spuds first, Spuds reserves second and Spuds youth team third.
My Vision
Written by Squid Boy on Tuesday, 03 July 2012 09:59
Prologue: the idea for this blog sprung from a discussion with @hahostolze, who writes for this very website, and A-list Twitterati @DarrenArsenal1. If you’re on Twitter, go follow them.
Discussing the idiosyncrasies between “local” and “foreign” Arsenal fans on Twitter is dangerous. One loose word or misconstrued statement and BAM! you’re accused of being disrespectful towards a certain set of supporters.
That’s not to say such disrespect does not exist. I’ve seen numerous instances of a demeaning attitude from those who live nearer the Club to those further afield. But there is also a healthy respect from many.
Ever since I joined Twitter in the summer of 2010, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of connecting with thousands of Gooners from across the globe. Their passion for The Arsenal is no less than those who are fortunate enough to attend games. Having to wake up at stupid o’clock to watch us play is dedication to the cause. I have become friends with many such people worldwide, ranging from North America to the Far East, and I admire them greatly.
I’ve also taken huge satisfaction in accompanying a few “foreign” fans to their first Emirates matches. To lucky “locals” like myself, the journey from Arsenal tube station to the stadium is nothing more than a 5min walk. But watching someone do that for the first time – seeing their eyes light up as they fulfil a lifelong dream – is a humbling experience.
Irrespective of where we’re from, we all love the Club equally. There’s no doubting that.
But what about the opposite of love? What about hate? Which rival clubs do we hate more? Does location play a part in determining this?
I have long pondered this question. It came to a head during last season’s Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona. My Twitter timeline was a split between those wanting Barca to lose and those wanting Chelsea to lose. Being a Londoner, I sat firmly in the latter camp. I could not stand the thought of Chelsea being the first club from the capital to lift the European Cup. It sickened me.
I’m sure it sickened others too. Except their hatred for Barca overshadowed this. At first I could not comprehend it. But then I thought deeper.
To “foreign” fans, the game largely exists via the media. Livestreaming matches, interacting with fellow and rival fans on Twitter and Facebook, reading blogs and communities. The online aspect of fandom outweighs the physical aspect of it, simply because you don’t come across as many fellow football fans in reality as you do on the Web. So someone living abroad may be more susceptible to Barca’s gloating fans or the press fawning over Messi, Xavi and co.
Exhibit A: “Cule tears are the sweetest” – North American fan following Barca’s elimination by Chelsea
That’s not to say all “foreign” fans preferred a Chelsea win, nor that all “local” fans wanted Barca to win. For the sake of simplicity, I am generalising here. Globalisation of the game and the Internet revolution of the past few decades also means that the sentiment in Exhibit A is increasingly prevalent for more localised fans.
However, being closer to the action means you are more likely to have traditional rivalries ingrained in you from friends or family; from your own experiences of rival fans at matches; or from interactions with them in everyday life (such as the workplace or school).
Exhibit B: “Dammit! Those Chavs are gonna be even more smug now with their Pride of London rubbish.” – London fan following Chelsea’s elimination of Barca
However, is there another factor at play? Is your hatred of a particular team based more on when you started supporting Arsenal, irrespective of your location? For instance, which sides were the Club’s biggest enemies during your formative years as a Gooner, and have you carried that ill-feeling throughout your years as a fan?
To find out more from you, I’ve set up a short survey. It comprises three simple questions:
1. Where are you from?
2. When did you start supporting Arsenal?
3. Which three teams do you hate the most?
I’ll get you started. Despite my Indian and Kenyan heritage, I consider myself very much a Londoner as I was born and bred and still live here. The three clubs I hate the most are, in order, Spurs (traditional local rivalry), Man Utd (who I despised during my early years as a Gooner) and Chelsea (because of the way changed the face of football).
You on the other hand may have grown up in the 70s or 80s and have a dislike of Liverpool’s dominance, like I do of Man Utd. Or if you are a more recent fan, my hatred of Chelsea’s money could be your hatred of Man City’s money. Maybe you despise Stoke’s anti-football shit-kickers. Perhaps you loathe Barca’s “holier-than-thou” vibe while they allegedly tapped-up Cesc Fabregas and have been recipients of a number of favourable refereeing decisions.
At the end of the day, it is each to their own. A person’s individual experience shapes their feelings. I’m merely intrigued as to the influence age and location have, and if any trends emerge.
If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please take time to answer the survey. And please answer truthfully! All the responses will be anonymous, so no-one will judge you for hating one team more than another. It will remain open until the end of the week, or until it reaches 1,000 responses (these survey accounts aren’t cheap, y’know!). So be quick if you want to make sure your voice is heard:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PNH7KVZ
In the event that the survey closes having reached 1,000 responses, feel free to leave your answers in the comments section. Just copy’n’paste the following template into your comment and answer:
Location –
Decade started supporting Arsenal –
Most hated rival –
Second-most hated –
Third-most hated –
Over the weekend, I’ll analyse the results and present them in a blog.
