Att älska ett lag på distans, del 2
I den första delen av denna serie beskrev Fredrico Barbosa, Portugal sina känslor för Port Vale. Näst på tur är Jesper Kristoffersen som bor i vårat grannland Danmark.
My name is Jesper Kristoffersen, I’m 21 years old and live in a suburb of Copenhagen named Hvidovre in Denmark! My major interest is football and I play on a rather high level in Denmark. At the moment I play in the third best league with my club Hvidovre IF and we are currently second in the league. One of my dreams is without a doubt to play for Port Vale some day, and who knows?
Scandinavia has always been closely linked with British football and for as long I can remember English football has been a part of my life. Since I was a young boy I have watched English football on the television and because of that my interest has grown year after year.
I was about twelve years old when I started to support Port Vale, and why? Why do I support Port Vale? That is probably one of the questions that I have heard most times during that eight year long period. Not many Danes recognise the name Port Vale FC, it is only the biggest football fans who know just a little about “my club”. But to the big question, why do I support the Valiants?
It all started in the 1997/1998 season when Port Vale stayed clear of relegation through a massive win at the Alfred McAlpine stadium at Huddersfield. That was a big day for Port Vale and certainly a big day for me too! But it was actually quite a coincidence that made me a fan of the Valiants in the first place. I was having my daily look at the Teletext and was looking at the First Division league table. I then decided to find a club which I wanted to support. It didn’t take me long to find out that I wasn’t going to support one of the larger and more well known teams. By supporting one of them it seemed too easy to go straight for success. Then I saw my team, placed right above the relegation zone, Port Vale F.C.. At that point I knew absolutely nothing at all about the club, but that was exactly what made it even more exciting.
My friends were supporting Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, etc and they were all more or less shocked when I told them who I was supporting. But the real shock came when I showed up for a training session with my brand new Port Vale kit on with Martin Foyle’s name on the back. Then they started to understand that I was serious.
To begin with I saw the results over the Teletext but I wasn’t so knowledgeable about players, staff and so on. Then as the Internet grew and made it easier to get information’s about the club I began to learn more and follow every story I could get about my club. I then found out that I could listen to the clubs matches every Saturday on the Internet, that was an amazing feature, which I of course still use.
The low point in my “career” as a Port Vale fan came when we were relegated in 2000, that was a huge blow for me. The club was not only getting relegated, but also struggling with the finances and it obviously wouldn’t get better while playing in the Second Division! Bill Bell was sitting heavily on his wallet, so I believe everyone knew that we weren’t going to retain a place in the top of the table. Everything collapsed in one big hurry!
Talking about the low point of my time as a Valiant, there has been one outstanding high point too. And that is of course the great win at the Millennium Stadium in 2001 where we managed to beat Brentford after a thrilling encounter. The LDV Vans Trophy was going to Vale Park, something neither had expected. It was just amazing and I wish I had been at Cardiff that day. Unfortunately I wasn’t and after about eight years as a Vale fan I still haven’t watched Vale live. That is one of the dreams that I will make sure comes true before too long.
Unfortunately Port Vale haven’t been that successful during my time as a Vale fan, but no matter what, Port Vale will always be my number one club. In my honest opinion it is much more rewarding to support a team that doesn’t earn billions of pounds every year, but instead works hard and has a group of loyal and enthusiastic fans, no matter what the results are! And when the loyalty someday pays off and the results turn around, the feeling of victory will stand much higher than if you were supporting Arsenal, Manchester United or Liverpool, and only did that to feel successful.
I will always be loyal to my one and only Port Vale, because I know that one day we will be paid back with excellent results and achievements that will make every Vale fan ecstatic!
Good Bye from Denmark, and let lady luck be with us this season. Championship here we come!
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