What is a true fan anyway? Sounding like everyone else?
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
I bet Saints would love a few thousand more like you.
Although born and raised in St Helens I haven't lived in the UK for most of my adult life. I still (before Covid) get to 6-8 games PA and if I am in Asia I get up in the middle of the night to watch games. I consider myself a true fan.
I was born in Ormskirk, my elder brothers were born in St Helens, as kids we would ride our bikes from Ormy to St Helens- leaving our bikes on Windsor Rd at my Aunties ( The Sisters of Murphy) and walk to Knowsley Rd for the games. In later years in the pub before a game would often get quizzed why someone from as far away as Ormskirk followed Saints and RL. Now living in NZ happy to remain a Saint COYS.
Is that anything to do with the amount of people that move there maybe? I know several people who moved down to Sankey and other areas because it was 'nicer', 'greener', 'better for the kids' etc, and they have brought their kids up as Saints fans. I'm not sure if this is just my experience, but there must be a decent amount of people in Warrington who come from St Helens or are the kids of those that do.
In that particular case Gray no, they were proper Warringtonians who just supported Saints. In general I think you are right. Widnes always had a core in Sutton Manor and Rainhill.
It's quite bizarre really Man City had core support in Windle and Clock Face but I don't think many if any other St Helens areas in the eighties. Wigan had some luck in they attracted in the good times a fair amount of Chorley and Leyland support. We never really even cracked Huyton never mind Liverpool posher suburbs.
I do my best to raise interest. I took my son (Spursy) and a pal (Gooner) to watch Saints v Broncos at Ealing Trailfinders, hoping to get them to fall in love with the Red Vee. It went wrong. Broncos won that afternoon. But the easygoing ground, the mixing of the fans, the closeness of the players, the fact that you could walk around, have a drink, have a picnic, have a laugh - all those things were a brilliant advertisement for the game.
I'm from and live in Swansea, our local rugby union ground is called St Helens so when I was a kid I linked the two in my mind and have been a saints fan ever since.
A relative of mine was fortunate enough to have played for the saints and I became more invested in the club since , when I was stationed up north It was easier to get to games.
I simply don't have the time to get to games these days but I always watch any games on tv, and read this forum and watch the you tube videos avidly
Things like that are a boon to fans from further afield, I don't class myself as one of the die hards like some on here clearly are but I'm a fan and I always will be
As my forum name suggests I'm from Oldham originally, now live in Bolton, but I don't have any connection with St Helens other than following Saints. I followed Oldham for a while in the 80s because my mates did, but I never really got what the game was about.
I started watching SL in the 90s on Sky, and began understanding it a bit more and enjoying it a lot more. I've supported Oldham Athletic all my life, but the contrast between RL and the way the footballers carry on these days has turned me right off footy (still get to Boundary Park from time to time, when possible, though). Now it's RL all the way.
Anyway I wanted a SL team to support so I chose Saints, just because I'd always liked Chris Joynt when he was at Oldham and he was a Saints player. The first time I saw Saints was in the 1999 GF win, so off to a good start there. Only got to KR once, but over the years I became a big Saints fan, and a couple of years ago I asked our youngest if he fancied getting a season ticket with me because he was getting interested. So we did, and now we are both dedicated Saints fans. My lad has joined a local team as well (prop), so RL/Saints have made a big difference to us, he was drifting a bit before and now he can't get enough RL.
So I would say the answer to the question is - well, we think so, though as the question implies, I've always wondered what born-and-bred St Helens fans make of us 'incomers'.
The lad and me spent last night watching the 2006 GF.
To my way of thinking if you support the Saints to the exclusion of all others you are a true fan wherever you were born.. If you support Wigan and you were born in St Helens there is quite simply something wrong with you.
Learned comment from The Don
100% you can be a true Saints fan if you're not from St Helens, it might make you more of a fan because those born here have no choice anyway!
Seriously though I used to work with a lady from Wakefield who, along with her husband and son, were the some of the most committed Saints fans I've ever met. I'm sure there's a few people on here that know them and what lovely people they are
Born in Blackbrook, played for Blackbrook, only moved stones throw away. Watched Saints since I was about 9. I feel in the minority on here.
Of course they are all real Saints. Happy to call many of the far flung Saints I have met over the years friends.
From my personal perspective, I’m a true Saints fan. Born and raised in Bootle, lived in Crosby and now Southport. Spent my life surrounded by friends and family that have no time for rugby of either code and only see football as a sport.
I’ve followed Saints via telly for as long as I can remember and made a few trips when able to see live games at Knowsley Road, but due to work / family / finances these were sadly few.
Since the new ground opened, I have been a season ticket holder and will continue to be as long as I can manage.
I’ve also managed to convert my son who is now 21, and via him his friends are all now Saints fans, some ( 4 or 5) even coming to the games with us before COVID.
My main point though, and probably the most relevant - I’m not from St Helens and have no direct connections, BUT Saints are my local RL team! Geographically they are the closest and easiest to get to, and as a club we should be considering the catchment area which should be much bigger than St Helens town!
I’ve been asked by lots of curious Saints fans at matches why I support them, and that is always my answer.
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