Online I see a lot of non-local Everton fans expressing feelings of distance between themselves and the Club because they live far from Merseyside, or due to the fact that they have never been to a game. However I strongly feel opposed to this mindset.
Going to the match can be amazing, the entire experience lasts much longer than the 90 minutes, it can last an entire day if that’s what you’re after. Also, being in the city and having to coexist with the reds undoubtedly has some benefits.
I personally don’t go to many games, but I probably miss less than 5 games a season (Luton away in the capital one cup, and sometimes life gets in the way), and even when I used to go all of the time, I have never been as consumed by Everton as I currently am.
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I am by definition, an armchair fan; which is something I am not remotely embarrassed about. I have friends who spend every penny they own on traveling to watch every game (not Stoke on Wednesday though).
These die hard don’t look down on me or consider me anything less than a true supporter, since they’re not deluded fools.
The reason I’m writing this, is because I constantly see things like “Though I haven’t ‘felt’ the Club like some of you have” or “I know I’ll never have the relationship or history with the club some of you all have, and I’ve never claimed to” etc etc., and I must categorically reject all of these claims.
Coming from a long line of Evertonians does not in any way make me or anyone else more entitled to support Everton, or make me more qualified to speak about them. Something you have to realise is ‘Everton’ transcends the players, and the board, and the city. ‘Everton’ is the fans, Everton is us.
The team attracts a very specific type of person, partly due to the abyss of victory over the last 22 years; so no plastics. When they say Evertonians aren’t made, they’re born, it is a very real thing, and if you started following us in your later years then it was only because you hadn’t found us yet.
Up the Ev.