Fairweather Fans

With Brisbane Roar losing it's fourth game in a row and many headlines stating the declining numbers for Roar home games it is highlighting one of sports problems.  Everyone loves a winner.

When a team is on top it is amazing how many people support them, when they start losing though you soon find out who the true supporters are. When Brisbane start winning again you will see the crowd numbers rise and when a final comes around you will be lucky if you can get a ticket.  It is the same with any sporting event in Australia, or be it the world.  Only a few years ago the Reds were the laughing stock of Rugby and struggling to get crowds, now you will be lucky if you can get a ticket for games next season.  When state of Origin rolls around tickets are snapped up straight away, well in Queensland anyway, but how many of those ticket buyers ever go to another game of league.  For Australians it is all about the spectacle.  The majority only want to be associated with a successful team or have it known they were at a major event.

But once the team starts losing or the event loses it's appeal they all drop off the bandwagon and tell everyone what is wrong with the team or the system. A fickle fan will change who they follow to ensure they are following a winner.  A true fan will walk down the street in the jersey or shirt of his favourite team any time of the year and turn up to every game they can and watch every game they can on TV.

I will be the first to admit I can be very critical of teams I follow but at the end of the day I still follow them.  I have pride in my state and follow every state team, I follow teams from my home town regardless of how well they are going, I will support every team in my state in national competitions.  I have followed and are a member of the only foreign football team I have supported.  Fairweather fans will always be a part of the sporting world but I will always have respect for someone who is a true supporter of a team regardless of who they support.

Fairweather fans get my poor form nomination.