Thanks for reading and voting. Follow me on Twitter for more updates during the week.
Squid Boy
Fancy writing your own articles for fellow Gooners to read? Click Your Vision section.
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03-Jul-2012 12:20 | | AlanLocation – Malaysia
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 2000
Most hated rival – Spurs
Second-most hated – MU
Third-most hated – Barca??
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03-Jul-2012 12:27 | | Fabricass - Syd, AustraliaBirmingham is actually my 3rd most hated club, but the option wasn't there.
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03-Jul-2012 12:32 | | AmanI Live in India and i started supporting Arsenal in 2005. My top hated teams:
1. Manchester united (because every other person here is a manure fan).
2. Chelsea(because nobody knew who they were and then, they spent all the money and bought the league. Bloody wankers).
3. Barcelona (Apart from Iniesta, i hate everyone in that team. Biggest cunts ever to live on this planet)
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03-Jul-2012 12:32 | | YiannisLocation – Cyprus
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 70s
Most hated rival – ManUre
Second-most hated – Spuds
Third-most hated – Chelsea
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03-Jul-2012 12:37 | | LuisLocation - Cuba
Started supporting Arsenal - 2001
Most hated rival: Man U
2nd most hated rival: Spuds
3rd most hated rival: Chavs, City are coming close
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03-Jul-2012 12:37 | | JuliusLive in England but from Uganda! Started supporting Arsenal 1995....most hated is Manu....second hated is Barcelona
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03-Jul-2012 12:38 | | diecastLocation - New York
Started - 1999
Hated clubs:
Manchester United
Chelsea
Any team managed by Alan Pardew
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03-Jul-2012 12:40 | | BenLocation - South London
Decade started supporting Arsenal - 90s
Most hated rival - Spurs
Second-most hated rival - Man Utd
Third-most hated rival - Chelsea
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03-Jul-2012 12:42 | | abhishekFollowing arsenal since I know soccer, which is more than a decade, my list would be
No 1 enemy Spurs (who has a cock on their badge haha)
No 2 Manchester United
No 3 Chavs
To expand on what you wrote, though I hate Barcunts as much as Chavs, I was rooting for a braca win cuz I didn't want Chavs in Champions League this season plus more importantly didn't want them to be the first London team to win CL.
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03-Jul-2012 12:42 | | ChanelLocation – Maryland, USA
Started supporting Arsenal – Summer 2002
Most hated rival – Spurs
Second-most hated – Barcelona
Third-most hated – Man United
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03-Jul-2012 12:42 | | gooner535Location - London
Started supporting Arsenal - 2002
Most hated rival: Spurs
2nd most hated rival: Utd
3rd most hated rival: Chelsea
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03-Jul-2012 12:43 | | Tim Lewis1. Where are you from? England
2. When did you start supporting Arsenal? 1989
3. Which three teams do you hate the most?
Tottenham
Liverpool
Stoke.
Stoke recently replaced Manchester United merely because of Tony Pulis. I still dislike Manchester United but cannot help but respect them. It is a close run thing between Stoke and Chelsea for that third spot, but every time I think of Pulis I get a "Hulk" style rage.
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03-Jul-2012 12:46 | | antolocation dublin
33 years and counting supporting arsenal
most hated united
2nd most hated spurs
3rd most hated chelsea
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03-Jul-2012 12:48 | | Kay KayLocation – India
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 90's
Most hated rival – United
Second-most hated – Chelsea
Third-most hated – Spurs
Can you name only 3? I could name 30
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03-Jul-2012 12:48 | | Ttbou - Most hatedGooner since 1982, London
First spuds
Second mancs
Third barcawankers
The chavs don't count as they still don't have any history!
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03-Jul-2012 12:48 | | Ian"However, being closer to the action means you are more likely to have traditional rivalries ingrained in you from friends or family; from your own experiences of rival fans at matches; or from interactions with them in everyday life (such as the workplace or school)."
These experiences also shape the attitude of foreign fans in shaping their own rivelries and hatred too. Living in Ireland I've never been that bothered by Spurs because for the entirely of my fandom of Arsenal they've never been much of a threat to us and I never really knew that many Spurs fans. However I detest Manchester United, 1 for the sporting rivelry, 2 most of the numerous fans of their that I went to school with were assholes. On the other hand the Liverpool fans I grew up with tended to be sounder so I've always been kind of ambivalent towards them until the few seasons and I've witnessed the sense of entitlement felt by much of it's fanbase and how "special" they think they are.
