Blog Post: Why we have the best fans in non-league

Some of you may have seen the story of the lone Udinese fan who made the 500km trip to see his team play Sampdoria a week or so ago. (He maintains he was Genoa on business).

Arrigo Brovedani expected to be amongst 80 or so other Udinese fans, or at the worst, at least five or six. But come match-day, Brovedani was a lone figure in the ‘gabbietta’ or little cage that usually holds the visiting ultras.

The story was in the news all over Europe, and was made even better by the fact that Brovedani continued to sing, as if nothing was different from a normal match.

The stewards asked if he would like to sit in the main stand, but he turned them down, and took his place in the away section, alone.

After La Gazzetta dello Sport identified him, Brovedani became an instant cult hero in Italy, and was declared “the best supporter in Italian football”

And this got me thinking. Taking La Gazzetta’s approach to crowning someone the “best fan”, we must be one of the best supported clubs in non-league football!

Our supporters consistently turn out, week after week, winter or summer, for next to no reward.

Our league finishes in the past five seasons since we moved to Ilford read as 19th, 20th, 16th, 21st and 17th.

And yet of the supporters who followed us to Cricklefield, very few – if any – have deserted us.

Football fans can be a very fickle bunch, but it seems that we have the most committed group going.

We all turn up, week after week, with the feint hope that this might be the week that we can turn our fortunes around.

I’m sure that we would all back our players to the hilt. Regardless of how well or badly they might play, I will not complain so long as they try their hardest and put a shift in.

And here comes the main point of this piece. In recent time there has been a lot more animosity between supporters on the club’s forum.

We may be going through a rough patch in the club’s history, but as the one thing we have been able to rely on is having one of the most devoted and friendliest groups of supporters going.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion – whether right or wrong.

While it may be hard to agree with someone, their point of view is as valid as yours, so try and give them the respect they deserve.

We are a small group, but we’re amongst the best supporters in non-league football. Arguing and in-fighting will get us nowhere. Because we’re such a small group, every person counts, and each one of us makes a huge difference.

Illustration: Michael Atkinkson: blogbymichael.wordpress.com, @M_Atkinson_

This article originally appeared in the Waltham Forest v Waltham Abbey match-day programme (26-12-12)