Is it a crime to change 'your' favorite football club?

They say, change is the only constant. Correct, but what happens when it comes to supporting a football club?

I mean, there are different reasons for people to follow different teams across different sports across different countries. Let's take an instance of Premier League here - if you are in England, it is very evident why you support a particular football team but what about the rest? Premier League is undoubtedly the most followed Football League in the world, and people across the continents have strong emotions for their favorite football clubs.

It's good for us to be loyal, and football is just another thing but keeping football aside how much do we really care about staying loyal to everything else in our lives? I mean, if you are reading this, there is a high possibility that you have either changed your partner, your phone brand, your bike, your job, atleast once in a life. Just because a company invests its time and resources in helping shape our careers, we don't dedicate our lives to it no matter what state the company is in, right? We simply move on if we do not enjoy work. I believe same is the case with sports as well. I have made a choice which makes me happier and is helping me stay loyal to my forever passion football.

I am sure, by now, people who know me would have understood the point I am trying to make here and know the club I am talking about. For people who don’t know me, I have been a huge fan of Arsenal.

I have been supporting Gunners since 2002 (I was 14 then) and my journey of a football fan started very strangely. While David Beckman was my first love, I never liked Manchester United., I used to love the courageous style of Leeds United's game and the flawless football that Arsenal was once known for. Leeds United's relegation and Arsenal's last Premier League came in the same year – since that day and till date, while I still have that soft corner for Leeds United, I call myself more of an Arsenal fan because of the kind of exposure I had to Arsenal since 2004. Thank you broadcast rights and then the internet.

Something that has amused me in this journey of being a football fan is that it’s considered not less than a crime to change loyalties. Well, this is only for the fans though. Sticking to Arsenal - Henry, Pires and other great players once left the club for bigger, better and varied reasons. Fans (including me) still consider them as legends and rightly so. But if this is considered right, why the fans can't shift loyalties?

If Lampard can go and play for Man City after spending almost a lifetime in Chelsea, I think, it is perfectly fine for me to support a rival club. Oops, I mean Arsenal's rival club.

In the past few years, a lot of individuals, teams and football groups have impressed me a lot. While Wenger's Arsenal was struggling to stay relevant in Premier League’s Top 4 race, a certain Jurgen Klopp was giving Bayern Munich nightmares. Then in 2015, he came to Premier League and instantly made me fall in love with Liverpool, Pep's Manchester City-owned by the City Football Group too impressed me with a lot of initiatives the group is undertaking around the world and yes, India's very own JSW Sports owned Bengaluru FC too have my respect for the group's vision to develop sports in India.

Whether or not, what my contribution towards Arsenal Football Club and its journey has been so far, it hardly matters, instead, has the club shown enough intent to retain me or any of their fans? Do I see the club and management serious about running the football club with passion and not only drawn towards profit? As a football fan – I have loved nothing that the club has offered me in the past few years, I don’t even enjoy their football anymore.

While I will still wish the best for Arsenal and will always hold a special and emotional place in my heart but I will probably never be able to follow Arsenal the same way I used to do. Whether or not which football club I fall in love with next is undecided but yes for now life as a 'neutral fan' is just too much fun!! It is not all about winning – it is about what makes me love the ‘beautiful game’ even more – everyday!! 

- Abhay Bhow