Quick Quintet: Team Support

With all the Rugby World Cup shennanigans going on, one of the interesting things that has come to light has been the talk of the 'minnow' teams, by which it is meant a team that isn't from the Five Nations and Italy, or the Tri-Nations. (Incidentally, most of the players in these teams hate this patronising tag, and rightly so.) Many folk in the 'provincial' towns have 'adopted' a team, so although they are obviously All Black fans, they will perhaps buy a Namibian flag to wave, or paint their faces in the red and white of Canada.

I'm afraid I simply don't understand this. You either support a team or you don't. You can't feign loyalty for a finite period. The team you support is the one you support and if you're unlucky enough to be born in Burnley, then you just have to tough it out. Although you may have a soft spot for another team and be interested in their results, there is no such thing as a second side. I will watch Wycombe Wanderers and am happy for them when they win but if they ever play Liverpool (and due to the magic of the FA Cup it has happened) there is absolutely no question where my loyalties lie.

5 Teams I Support:

1. England at anything (except the Olympics where it has to be Team GB)
2. Liverpool FC
3. Team HTC Highroad, the lads who led Mark Cavendish to a record number of Tour de France victories were all astounding
4. The New York Yankees - watching them play at Yankee stadium is an experience I will never forget
5. The Lions at rugby - see, we can play nicely with Ireland