Football Friends

[DazBob]

There's nothing like them.

 I've had friends from school days who will always be best friends.

BUT

if they support a different team to me then they've not shared the ultimate highs and lows I've felt with 'football friends'.

Yes, I've been to your wedding and vice-versa ... but were you there when Wilbraham scored that diving header?

We are all a special bunch. We might not know much about one another's private lives. We might not even know each others' real names, but by fuck, when that game is on we are all the tightest knit family you could imagine.

Thats why being a Bolton fan and also being a member of this forum is so ace. So many strangers become 'friends'.

Good luck trying to explain this to someone outside of this circle,  ie the missus.

Edited February 13, 2021 by DazBob

[Rudy]

Completely agree, There’s something about mates you go to football with that has a more special bond than anyone else.

“The Belgrade Brigade” are the ones that will carry my coffin, they are the ones I went to every European trip with , they are the only ones who could make us laugh on the way back from a 5-0 drubbing at Wembley.

The ones you jump all over when that last minute one goes in, the ones you get up early doors with and stand on a freezing platform with and laugh your bollocks off with. 
Nothing compares 

[tomski]

Bob Mills talks about this really well on Quickly Kevin.

Sat with a bloke at Orient for years knew him only by first name.

The son reached out to him and asked him to come.

He turned up and felt he knew as much if not more than all. These people with him as he knew his behaviour inside out between 3-5 on a Saturday and really felt connected to him.

[Guest]

Spot on different gravy football friends 

[Dimron]

Stood on the Burnden Terrace for years next to the same blokes munching my three pies for a quid, never knew their names but "see you next time" was what we used to say to each other at the end of the game and I knew all of their football thoughts. When I started sitting down we all moved together from the Burnden Stand to the Reebok, again never knew their names except for "Hospital Ball", "Bobbins", "Schoolboy" and so on based on what they'd shout.

[Leyther_Matt]

Not sure whether it should be considered a positive or not, but I can probably count on one hand how many friends I have that I don’t know through either football or rugby. Even met my Mrs through watching BWFC. Life just wouldn’t be the same without it. 

[little whitt]

12 hours ago, DazBob said:

There's nothing like them.

 I've had friends from school days who will always be best friends.

BUT

if they support a different team to me then they've not shared the ultimate highs and lows I've felt with 'football friends'.

Yes, I've been to your wedding and vice-versa ... but were you there when Wilbraham scored that diving header?

We are all a special bunch. We might not know much about one another's private lives. We might not even know each others' real names, but by fuck, when that game is on we are all the tightest knit family you could imagine.

Thats why being a Bolton fan and also being a member of this forum is so ace. So many strangers become 'friends'.

Good luck trying to explain this to someone outside of this circle,  ie the missus.

cheers pal think your the only one of the lads ive seen since getting back from GERMANY from football

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Not sure whether it should be considered a positive or not, but I can probably count on one hand how many friends I have that I don’t know through either football or rugby. Even met my Mrs through watching BWFC. Life just wouldn’t be the same without it. 

Not knocking it but bwfc is break/release from the Mrs😀😀

[Leyther_Matt]

1 minute ago, radcliffewhite1 said:

Not knocking it but bwfc is break/release from the Mrs😀😀

We don’t sit together at home games tbf and as you know she can sup with the best of them on away days 🤣

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

We don’t sit together at home games tbf and as you know she can sup with the best of them on away days 🤣

Aye seen her knock them back😀🍺

[Biggish Dave]

Football mates are great, I've travelled all over with lads I've not even known that well yet there's a trust there.

You don't shit on your own

[marple whites]

It’s a great leveller watching football - you have the people you don’t talk to but recognise, people you nod / say hello to, people you pass a few mins with every now and again and lads that you love being with at the game.

can’t beat it, a release from the norm and just being with people that have the same thing that switches them on as you.

really have made some great mates watching bwfc

[Mounts Kipper]

22 hours ago, DazBob said:

There's nothing like them.

 I've had friends from school days who will always be best friends.

BUT

if they support a different team to me then they've not shared the ultimate highs and lows I've felt with 'football friends'.

Yes, I've been to your wedding and vice-versa ... but were you there when Wilbraham scored that diving header?

We are all a special bunch. We might not know much about one another's private lives. We might not even know each others' real names, but by fuck, when that game is on we are all the tightest knit family you could imagine.

Thats why being a Bolton fan and also being a member of this forum is so ace. So many strangers become 'friends'.

Good luck trying to explain this to someone outside of this circle,  ie the missus.

I’d say 90% of my mates are BWFC fans how sad am I. 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

I’d say 90% of my mates are BWFC fans how sad am I. 

You could a lot worse

[tomski]

9 hours ago, Mounts Kipper said:

I’d say 90% of my mates are BWFC fans how sad am I. 

Sad you’ve accrued 10% of others mate ha

[MickyD]

I've met some great lads (and lasses)  through this forum.  I'd joined after a chat with someone in the overnighter's queue for Carling Cup Final tickets.  (Ironic for this thread that I have no idea who that was!)

One of the greatest introducers I've met was Little Witt. He knows every fucker! He thinks nothing of dragging you all through a pub just so you get to meet a fellow wandererswayer.

It was him who introduced me to one of my oldest non-wanderers friends.  The older of two lads I'd lived next door to since birth and who I'd lost touch with when they moved away, when I was about five, Embankment. Through this site I also got talking to his brother,  Crawshawbooth. I'd read his posts but only realised they were brothers even he posted about the death of their dad.  Can't wait to see then both at a game. 

Even my kids have met and become friends with wandererswayer's kids. 

Thing is, we only know those within our small circle. There was talk,  once upon a time,  of producing a very discreet pin badge which would identify other posters and give you an 'in' to a pre/post game pub or train journey chat. Could this still be a thing?  I reckon that's make money either for charity or site running costs. 

[Mounts Kipper]

12 minutes ago, tomski said:

Sad you’ve accrued 10% of others mate ha

10% probably being generous, probably less, BWFC really is the glue that cements my friendships. 

[embankment]

Like Minded - Not Rights.

Is the best way to describe it.

Walking into a pub , 250 miles from home and seeing familer faces , most of which are nameless but you last nodded to in another pub 2 weeks ago 132miles from home.

Or.

Getting up at 5am , making your own way to Piccadilly Station. Standing there looking at the doors , waiting to see who turns up next.

You know someone said they would get you a train ticket, slowly the group grows to between 6 and 15.

Some grab a coffee and a bacon barm. Others get a paper. Then onto the train , card school , chat or just chill . Do what you want.

Take the piss - massive banter.  Apologies to other travellers. 

The whole day stretches out before you. A big town a massive city. 

A few pubs , make new associates.  The match , the highs the lows  

The hugs the joy . 

God I fucking miss it !!

[gonzo]

Must be the biggest and strongest denominator known to man.

Suppose its a bit like being a crack head and having crack head mates. Theres only a fellow crack head knows the buzz and what makes you go back for more.

Your whole life revolves around chasing that buzz. Only your crack head mates understand why you let it take over your life. 

Theres fellas sit near me Ive no idea of their names, but have kissed their bald head and some have cuddled and strangled my first born child.

Away from the match I think whats app etc has bought a lot of us together. Lads Id normally only ever see at the match or maybe the odd text or chat in between to sort away days out, I know chat to most days and are now amongst my closest friends. All down to the whites.

Theres a lad I speak to more than any of my pals round here and I only see him on a jolly probably twice a year at best. Love it.