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03-Jul-2012 12:49 | | Rizal Tunku AzwilLocation - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Started supporting Arsenal - 2000
Most hated rival: Spurs
2nd most hated rival: Chelsea
3rd most hated rival: Man Utd
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03-Jul-2012 12:52 | | OliLocation – Brighton
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 1990s
Most hated rival – Chelsea
Second-most hated – Man City
Third-most hated – Spurs
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03-Jul-2012 12:53 | | PAPAi am from Ethiopia
Manu United, chelsea, Barcelona
I think it is worth mentioning that my second club next to Arsenal is Spurs
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03-Jul-2012 12:56 | | ArunavaLocation-India
Most hated- Manchester United
2nd- Chelsea
3rd-Liverpool
For us in India its more about bragging rights among friends than the rivalry. With a barrage of MANU fans polluting the air here, it kills me to see them celebrating and mocking the shit out of us.
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03-Jul-2012 12:59 | | TinasheLocation – South Africa
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 90s
Most hated rival – Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
Second-most hated – Tottenham Hotspur Football Club
Third-most hated – Chelsea
Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham are close contenders as well.
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03-Jul-2012 13:05 | | Vagoris1. Where are you from?
Limassol-Cyprus
2. When did you start supporting Arsenal?
Late 80s (Anfield 89)
3. Which three teams do you hate the most?
a. Man UTD (90% of the fans here support them-I hate Fergie too)
b. Barcelona (Buying our players-boring football-annoying fans)
c. Liverpool ( I can't stand their fans-history bulls.)
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03-Jul-2012 13:05 | | HerbayleeLocation: Nigeria
Decade: 2000
Most hated rival: Chelsea; despicable fans, especially in Nigeria (Banter)
Second most hated rival: Sp*rs; Learned to hate spurs from my relationship with foreign gunners like you Squid: now my hatred burns with fury.
Third most hated rival: Manchester United; Can't stand their success.
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03-Jul-2012 13:05 | | fowlerLiving in the south east (Luton) I have to admit I hate:
1. Utd
2. Spuds
3. Chelsea
Simply because of the amount of abuse I get from fake utd supporters who pretend they've got a legitimate reason other than glory hunting to support utd. As I live in the south east utd supporters are bloody everywhere and it does my head in!
Spuds second for obvious reasons and chelsea third as it has been drilled into me from very young by my dad that chelsea are scum. I've never got the proper reason for why he hates chelsea so much its not about the recent abramovic era that caused it, it was something that happened when growing up in the 60s and 70s
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03-Jul-2012 13:07 | | danI am a faithfull Gooner from Rome
Tottenham
Liverpool
Chelsea - Man. United
Lazio
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03-Jul-2012 13:21 | | NY GoonerNY, USA
Started supporting Arsenal in the 90's
Most hated teams:
1) Whomever Arsenal is playing against
2) Whoever Na$ri plays for
3) Whoever Joey Barton plays for and the 5pur2 (tie)
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03-Jul-2012 13:22 | | joshiLike you my parents are indian and also born in africa both kenya and uganda myself however was born in leicester and raised in york therefore think of myself as a local fan.
York
1998
spurs
man utd
chelsea/man city
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03-Jul-2012 13:28 | | MeanLean
Paul B,
Would you mind going ahead and explaining how the title is xenophobic? Seeing as only you seem to have this view amongst all the Gooners from around the world.
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03-Jul-2012 13:28 | | Guled - Guled MLocation – Bristol , UK
started supporting Arsenal in – 2004
Most hated rival – Man United
Second-most hated – Chelsea
Third-most hated – Spurs
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03-Jul-2012 13:31 | | MeanLeanAs for myself? I am from London and honestly do not detest a team more than I do Stoke right now.
I don't like teams for different reasons, as someone said above I have a respect for Manchester United nowadays. I would not have said that a few years ago. Tottenham are our neighbours that we have a good laugh to but obviously when it comes down to it, you have to do better than them but I really, really hate everything about Stoke City.
Urggh what a nasty club.
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03-Jul-2012 13:34 | | SeanLocation – Malaysia
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 2001
Most hated rival – Man Utd
Second-most hated – Man City
Third-most hated – Sergio Busquets
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03-Jul-2012 13:34 | | DaygeeDrLocation – Nigeria
Decade started supporting Arsenal –1990
Most hated rival –I hate Spurs with a passion, no particular reason, but they irk me
Second-most hated –During ma formative years, they had many fans around me, and their domination at that time was annoying......
Third-most hated – Used to be Chelsea, but at the moment, City just took their place... For obvious reasons tho.... Pinching off our players and former players.....
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03-Jul-2012 13:35 | | HassanJin - HeritageOne thing caught my eye there;
You are of an Indian and Kenyan heritage living in a foreign country.
We are exactly the same in that regard!
Who are you, and where exactly in Kenya are you from?
Btw, most hated club
1. Manyoo
2. Manyoo
3. Manyoo
Frankly i dont give a damn about spuds, they always below us anyways!
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03-Jul-2012 13:36 | | Jan-ErikNorway, started supporting Arsenal around 96-97 because of my brother and uncle.
