Yes, I am a Manchester United Fan

Sports.

“So do you like football?”

“Yes.”

“Which team do you support?”

“Manchester United”

“Duh, everyone does that”.

The date was September 29,2001. I hardly knew anything of the beautiful game apart from how a ‘Goal’ is scored. No offside rules, no 4-4-2 formations, no right back and attacking mids. I was shuffling channels, saw a football match going on. Score Tot 3-0 MANU. I chuckled at myself that this ‘MANU’ team will lose. I changed channels. Few minutes gone, I changed the channel again.3-1. I decided to watch few minutes.

3-2.

3-3.

3-4.

3-5.

I had an “What on earth is this team” expression on my face. I was marvelled at the fact of comeback. I didn't know single player’s name apart from which commentator had mentioned. I didn't know how many trophies this team had won. But it converted me as a fan with one match.

You are labeled a glory hunter the moment you say you’re a United fan. More so labeled a hipster being a football fan in general. I started watching football increasingly around 2001. I was in an area which hardly anyone knew what football was. My friends knew names of some players. In my school no one played the game. People said only the kids going to ‘English medium’ school plays that sport. I also found people who played football and joined them. I enjoyed playing it, although I was a fat kid with no amazing skills, I found happiness in scoring scrappy goal or a good pass.

Football grew on me. World cups, Club seasons, champions trophies. I still can’t forget how bamboozled I was when I saw Ronaldo (Brazilian) play. Skipping through defenders like he was dancing. People asked me continuously,”Why do you support a club that is in some other country and a sport no one follows here?”. I said, ”Because I can connect”. This is true for every football fan. Or any fan of any sport supporting a player or a team not of the person’s nationality .

People read books from foreign authors with a story settled in some other country. They watch movies and TV series which have no connection to our culture. They even eat fancy food at posh restaurants which is not originated here. Does anyone raise a question there? No.

Same point can be made for females supporting someone in sports. Why can’t a person from the opposite sex enjoy something as simple as sports which is meant to give hope and joy?

When you feel the connection with a team or a player, their win feels like your win. Ask a player this question. Even he or she would say that when fans celebrates with them it feels complete. Humor and banter is part of sports, yes. But people can’t go pointing fingers because some person supports some sport. People write about platonic love, poetry on it. For me, for people who are sports fan the poetry is on the court, on the pitch, on the turf.

And even if I am deemed stupid or moron, I’ll still support the teams and players I love. I will yell “United, United” in a victory of Manchester United. I will still pump my fist and yell,”Vamos!” on a Nadal forehand winner. Because as EA sports’ games say, “It’s in the game”.