Which Premier League Club Would You Support If You Were Reborn?

PORTLAND, OR - JULY 17: Members of Manchester City stand pre-game against the Portland Timbers during a friendly match on July 17, 2010 at Merlo Field in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Sometimes we pick soccer teams. Sometimes soccer teams pick us. But no matter how you came to support your favorite Premier League club, consider this for a second: What if you were reborn and you had to pick a different team than the one you support now? Who would you switch your allegiances to and why?

As a child in Wales, the nearest professional team to me was Swansea City, which was 23 miles from my house. When a close friend of mine and his father took me to a game in 1979, it was love at first sight and Ive supported the team ever since.

But if I was reborn and had to choose all over again, I would pick Manchester City. Not because of all of the money the club has and the players theyve bought (and will buy this summer). But its because they play an attractive style of football, they understand marketing and, perhaps most importantly of all for me, theyre early adopters of technology (which is my second love, after soccer).

Take a look at Manchester Citys website and youll see how technologically advanced they are. Not only does the club have the best website in the Premier League, by far, but consider the following:

  • they were one of the first Premier League clubs to set up an official Facebook page, which they actively update,
  • They created a site called My First City Game, which encourages City supporters to share their stories of the first City game they ever attended,
  • Their Be Part Of It website features an interactive map around the world where you can find your nearest City ! supporte r, as well as add your name to the map,
  • Manchester City has their own FourSquare page and encourages supporters to check in at games at the City of Manchester Stadium; In the past, theyve even had promotions where if you check in using FourSquare during one of the games, you were eligible to receive a free T-shirt,
  • MCFC has an active Twitter page, which they update daily,
  • On their official Flickr page, Man City has more than 1,440 photos (again, this is updated quite often),
  • Last but not least, Manchester City and Umbro have joined together to allow City supporters to pick the songs that are played on the PA before each game.

At the end of the day, City understands technology but, better yet, they understand how it can be used to attract new supporters, get them more involved in the club and keep them as loyal supporters. Its got nothing to do with the football they play on the pitch. But its got everything to do with feeling like youre part of a community.

For the record, Im not a Manchester City supporter. I remain a Swansea City supporter. And my allegiances to Swansea helps me remain unbiased when I cover the Premier League each season for EPL Talk. But I do admire what City are doing and Im starting to see other Premier League clubs beginning to take notice and understand how social media can help their club.

But what about you, if you were reborn, which club would you switch your allegiances to? It doesnt have to be because of social media. It can be for different reasons altogether. Share your stories below in the comments section.

You can follow EPL Talk on Twitter, Flickr, Foursquare, Facebook, Gowalla and other social pages today.

Related posts:

  • Do I Have To Hate My Teams Rival Premier League Club?
  • U-S-A Chants At Premier League Matches Are Insulting
  • Would Your Level Of Support Change If You Lived In England?



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