1. Sp*rs
2. ManU
3. Barca/Liverpool can't really decide.
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03-Jul-2012 13:46 | | MikeSAFrom: South Africa
Year started Support: 1970
Most hated clubs (over time):
1.Wimbledon
2.Leeds
3.Bolton
4.Stoke
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03-Jul-2012 13:53 | | adiLocation – India
Year started supporting Arsenal – 2002
Most hated rival –Chelsea
Second-most hated –citeh
Third-most hated –spurs
I hate these financial doping kinds. Spurs are disgusting, yes. But they're nowhere near these two clubs in the way they're hated by non-fans
And who said every alternate person in india is a manure fan? Most of my friends are arsenal supporters. Oh, and i don't know a single spuds or citeh fan
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03-Jul-2012 13:59 | | SMGLocation – London
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 1970
Most hated rival – Tottenham
Second-most hated – Chelsea
Third-most hated – Stoke Manu ManC and any team managed by Tango Man.
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03-Jul-2012 14:03 | | Sydney GoonerLocation – Sydney, Australia
Decade started supporting Arsenal – Noughties
Most hated rival –Chelski
Second-most hated –Toss up between Man Ure and Farca
Third-most hated –Spurs
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03-Jul-2012 14:15 | | takeabowsonGreat stuff as per usual Master Squid.
Judging from the responses above,I can only surmise that I am one of your more ... ahem... senior readers.
There can be no doubt that the consumption of football has altered dramatically since the advent of The Premier League. It was all too easy in my youth (seventies), to dismiss those that did not go to the ground with that most withering of accusations, the "plastic".
It was at that time impossible to have an educated view of what the Club were doing without being part of the match day experience.That is clearly no longer the case, and it seems to me that now each and every game can be followed live on the television, or at the very worst the internet, geographical location no longer has any part to play in whether one's views are treated with respect or otherwise.
Interesting debate.
As a London boy, Tottenham will always be top of the hate pile for me.I try and kid myself that I now hate Chelsea more, because of the way that they are run and the coruscating effects that their influence has had on all aspects of football, but it isn't true.Chelsea's victory in The Champs League was a huge irritation that necessitated a media blackout for a few days . Had it been Tottenham however, that blackout would have lasted indefinitely.
I ,as you hinted at in your piece , hated Liverpool growing up. Jealous of their success and the amount of "plastic" fans it bred.That has diminished and been largely replaced by Manchester Utd in the last 20 years,but when analysing my feelings towards Man Utd , they are I think largely predicated on Sir Red Nose rather than any real animosity towards the Club.
The final group of Clubs that I "hate" are the phillistines, the kickers, the unashamedly xenophobic and the self-serving apologists for neanderthal football. They are of course exemplified by Stoke City, though I think any team managed by Fat Sam is worthy of a mention.
Foreign sides - Barca, Madrid, etc- don't really register on my hate list at all .
With all that in mind, and not before time, your survey Sir ...
Location – North London.
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 1970
Most hated rival – Spurs
Second-most hated – Chelsea.
Third-most hated – Stoke City .
Cheers for the article.
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03-Jul-2012 14:15 | | rahulfan since 2006, live in Los Angeles.
Most hated: Man United (mostly on the account of Patrice Evra, men against boys crap).
Second Most hated: Birmingham (broke Eduardo's leg, destroyed the 07-08 season, loss in Carling Cup final)
Third: Spurs.
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03-Jul-2012 14:21 | | Gooner DaveLocation – Kent UK
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 1980's
1st Spurs... Goes without saying also the only time they are likely to finish first in anything.
2nd – Man Utd
3rd– Liverpool
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03-Jul-2012 14:21 | | Jayjaylocation ; Nigeria
started Supportiing Arsenal: late 90's (really understood what being a Gooner means 2004 after d Invincibles)
1st Most Hated club: STOKe CITY (just can't stand them and their rugby style and thuggish leg breaking players)
2nd Most Hated Club ; used to be Chelsea ( But MAN CITY re making me ve a second thought. just hate those clubs who just buy their way to success, especially )
3rd Most Hated club; Spurs(i sure won't b forgiven if I don't add Spurs, don't knw if it's really hatred.... Mayb just cos they our closest rivals. Love how they play though. But since their best team in years still finish behind our worst team since like forever...., I just ve to not like them)
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03-Jul-2012 14:24 | | @ololobi - Very Apt Write UpI've been an Arsenal fan since around the year 2000. Why? Cos I saw the beauty of the way they played & they had Kanu.
Being a Nigerian, this was reason enough for me but it went deeper than that.
Spurs followership here is completely Non-Existent so I sometimes find it amusing & entertaining when see the banter & exchanges between the fans. However, Man U is another ball game entirely as the rivalry between us here is immense. Then came Chelsea money, & suddenly we had a new voice until more recently some Chelsea runaways now sing the songs of City. Liverpool fans here though have always been very calm & "self-respectful" so we don't really have much beef.
