When did you start supporting Barcelona and Why?

Year 2000. and I was fan for few years when this pic is taken



Why? I don't know, I just did

The Franchise wrote:
first tournament I remember clearly was Euro 94

dani, you must be meaning Euro 92, WC 94 or Euro 96.

I never was such a football fan. In 90' i was in primary school and perhaps watched some Dream Team games, but nothing really serious (probably because the elders watched them). La Liga matches were harder to watch. At about 1998-99 in high school my class was highly polarized between Barca and RM fans. Everybody was having a lot of arguments, but i was more neutral (leaning towards Barca). Then I researched a bit about history of Catalonia and found some similarities with my nation and Barcelona had a beach , so i was hooked (that was probably around 2000-01)

Still not such a BIG football fan, because it was hard to follow all la liga (Barca) games in my college years when i moved to Macedonia for studies, but started to like football because the way Barca played. I was just able to follow some more important games and derbies.

2007 moved to Sweden and discovered Sopcast and other streaming methods (Sweden has good internet bandwidth) and almost never missed a game

jdeepak14 wrote:

The Franchise wrote:
first tournament I remember clearly was Euro 94

dani, you must be meaning Euro 92, WC 94 or Euro 96.

Euro 96 was what I meant yes, previous to that my memories are too vague.

96/97 O Fenomeno, need i say more?

I think Ronaldinho got more people to support Barcelona than any other single factor. Certainly the current crop of fans.

I'm one of the Ronaldinho era fans as well. Actually in around 2001, I got really pissed off at the match fixing scandals and basically gave up on cricket. Yes, my morals were really strong even at the age of 10

In school, people mainly talked about Manchester United and Scholes and Giggs and, of course, Beckham. I became a casual Manchester United "supporter" because I had to be part of the football conversations, of course.

In WC 2002, I actually supported England (peer pressure makes people do stupid things ). I hated Ronaldinho then for knocking them out.

In around early 2004 or late 2003, I don't remember which, I saw a few Barca match highlights and thought - This is the shit! They played the most awesome one touch football ever. I was really taken in and secretively broke away from all the ManU fanboy groups.

In 2004, when Ronaldinho was signed, I was initially very angry. But when I saw the way he played, and the fact that he was on "my side" this time, and his smile as he slaughtered oppositions with a grin converted me into a fan.

By the time the 2005-06 season started, I'd already watched a lot of Barcelona games and was a pretty big fan. I will never forget that match against Chelsea, where Messi basically did everything except score at the age of 18 (?). I still consider May 17, 2006, to be the best day of my life (for some personal reasons + the CL final win over Arsenal).

And so it carried on, through the mini dark ages following that season and to the present time.

bazinga wrote: Actually in around 2001, I got really pissed off at the match fixing scandals and basically gave up on cricket. Yes, my morals were really strong even at the age of 10

thats me at 10

I became a fan in 2005 because of Ronaldinho but I really only watched Champions League games that were on in Canada. In 2008 I discovered how to watch games online and have barely missed a game since.

I deliberated long and hard, then after they won the treble I said yeap, this be the team to support lol I kid.

The barca style of fantasy football enthralled me sometime in 2004. Wasn't quite tiki-taka yet of course but the short passing game, stunning interplay, individual flair (primarily Ronaldinho) and goals galore were all there.

Since then my passion for the game has by turns intensified and dampened down. Don't think anyone can blame it absolutely peaking with the emergence of our golden generation. The MIX (messi/iniesta/xavi) synergy at work has me squealing with glee.

I've watched more or less every game of the past two seasons online (once I learnt I could/how to) and share the unhealthy fixation with messi cited above, lol. I'm not a religious guy, but I often pray he enjoys a full, injury-free career. Go figure.

The man, the myth, the legend that was Rohnaldinho.

The Franchise wrote:

jdeepak14 wrote:

The Franchise wrote:
first tournament I remember clearly was Euro 94

dani, you must be meaning Euro 92, WC 94 or Euro 96.

Euro 96 was what I meant yes, previous to that my memories are too vague.

I see. I started watching from WC 1990. Then watched WC 1994 and later parts of Euro 1996. From WC 1998 onwards I didn't miss anything much of the world cup or the Euros ever.

sagnik92 wrote:

bazinga wrote: Actually in around 2001, I got really pissed off at the match fixing scandals and basically gave up on cricket. Yes, my morals were really strong even at the age of 10

thats me at 10

bazinga and sagnik, something similar happened to me as well although at a later age since I am older than you all.

The Franchise wrote:Cant remember the exact year, could be 1997-1998 but dont quote me on it.

It was strange really, I was just a huge football fan. Watched International games (first tournament I remember clearly was Euro 94), watched the EPL (Arsenal were my favourite team) but I didnt support anyone. I just loved football and liked some individual players.

Same Here..
I used Just to follow the Local teams " Lebanese " a fan of a Club called Ansar.. Didn't use to follow European football so much, just some CL games from time to time & offcourse Euro (Italy fan since 2000 ) & WC ( since 1998, i was 8 years old )..

i started following EPL ( Arsenal, Henry fan ) first, cuz it was broadcasted in our region, while La Liga wasn't... But i do remember i Have a book ( from 1999 , i used to write some notes on it, a while ago i was reading in it, on one of the pages i have the clubs i used support, i found Barcelona I was 9 yeras old, don't know why.. ) i still ask my self this question, why & when did i first start following Barcelona.. But what I'm sure about, that i started watching Barca in 2003 when (2003 started broadcasting the JSC..) from that season 2003/2004 i didn't miss a single match!


Visca el Barca