Not good enough or a slap across the face???

[Kurt]

I seem to remember a time when came up with an idea of following teams in the off season calling them sister teams and what not and our agreement was to follow lower division teams as not to offend or hurt feeling by following a top division team. Well we all know I am talking about Sunderland who look to be on the way out of the top level anyway'

I guess my beef is that we tried to make a link with Halifax Town and then Carlise United. For a while we followed those teams up until the fans from Sunderland showed up last summer. Will I still follow Halifax and Carlise even if other have adopted Sunderland. In fact I have contacted my freinds in Halifax and they are looking forward to my visit once again.

My point I am trying to make is Sunderland has some great fans who will make us feel welcome when we visit but they are not the only fans that will do so. Halifax is way smaller then Sunderland only getting 1,400 to a match. I can tell you they to are great fans like Sunderland and should not be ignored. Carlise is bigger then Halifax and they to have awsome fans. So I do plan to make my trip to Sunderland but it will include a stop in Halifax for a match and a stop to see Carlise play. You others who are going should be thinking about doing the same. After all they were around before Sunderland came along. Oh and if you are going to the Halifax match you would miss the party lined up in Sunderland Friday night. I owe it to my freinds in Halifax to make it to a match.

[RC]

I don't think it's a case of either of the other two teams being sent to the hopper. Rather I think there are several reasons that the attention seems to have focused on Sunderland. Hey, Sunderland came to town, brought a bunch of fans and several folks got to meet/spend some time with many of them. So they now feel a much greater or more personal bond. Some of it is also human nature to tend to focus on the latest thing. Also, if you consider the way the TA has grown, how many even know why we had been supporting Halifax or Carlisle or why? (Not a slam, just an observation.)

Myself, I didn't get a chance to party with the Sunderland guests, so maybe I would respond differently if I had, but I will still support my personal EPL favorites over Sunderland. Would I make a special trip to England just to watch Sunderland? Doubtful. Would I go to England just to watch my favorite EPL team? More likely. More likely still I would plan a general England trip and try to fit a match in. Would I just make the trip to Sunderland if a group of friends were going? Yes. (I'm not going, but for different reasons.) So I think some of this is the ball just got rolling for a Sunderland visit, without an intended exclusion to Halifax or Carlisle.

Your reminder on Halifax and Carlisle is a good one however.

(Sorry for any ramble...too many interruptions while composing on the soap box.)

[Kurt]

Your points are well taken. I still have not nailed down just how long or what days my trip will be. I do plan to see as many matches as I can and those who want to join are more then welcome. There is alot to see in England as this will be my son's first time there I do plan to show him some great highlights. I do think the time we are going is not the best but I do want to gather with the Sunderland fans one last time.