Thankfully, due to technology, the world is a smaller place & we have come to understand more about the clubs history & heritage. See u in Nigeria!!!
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03-Jul-2012 14:24 | | Joshua - Fan since 20001. Berkshire
2. 2000
Most Hated: Spurs
Second: Man City
Third: Reading
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03-Jul-2012 14:26 | | RiazLocation –Bangladesh
Decade started supporting Arsenal –98/99 so late 90s
Most hated rival –Chelsea
Second-most hated –Man Utd
Third-most hated –Barca/Stoke
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03-Jul-2012 14:27 | | JoshuaSorry I take it back, third most hated has to be Chelsea, the way they played anti-football against Barcelona was the last straw.
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03-Jul-2012 14:32 | | duncan - mLocation –kampala uganda
Decade started supporting Arsenal –1990's
Most hated rival –spurs
Second-most hated –man u
Third-most hated –man city
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03-Jul-2012 14:33 | | sahilLocation- India
Supporting since-2005
Most hated- Manu
Spurs
City/Chelsea.
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03-Jul-2012 14:34 | | Indian GoonerLocation – India
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 2000s
Most hated rival – Sp*rs (hate their manager...hate their players...hate whatever the fans think and say about arsenal)
Second-most hated – Manu (All my friends are manu fans and I can't stand their arrogance)
Third-most hated – Chelsea, ManC
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03-Jul-2012 14:42 | | SeanNJ, US
2009
Chelsea
Chelsea
Chelsea
Barcelona
I really got into the Premiership a few years after my younger brother, who, being the front-running wagon-jumping bum that he is, immediately jumped in the turn-champions bandwagon. Between that, the racism, Drogbas antics, and the ridiculous money being spent, its too much for me.
This is a topic I have wondered about a few times. As someone who isn't from London, its really impossible for me to hate Spurs as much as a domestic fan. I don't think we even have Spurs fans in the US. As for Barcelona, I look forward to seeing them in the diving competitions at the Olympics
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03-Jul-2012 14:50 | | Hailegooner.TLocation – Ethiopia
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 2000s
Most hated rival – Chelsea
Second-most hated – Supers
Third-most hated – MU
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03-Jul-2012 15:07 | | akirawani87Location:Malaysia
Decade started supporting arsenal:1997
Most hated rival: spuds!!!!!.i remember smashing my stuffs when we blew 4-2 lead at emirates.cant describe my emotion at that time.i end up couldnt sleep that nite coz of anger,disappointment and bitterness from that match.
2nd hated rival: Man Utd.just dont like em.but respect their achievement.what made me hate this club is their fans.bigmouth.
3rd hated rival:every team who play against arsenal on matchday.i will hate em with passion during game.like sagna said,everyone is enemy.
Non english most hated rival: barcunt all the way.they share same hatred with spuds for me.
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03-Jul-2012 15:26 | | Jayjay@sean Barca competing in divivng at the Olympics? Lols...
Nd Stoke(xpecially dat Delap guy) competing in shot put nd discuss
@ololabi u can say dat again...
Nd any city fan I see In Nigeria is nothing but a glory hunter to me. I respect Pool nd Man U fans here... Most re quite lovable.. as for chelsea fans?
Majority re just too arogant, expecially after wininig d UCL! Dey re just like their owner... Buy buy mentality! Use nd dump! dats y they're tied 2nd wit Man City bhind Stoke in my list.
Nd who would't hate Man city if dey truely love football?
If u don't do nw, u sure will in a few years time. can't wait for them to go bck to where they came 4rm, mid table obscurity!
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03-Jul-2012 15:29 | | SamLocation: Toronto, Canada
Gooner since: my whole life, born in '87
Most hated clubs:
1. Chelsea (all money, no history, no class, park the bus)
2. Man City (similar to chelsea, but they also take our players)
I am also a slight Spurs fan, as my brother has supported them his whole life.
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03-Jul-2012 15:29 | | arsenalLive in London but started supporting Arsenal when in New Zealand.
1. man u
2. sp*rs
3. chavs
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03-Jul-2012 15:37 | | KayleneNorth America (USA) - '90s
1. Manchester United - The whole club has this feel of entitlement to it. Entitled to win, entitled to (dubious) refereeing decisions, entitled to buy a whole crop of talented players. It's fitting that Fergie is the face of the club, since his face is the definition of smug. Can't stand the favoritism given to him by English media, especially when it is at the expense of Arsene Wenger.
2. Barcelona - So many admirable things about this club. I love how insulated La Masia is and in my mind (perhaps not in reality) this keeps the players focused on football and not Nandos, rap concerts, and all the other urban culture cliches you get from so many Arsenal youth. Barca players elevate their passion for football above all else, which is why they are (in my opinion) successful in recent years.
That said, they can come across arrogant and entitled, buy all the top talent, and are often the beneficiaries of refereeing decisions based on egregious cheating and the judgment bias refs tend to have in favor of shorter players. The final straw for me was the whole Fabregas saga. It sickened me to the extent that I no longer respect our former captain as a person, even though I rate him as one of the best players in the world.
