Playing against the team you support

[A Load of Squit 5,135]

On the FA Cup 1st round draw one of the players interviewed wants to play against Plymouth as he supports them.

I've never really understood this view point. I've never been good enough to be in the position to play against Norwich but as a fan I always want them to win so why would I want to play against them and try to beat them?

When I was working in the north east I remember a colleague telling me that Chris Waddle never played in a Tyne/Weir derby as he was 'injured'. So it looks like he didn't want to play.

Is it just Waddle and me?

 

 

[Alex Moss 2,165]

Alex Tettey said in his interview at the weekend that if he had to step in for Ben Godfrey again against Man Utd, that ‘it wouldn’t be ideal, against my favourite team!’. It read quite jokingly though, and of course, he wants to play against Utd in his preferred role, but wasn’t sure if he meant that he enjoyed scoring against them last time out, or whether Man Utd were his favourite boyhood club? 

[wcorkcanary 4,329]

Probably  meant  he would prefer to be In  midfield  , as it would give him a much better chance of  renewing his love affair with the back of their net.  Though my Norwegian is a bit rusty. 

[FenwayFrank 2,457]

I agree, surely you would want to play your teams local rivals ?

[CDMullins 436]

Probably the reality that they will never play for their club, so the next best thing.

Personally and having played a bit of semi-pro football I'd have loved the chance to play away at Norwich in early rounds of the FA Cup.

Would have been a dream come true.

[Gordon Bennett 780]

Indeed, perhaps the attraction is to play competitively in front of a full house at the ground where you grew up watching from the terraces?

[Flying Dutchman 744]

4 minutes ago, Gordon Bennett said:

Indeed, perhaps the attraction is to play competitively in front of a full house at the ground where you grew up watching from the terraces?

I think this might be it.

I always found it odd and put it down to either proving yourself against your idols (unlikely when they become more your equals by that point and it's unlikely you still idolise the current team as much as the team you grew up supporting) or this - So I always believed that it was playing the occasion - being on that pitch, with that crowd, scoring in that goal, possibly.

[kirku 1,332]

You're a L1 or L2 level player, the only chance to play at Carrow Road (a dream since you were young) would be to draw City in the cup because the chances of being signed by us would be extremely slim.