Complicated living
10/02/05 | by James Scott-Warren

At the risk of sounding like a politically correct 21st century student – which I am – all men are created equal. As much as this is open to debate when it comes to life in general, it is almost certainly true in football. We each come into this world without a knowledge of football, who's top of the league, who's just won manager of the month and with as much know-how of the offside rule as you imagine Delia Smith to have.

From then on in our footballing choices are exactly that – our choices. There are those who are supporters from birth, and those who are supporters through choice. I like to think I fall into a void between the two. I had so many options: by birth a Hammer or even Dagenham and Redbridge, perhaps an Ipswich fan by habitation. But no, I became a Forest fan. This was down to a combination of a father from Nottingham, who I’d imagine was more forceful when it came to footballing matters, and our triumph that was the Premiership top three. So I stand before you one who intends to be a supporter for life and annoy the West Ham portion of the family when results permit – what fun it was in September!

It is perhaps because of this varied football upbringing that I consider myself a footballing liberal. True, I have laughed along with the Derby jokes on the site – even repeated a few – and joined in with the fans of the “Mighty Gills” suggesting that Paddy Kenny has a larger than average appetite when it come to pie eating. But these examples are far from the worst kind of football fascism – I am not one who suggests that every sheep should be shot at dawn, nor am I willing to see those who believe David Platt as the greatest Forest manager of modern times treated in same way as the Spanish Inquisition would treat those who suggested Catholicism was overated, although that would make better away half-time entertainment than the kids academy putting penalties past the club mascot.

When I look at the weekend fixture lists there is very often not a game I don’t have even a minute interest in – it’s either affecting Forest, is Forest, or alludes to the other teams I look for results from. All football fans should be treated equally, especially pending the disaster that appears to be threatening our team – what’s the phrase, something like be nice to those on the way up as you never know who you’ll meet on the way down?

Unfortunately my liberal credentials have been called into question recently. As we find ourselves under increasing pressure I have become ever more impatient with those who see a Forest fan as an easy target. However, the threats have not come from the Leeds, Leicester, Wolves or even Notts County fans I know, but from a member of the fairer sex (throw up here). While the ‘significant other’ (don’t ask, it’s complicated) assures me that Burton is on the right side of a county border, she has admitted to having relatives who do support ‘them’ (must think of better euphemism). This of course means the anti-Derby tone is reduced slightly at times.

However, the footballing liberal is kicking in again – it’s not her fault, she didn’t ask to be related to them, they themselves are only a victim of circumstance. In this day and age we must learn to appreciate footballing diversity (throw up again) as we are all followers of the same great sport, no matter how much we curse it.