3. Tottenham - I hate the way the oil rich clubs have destroyed the ideal of sustainable club operation and have contributed to the inflation of player valuations. That said, if you removed that one aspect, I wouldn't detest Chelsea or Manchester City. I didn't want Chelsea to be the first London team to win the Champions League and as a neutral, I thought Bayern Munich played a much better game. Manchester City's title was somewhat of a consolation as I got to see the disappointment across Fergie's face the moment he realized he didn't make it to the 20th title. Plus, those City fans (the real ones) deserved to win it after all these years. Manchester City could rise to my number 3 spot if they continue luring Arsenal staff and players, however. (Also, is it just me or does Gael Clichy seem like a completely different person at City? He smiles and looks genuinely happy when they win. Plays better too.)
As a non-Londoner, I never saw Tottenham as a legitimate threat until last season. With the appointment of AVB and the caliber of players he is likely to attract, it could continue on into this season as well, and beyond. But the way I see it, if a team isn't a threat, you don't take them or their fans seriously. It's easy to laugh off their insults and brush them off you like the nuisance they are. The way some Gooners go on about Spuds can border on obsessive and make them come off sounding like they have an inferiority complex. If I didn't know anything about the two clubs and I saw the fans hurl claims of superiority back and forth, I would assume they were more or less equals. My disdain for Tottenham stems from the bitter rivalry the two clubs share and the media bias that exists. While it's nice to beat them in the North London derbies, what matters to me most of all is that we finish above them in the table.
@THE_ARS3NAL
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03-Jul-2012 15:55 | | wengerboyCambodia, started supporting after Tony Adams scored against Everton
MAN UTDDDDDD, HATE THEM THE MOSTD
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03-Jul-2012 16:25 | | Fall River GoonerFall River, Mass. USA
1999-2000
1. ManUre
2. Tottenbum Choking Cockerels
3. Merc $hitty/Chel$ki
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03-Jul-2012 16:50 | | Snir Geuli - Transformation of support and hatredIsrael
Lexington, MA, USA
Raleigh, NC, USA
Started supporting Arsenal when DB signed in 95.
1. Spurs.
2. United.
3. Chelsea.
Barca is a close fourth.
As an Israeli who supports Maccabi Tel- Aviv, I have a respect for local rivalries.
As a kid I hated United the most because of the same reasons most hated Liverpool in the 70-80.
But as I started learning more and more about The Arsenal, I understood that Spurs are Arsenal's Hapoel Tel-Aviv and therefore I "made" myself hate Spurs more.
Now it's second nature to me, but it wasn't at first, it only turned that way because of exactly what you say.
I was a local in Israel and hated the other local team, which is what you say about Londoners. Because I understood that way of thinking, I adopted it to Arsenal and started hating Spurs.
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03-Jul-2012 16:58 | | Viks53Location –India
Decade started supporting Arsenal –2001
Most hated rival –Spuds
Second-most hated –Stoke
Third-most hated –Chelsea
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03-Jul-2012 17:05 | | Bantu Mmoja - Gunner's most hatedAfrica /Kenya /Nairobi
Clubs most hated
1. Tottenham
2. Tottenham hot
3. Tottenham hotspurs
Cant really hate on the others Man united, Man City, Chelsea and Barca coz they don't yapp alot but back their antics with trophies but Spudds yapp! yapp! yapp! yapp! yapp! alot and win nothing. They should divert that energy used in yapping into gettin trophies, thats all
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03-Jul-2012 17:24 | | KartikeyaDelhi, India
Started supporting Arsenal in 1999.
Growing up in Delhi as an Arsenal fan hasn't been easy. I barely know any fellow Gooners - almost all my friends support Man U or Chelsea. One thing that almost everyone seems to have mentioned here is that they hate Chelsea or Man C because of the way the money that the oil barons have brought in has changed the fortunes of the club. However, that for me is a non-issue. Don't forget that both of these clubs were hardly in the reckoning as far as titles were concerned before they were bought over. Fortune changes for everybody, and this was their time.
I feel a far greater satisfaction in the fact that despite the obscene amount of money splashed on these two teams, it has taken them this long to win titles. And they are never in the reckoning for the two holy grails in any one season. For example, last season, Chelsea did win the UCL, but was out of the title race way, way back. Man C might have won the league, but they didn't even reach the knock-out stage of the UCL.
Thus, for me, the list of teams that I hate most are:
1. Barcelona - Here's a story. A player named, shall we say 'X', shines for Arsenal, is applauded by fans and critics alike, and then in the summer goes on to play for Barcelona. He may give any reason, but there you have it. One season he is with us, the next season he plays for them. Which is fine, all part of the game, but the alarming regularity with which it happened left an irritating, bitter feeling in me, like a headache which would not go away. Hleb, Henry, von Bronckhorst, Petit, Overmars.... the list goes on. But then came along the Fabregas saga. That, for me, was the final straw. Which is why, I guess, I hate them the most. Of course other factors come into play as well - refereeing decisions that always seem to go their way, and of course, the play-acting.
