Page 28 - All Shapes & Zebras From Treorchy

And that’s just the physical act of supporting a side. With the risk of stating the bleeding obvious, amateur fans do so much more to sustain and support their clubs. They sit on committees, work the bars, wash the kit, maintain the pitches and clubhouses, cook on match days and on training nights, drive minibuses, organise fundraisers and sponsorship events, clean the clubhouse, help train the mini and junior section - and a whole lot more. Crudely speaking, there’s also the monetary support that fans provide the clubs, often paying ‘subs’ and membership fees that swell club coffers and sustain clubs year in, year out.
Churchill once remarked “A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject,” which pretty much encapsulates the people you’ll meet in rugby clubhouses up and down the land.
Fans will hold opinions on all players – amateur or professional – and will be unlikely to have their view changed no matter how much debate and discussion occurs over a pint. The same goes for their views on the way the game is run and what should be done to rectify any trials or tribulations that may be affecting the club or game in general.
As for “won’t change the subject,” well, if there’s one thing that an amateur fan can do, it is talk – and talk they do. Walk into any of the hundreds of rugby clubs on a Saturday evening and there’s a good chance you’ll hear talk of the Club’s best XV; worst XV; most Underrated XV; most Overrated XV; hardest players; most skilful players; best overall teams; best coaches; most iconic kit – and a whole myriad of other niche and nebulous topics that would send an individual not affiliated to the club to the land of nod within minutes.
To be a fan is a good thing. It gives you a purpose and a stay of execution from mid-afternoon monotony on Saturdays from September through until May. So, long live the fans – the lifeblood of amateur rugby clubs.
26 ALL SHAPES & ZEBRAS FROM TREORCHY