I'm a White

Every where you read of our hatred for all things red, the one thing that seems to come across as the worst crime the scum lovers commit is the fact that they don't come from Manchester. This always makes me feel sad that perhaps, somehow, other Whites might think I'm less of a true fan than them, because I come from Swindon, yes don't laugh Swindon.

But I'm a White, I've always been a White. I don't know why I became a White, I just know that from my earliest footballing recollections, the men from Elland Road were my gods. I think it may have been because my father hated them, perhaps an early protest vote, but from about the age of 7 or 8 I have lived, breathed, eat and slept Leeds United.

As soon as I was 16 and had a job, up to Elland Road on the train I came and when I got there my life was complete. Though looking back with hindsight, the place had become a bit of a dump then, I didn't care. I was in heaven. As this was September 1984, it was Eddie Gray's heaven, and the team had really gone downhill in my 8 or so years as a fan.

It was pretty tough going through school with all the plastic red fans (Liverpool in those days), but I could no more change teams as change hearts. Despite the fact that I refused to be treated like cattle at away games, from that point onwards I missed only 4 home games in 6 seasons, and was ever present in the next 3 (a bit dodgy in those days with a southern accent), and though now 31 and married with a busy career, I still make the 450 mile round trip 10-12 times a season (just can't make the midweek's, except on Sky).

I've seen them all come and go, from Butterworth and Connor to Ritchie and McCluskey to Baird and Pearson to Chapman and Wallace to Hasselbaink and Smith. I've read the papers when every two bit journalist was trying to get us busted down to Sunday league football. I've seen the good times and all the bad times, and believe me driving the 220 odd miles home after losing is a feeling you would not believe (then again you saw us when Wilkinson's brains had turned to jam so you know despair), but I'm a White. We're on for the long haul, not just the good times, so perhaps the fans from Yorkshire could spare a thought when they get home after the match at 5.30.

I'm a White....a Swindon White, but a White none the less.