2. Spurs - And here comes your line about the influence of the media. I know all of two Spurs fans, neither of whom I have found to be particularly vicious. However, having watched the game for 10+ years now, I found myself to be hating Spurs far, far more than I know I did, say 5 years ago. I guess its part of the human psyche. The fact that Arsenal and Spurs should hate each other has been drilled into my head for so many years that today I do have a fierce, fierce loathing of them.
3. Man U - As other people here have also mentioned, Man U fans seem to think that their club in entitled to win trophies. Like it's their birthright. So much so that it irritates the hell out of me. Also the whole holier-than-thou attitude that they have (is it just Indian Man U fans who are like that, or do all of them behave so?).
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03-Jul-2012 17:55 | | DannyLondon
Day of birth 1978
1 the scum
2 everyone else, at this moment in time that goblin looking cunt Pulis and his Orc army top the pile in 2nd.
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03-Jul-2012 18:06 | | David - SurveyLocation – South Africa
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 2000's
Most hated rival – Tottenham
Second-most hated – Stoke City
Third-most hated – Barcalona
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03-Jul-2012 20:01 | | dkgooner - Why hate? Life's too short.I don't hate any other club. I have good friends who support Spurs, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, ManU etc. I have family in Newcastle, Leeds and Middlesbrough. I went to a game in the late 1960s and got hooked. By chance it was at Highbury and those I went with were Arsenal fans. It could have been different.
I totally reject the notion that because one supports a certain club, then one has to hate another. Grow up.
Just on a philosophical note, hate is not the opposite of love. Hate is a symptom of fear (and ignorance). So fear is the opposite of love.
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03-Jul-2012 22:03 | | HenryLocation - Somerset
Year started supporting Arsenal - 2000
Most hated - Spurs
2nd - Man Utd
3rd - Chelsea
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03-Jul-2012 22:17 | | Squid Boy
dkgooner - if you don't like the blog then why bother commenting and calling it "garbage"? Just because you don't believe in hate, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Millions of Gooners worldwide do dislike other clubs.
I have friends who support other clubs. Do I hate them? Er, obviously not. But do I hate the clubs they support? Yes.
Or are you unable to distinguish the club from the individual person?
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03-Jul-2012 22:18 | | Iron ManLocation – North London
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 1990
Most hated rival – Manchester United (There has been just too much beef down the years to ignore. I wanted to put Spurs here but while they cause me annoyance or irritatation, not even they, or anyone else for that matter really get my blood boiling. I don't want to use the term 'hate' in relation to football but it's certainly the closest possible emotion I could feel in relation to them)
Second-most hated – Spurs (local rivals but like I say, more of an annoyance. Rivalry certainly coming back but was unquestionably diluted for near enough a decade between 1996-2006. For a lot of that period, I cant say that I even cared about what they did & admittedly, I would even half-heatedly cheer them on against teams closer to us in the table.)
Third-most hated – Chelsea (Curiously, the money has no bearing on how I feel which is why I cannot get on board with the Man City 'hate'. I could go on about football being capitalist by definition and complaining about 'money ruining the game' is borderline retarded but that's a long winded argument for another day. No, I cant stand Chelsea football club primarily because of the scum of the earth that support them. Notorious for hooliganism and racism down the years, some of the worst chanting I've ever heard from their fans, threats and intimidation of innocent people on public transport. Historically the most disgusting and despicable fans in football as far as I'm concerned. Oh and John Terry.)
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03-Jul-2012 22:30 | | irishAFCLocation – Ireland
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 1990's
Most hated rival – Liverpool
Second-most hated – Spurs
Third-most hated – Chelsea
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04-Jul-2012 04:52 | | ARTi started supporting Arsenal in the year of 2000, most hated clubs are, 1.man utd (becoz all of my frnds support man utd) 2.chelsea ( becoz they are buying titles, 3. Man city (they always want our players)...u may wonder why i dnt hate spurs, the answer is simple they are not big enough club to challenge us...so i dont care
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04-Jul-2012 05:38 | | AnoopLocation: Bengaluru, India
Most of the Gooners in India would have started watching the PL in the AW era, so ManU is obviously the Most hated club for every Gooner, with Chelsea coming a close 2nd.
Rivalry for fans outside North London mainly arises from competition(these two clubs have been Arsenal's competitors over the past decade) and also the no.of fans of other clubs that you find around you.
As expected ManU have the highest following,but most of them know nothing about football and majority of them wouldn't have heard the names of Welbeck and Cleverly before this season.Chelsea fans are very similar to Manures, except on a smaller scale.
