support a football team

Meaning

This phrase means to be a fan of a specific football (soccer or American football) club, cheering for them, watching their matches, and following their progress. In British English, 'support' is the standard verb for being a dedicated fan of a sports team.

Examples

• My whole family has supported a local football team for generations.

  My whole family has supported a local football team for generations.

• It is hard to support a football team that keeps losing every weekend.

  It is hard to support a football team that keeps losing every weekend.

• Which football team do you support?

  Which football team do you support?

• He started to support a football team from London after living there for a year.

  He started to support a football team from London after living there for a year.

• Supporting a football team brings people together but can also be stressful.

  Supporting a football team brings people together but can also be stressful.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I am fan of Arsenal.

  ✓ I support Arsenal.

  While 'be a fan of' is common, native speakers (especially in the UK and Europe) typically use the active verb 'support' followed directly by the team name.

• ✗ He supports to Manchester United.

  ✓ He supports Manchester United.

  The verb 'support' is transitive and takes a direct object. Do not use the preposition 'to' after it.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you move to Liverpool, you will probably end up choosing to ___ there.

  💡 Become a dedicated fan of a local sports club.

  Show answer

  support a football team

• It takes a lot of loyalty to ___ when they are at the bottom of the league.

  💡 Cheer for and follow a soccer club through good and bad times.

  Show answer

  support a football team