Who do you love and hate?

[Bernie]

Annoying fad.

tiermaker.com/create/england-football-clubs-15391816

[61666]

Back in the day, the chants said Millwall (no one likes us, we don't care) and Nottingham Forest, because the number syllables fitted the song. Forest fans used Queens Park Rangers as the alternative, but for the same reason.
Overall though, shame we have to hate anyone. However, the likes of Putin, Trump, Bojo and their like seem to attract love and hate in equal measures. Certainly will never understand why it is the former.

[daveu]

Hate is a strong word but clubs I have a particular dislike for are those with super rich foreign owners who have ruined the game in this country. Man City, Newcastle and Chelsea. I was a big Chelsea fan until Abramovitch but couldn’t stand that suddenly they were buying success, especially as they were usually a top six club before he arrived. Others I dislike just because of who they are: West Ham (sorry JDL); Liverpool; Man United (doesn’t everyone);Leeds. All the clubs in this section I wouldn’t support in Europe just because they’re English.

I don’t hate Gillingham, I don’t see the point as apart from KSC we’ve played them competitively around a dozen times in our entire history. Realistically unless we grow our core fan base by at least 50% they remain the biggest, and only football league, club in Kent. Yes I realise this is contentious but to anyone other than Stones fans it’s true.

Clubs I have a bit of a soft spot for include Brighton, Bournemouth, Southampton and Ipswich. I don’t, unlike many non-league fans, have a “real” club.

[nws]

It will come as no surprise when I say that I would like MK to disappear.

Good ol football rivalry is Gillingham, Tonbridge or Darts but it's not hatred.

In the league I like Carlisle for obvious reasons and Ipswich Town as a club and fans were superb. My other non-league club would be Herne Bay, as they are 5 mins away

[jdl]

Hate is a strong word. Do I 'hate' Dover, or Margate, or Chelsea? I've probably said as much at times, and I would be happy to see them go out of existence - but then I think of their fans, and what it was like for us after 92, and I couldn't wish that on anybody.

The 'fan' thing is something that non-football fans don't understand - I often think that the bond between fans of different clubs is at least as important as the bond with the clubs you support. So many times, I've been chatting to fans of other clubs and realised how much we have in common - especially at our level. Of course I want Maidstone to win, but, going for a pee after the game and overhearing the away fans' depressed at their team's performance, or impending relegation, or angry at the ref, and the gloss goes off our win a bit, because I know so well how they feel.

That doesn't mean I'll ever understand why someone supports Chelsea though...

[jdl]

As for 'my' teams - it's always your local team for me. I couldn't ever really care about Man U or Liverpool, and I've never understood why people support teams from hundreds of miles away, where there's not even a family connection. I once went to a Villa v West Ham game with a dedicated Villa fan who'd actually seen them play less often than I had! He'd never even been to their ground before - and we were relying on him to know where the 'home' pubs were!

So for me, as a 'Hersham Boy', Walton & Hersham were the first team I ever saw, so I've always kept an eye on them. Then, after we moved to Romford, it was always going to be West Ham (there was no longer a Romford FC, as they'd had their ground sold from under them in true 60s style). Until we moved to Maidstone and I attended that fateful FA Cup replay 44 years ago... After 92, I didn't watch football at all for a few years, then drifted back to Upton Park. I also had a brief few years supporting Carlisle on the side in the 90s (and, yes, I do realise the irony of this!) and I still keep an eye on their progress - or lack of it. But, since 2012, it's only really been been the Stones. I used to dread FA Cup draws, in case we got the Hammers, but these days there's no doubt who I'd be supporting if that ever happened, and it would no longer be the team in Claret and Blue.

[1018]

When I was a youthful Leicester City supporter back in the 50s & 60s the strongest rivalry was not with the obvious teams (Forest & Coventry) but with Birmingham City. Don't really know why. Always a lot of aggro on the terraces as there was no segregation & very few crush barriers in those days.

[Long gone]

I agree with those who dislike the word hate.
I dislike unreal clubs like MK, Salford, Wrexham, Boringwood and those purely inflated by big money in the Premier League.
I like plucky teams that upset the big boys like Brighton and Bournemouth and Leicester but for some reason can’t take to Burnley. Maybe because I’m a born and bred Southerner!
And let’s be honest about the Gills.
I hate those horrible anti Gills chants, especially away from home as no away fan gives a monkeys about our feelings towards Gillingham and besides it just makes us sound bitter and jealous which let’s be honest is what we are.
Gillingham are and always have been Kent’s No1 football league team (Charlton are London) whereas we went bust when we did make it to EFL so it’s pure envy on our part.
Of course I always love to beat Gills as they are our big boy neighbours but its is not hate. Nor should it be.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Hamlet and applaud what happening at Chatham and think that Tonbridge are a great little club with a brilliant manager at this level (sorry sword).
I don’t like Dover because of Parmenter Dartford because of their stupid ground and Bromley because of their poor treatment of visiting fans and overall arrogance.
I think Hashtag United is a totally stupid name that needs to stay in Sunday football.
Guess I’m a traditionalist!
And I LOVE the Stones! COYS!
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