Matches against Tottenham meant as much as a game against any other mid table club until the last couple of seasons where they've manged to beat Arsenal and come close to finishing above us. So they are hated and ridiculed a lot more than before.
As for Barca, a lot of gooners admire them as a team because of their style, but the recent sagas involving Cesc and Hleb have left a bitter taste. The hatred is more towards Barca the club than the team or their players, except may be that DNA guy in the midfield.
I think the hatred for Tony Pulis and his Stoke City rugby team is universal among gooners.
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04-Jul-2012 06:55 | | DLocation – London
Decade started supporting Arsenal – 00s
Most hated rival – Spurs
Second-most hated – Man U
Third-most hated – Man City
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04-Jul-2012 08:53 | | AnonymousLocation – india
Decade started supporting Arsenal –1993
Most hated rival – chelsea
Second-most hated –spurs
Third-most hated –man city
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04-Jul-2012 09:18 | | dkgooner - Squid BoyI just don't have time for hatred.
Hatred is ignorance.
End of story.
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04-Jul-2012 09:55 | | Mohit Gianani - Indian Gooner.Location : India.
Started supporting Arsenal : mid 2008.
Clubs I hate the most :
1 - ManUtd
2 - Real Madrid (not on the list, and I don't know why)
3 - Chelsea
I'm from India as well, like many others on here. If you read their posts it's well documented that Indian Gooners hate ManU the most because every second football watcher (and non watcher too) just supports ManU for the sake of supporting someone. Of course, there are a few genuine fans, but not too many. Also most ManU fans are Ronaldo fans, and I hate him.
I'm not too sure why Real Madrid isn't on the list. They're bigger cheaters and divers than Barcelona, they, over the years, have spent more money on players than Chelsea or even City, their manager, albeit great, is a cunt. Also they have the wanker Ronaldo. I see plenty of reasons to hate them!
Pretty much every Chelsea fan I know started supporting them after Abrahimovic bought the club. So I hate them for being glory hunters and not really loving the game.
I know I may get a lot of stick for this, but I don't hate spurs as much as you guys. They probably come fourth, or even fifth after Liverpool, on my list because I'm not a local. However, they have tried to steal all of our transfer targets and they've undermined us too often. So there is some amount of hatred.
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04-Jul-2012 20:58 | | KunalLocation-India
Supporting Arsenal since 1999.
Most Hated Clubs:
1. Manure
2. Spuds (The Cock who sat on Levy's bald head)
3. Manshitty Wish Na$ri the cunt gets banned by the FFF for 2 years. I would throw a party.
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05-Jul-2012 04:02 | | PatrickLocation: Pennsylvania
Decade Started Supporting Arsenal: 2000 (invincibles were my first season lucky me!)
Age: 23
Most Hated Team: Chelski
2nd Most Hated: Tottenham
3rd most hated: Barcelona
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05-Jul-2012 12:03 | | Dave - Which ..Location: Seattle
Supporting arsenal since 1996
Most hated in order of:
1)Spurs
2)Manu
3)Chelsea
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06-Jul-2012 11:54 | | MichaelLocationublin
Supporting Arsenal from 2000
1st-Man Shity
2nd-Spuds
3rd-Chelski (*John Terry)
Man City top my list because simply how they conduct themselves buying players and i hate their fans who all of a sudden (LOVE) their club.Chelsea third for the same reasons as city and i despise john terry.And spuds because they are just W**kers.
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07-Jul-2012 02:34 | | indoGunnersLocation : Indonesia
Being Gunners since 1999
Hate :
1. Man Utd
2. Spuds
3. Man City
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20-Jul-2012 11:43 | | SamLocation –Athens,Greece ( From Lebanon)
Year started supporting Arsenal – 1996
Most hated rival – Chelsea (City is just another Chelsea)
Second-most hated – Spurs
Third-most hated – Any team using the services of Joey Barton
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27-Jul-2012 12:47 | | ShanhasLocation –Aberdeen ( From Ghana)
Year started supporting Arsenal – 2003
Most hated rival – City
Second-most hated – Chelsea
Third-most hated – Spurs
I used to hate United( mostly out of jealousy) and respect them at the same time. Now other clubs have taken away that hatred so now I just respect them. Also, loosely supporting Aberdeen FC has made me respect Alex Ferguson more.
City Became my number one hated club when they started throwing their money around and ruining the game.
I used to pity Chelsea for their lack of history, but after they won the champions league I can't stand them. And I hate how Abramovich throws money around(like City).
I hate Spurs on principle. Although i'd say they deserve to be in the top four as long as they stay below Arsenal.
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26-Aug-2012 20:05 | | SUPERGUNLocation: Northampton.
Gooner since mid 80's.
Most hated: 1) BARCELONA: really hate the way their players try to unsettle ours. Shows a real lack of class!
2=) MAN U: most of their fans are 'sheep' who live in Surrey!
2=) CHELSEA: no class & that applies to both the club and their supporters!
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