DARREN MOORE

[6667GULL]

Appointed caretaker manager at WBA with Pardew leaving.
Congratulations.
Legend.

[Jack]

Well done Darren Moore on your results so far especially the win at Old Trafford yesterday.
It just goes to show what a charismatic, enthusiastic and inspirational coach/manager can do with a bunch of inherited players who had no doubt been written off by the West Brom faithful when Alan Pardew was their manager!

[Yorkieandy]

It also shows what an un-charismatic and un-inspirational coach / manager can do when he gets a team of 'supposed' superstars that cost the GDP of a medium sized African country.

Put Guardiola in at United and see the transformation.

Oh yes, Darren Moore. Well done to him.

[6667GULL]

Thank you Darren and your team.
I've supported both Torquay United & Manchester City for over 50 years so the result yesterday made me very happy.

[Plainmoor78]

Thank you Darren and your team.
I've supported both Torquay United & Manchester City for over 50 years so the result yesterday made me very happy.

I've supported both Torquay United and Manchester United for nearly 50 years so have mixed feelings about the result. But very pleased for Darren.

[Yorkieandy]

I've supported both Torquay United and Manchester United for nearly 50 years so have mixed feelings about the result. But very pleased for Darren.

I've supported Torquay United and York City for nearly, errr, ....................... :na: :na:

Only joking.

I only WATCHED York City.

[Yorkieandy]

Anyway, how come there are loads of Gulls who also have two teams? I know Danny lad supports Torquay and Villa. Maybe it's not that unusual after all?

[Plainmoor78]

Anyway, how come there are loads of Gulls who also have two teams? I know Danny lad supports Torquay and Villa. Maybe it's not that unusual after all?

I started supporting Torquay when I was at school. I used to go up with two school friends, one a Torquinian who also supported Spurs and one a Brummie who also supported Arsenal. In addition to that other kids from my school who went also supported the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, especially Chelsea (the most popular team in my school during the 70s). Nearly every kid who went followed Torquay as a second favourite team. It is never a genuine choice to support a club like Torquay, it is done mostly because they represent the town you live in or were born in.
One thing that probably encourages this phenomenon is the sheer amount of media space given over to top flight teams, such as in the news and on television, but also in the comics and magazines that we read as kids such as Shoot and Tiger etc.
I don't really see a conflict since Torquay could never have hoped to play the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea on a regular basis and become rivals to them.
One time a mate of mine deserted Torquay to watch Tiverton and I regarded him as a traitor, but that is because they could have so easily become a rival.

[Plainmoor78]

Anyway, how come there are loads of Gulls who also have two teams? I know Danny lad supports Torquay and Villa. Maybe it's not that unusual after all?

On another note Andy. I've had the pleasure of visiting York on a couple of occasions (for none footballing purposes). The first time was in 1978 I visited for a day trip. That same evening Leeds United were playing at home. Going back to the railway station to get a train back to Crewe where I was staying, there were simply hundreds of locals in Leeds scarfs waiting for their train to Leeds.
In 2004 i stayed in York for a week. What struck me was the number of kids wearing the Leeds United yellow away shirt, there must have been hundreds. It's a wonder York city had any supporters at all.

[Yorkieandy]

So if you were given free tickets and an all expenses paid day out to either Torquay v Ebbsfleet or Man Utd v Liverpool, which game would you choose to attend?

I'm just asking the question P78 not judging. I'm just trying to point out that there are grey areas in support and not everyone is as 'die hard' as they would like others to be when they actually are really put to the test. Obviously i'm not saying you would go to the Man U game but there will be plenty who would whilst at the same time criticizing others for their 'flaky' support.

What if a crucial Torquay game coincided with a mate telling you he's paying for a weekend away to watch El Clasico? Would you go to the Torquay game? It's interesting anyway. People have their tipping points and when you accept the offer trying to play it down as a one off, you are then not being a real fan are you not because you are choosing to watch another team over your own.

As i have explained in many previous posts, i've watched the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City, Doncaster Rovers and York City when i was at school and in my late teens but i didn't actually consider myself a 'supporter' of those clubs. I just went along to see what they were all about and went to more games than one. Torquay were the first and only club i religiously followed all over the country with what i would call 'proper full blown support'.

I can see how fans can have a liking for another club but you cannot support two clubs from the same country IMO which despite me going to watch York, i have never done either.

[Yorkieandy]

Yes P78. York get ridiculously small crowds when you consider the size of the cathcment area. Many support Leeds / Hull / Middlesbrough from those areas.

[Plainmoor78]

I think you can support two clubs from the same country if they are never destined to meet in league competition. Although in my time of following football some "big" teams have fallen into the lower divisions (e.g. Villa, Sunderland, Leeds, Man City) it is rare and they usually go back up. Equally and very rarely lower division sides rise to the top but this is often temporary (e.g. Swansea, Northampton, Wigan etc).
There appears to be a natural divide between the higher league clubs (premier and championship) and lower league clubs (leagues one and two); over time the membership of the divisions is fairly stable and restricted to the same teams.

[Yorkieandy]

I think that's reasonable P78 yes. The crux comes though like i've said if you ever would choose watching the bigger team over Torquay. Obviously anyone with half a brain would rather a free weekend and free tickets to watch Man U v Liverpool over Torquay v Ebbsfleet but if you are a fan then you turn it down. Or at least that is the logic based on many of the arguments put forward on here about thick and thin and all that.

Most would be tempted though and that's how easy it is to suddenly find yourself in this category of being a traitor or whatever.

[Plainmoor78]

I think that's reasonable P78 yes. The crux comes though like i've said if you ever would choose watching the bigger team over Torquay. Obviously anyone with half a brain would rather a free weekend and free tickets to watch Man U v Liverpool over Torquay v Ebbsfleet but if you are a fan then you turn it down. Or at least that is the logic based on many of the arguments put forward on here about thick and thin and all that.

I've got half a brain. I can watch Torquay most weeks of the football season i choose. So if I got a One off chance to go to Old Trafford i would.

[Yorkieandy]

Haha P78. I'm sure you have 2 perfectly well functioning brain halves.

I'm not sure if you misunderstand. I'm not judging. I'm saying that most Torquay fans who follow Man U as a second team would do as you say, would be tempted to go to Old Trafford instead of Plainmoor and that's perfectly understandable. I'm not judging their support. What i'm saying is when that happens, according to the unwritten rules of some on here and their rigid 'thick and thin - don't watch any other clubs blah blah' way of judging others then you would be considered not a real fan.

I'm sure those who like to call others 'not real fans' would soon make excuses and say that it's actually ok for you to go to Man U instead of Torquay as it's sure, it's a one off but then there is no consistency with what they are saying.

You either choose Torquay or you are nothing. Torquay first and foremost every time or you don't count as a proper fan.

Obviously you do P78, i was just using that to try and explain the example and just how easy it could be to become a hypocrite as these other fans who slag others off and judge unceremoniously and incorrectly would probably do the same thing and go to El Clasico instead of the Torquay game.

If you don't slag others off for deserting and just let them be to find their own way and work things out for themselves in time then you are free to go and watch whoever you want because you have not judged. You cannot be a hypocrite then.