http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2041085/Si-Alex-Ferguson-Manchester-Uniteds-stay-Leeds-like-scene-Zulu.html

I rest my case.

May I suggest Leicester City...?
(not that I'm the biggest fanatic of premier league, but if I'm to become one, it would probably be for Leicester)

I really appreciate all the responses! I knew there would be some great insight here, and I really have enjoyed reading the opinions and advice!

I think I want a club based on the club and fans itself, and not quite on a manager since those change so rapidly. I don't want to switch clubs because the manager moved on and changes the style.

Of these clubs which would be the best pick for the above reasons?

1. Liverpool
2. Norwich City
3. Swansea
4. Leicester City
5. (Write in option of your choice if I have missed a good one.)

Putin, I want to give you a shout out for the AFC Wimbledon mention. I've used them on FIFA before and for some reason kind of like them.

By above reasons I mean any reason mentioned in this thread.

what I think is that you're tryin an excessive amount of analysis, and I'm afraid that's just not the way football passion should work.

Another advice I'd do is you should watch a little more champions league and a little less premier league. Besides that, try to support a team on your local league, or go to England and live there for some time, so that you can feel the true passion people feels there.

^most people support their teams based on the most silly reasons you can imagine (even though they try to argue and convince you of the opposite), and that's certainly not a barrier to develope passion.

I wouldn't recommend becoming a Liverpool fan. That's some seriously masochistic shit, and they're a bunch of whiny failures again and again who have no style either. If you're fortunate enough not to be born in Liverpool, you can safely go without liking them :D.

The rest are all reasonable, but as I said, you're better off watching matches and just letting it develop naturally. Someone will catch your eye after a while.

Indeed, I wouldn't choose Livingpoor either.
I should say that I somewhat like Arsenal too, it's such a LOL team, always threatening to win the leage until they just vanish, or always having to match (and lose) vs Barcelona at champions. One can't but imagine that one day they'll finally win the league or defeat Barca, and that would be a really sweet day for any Arse fan

The only important thing is NOT to become a Real Madrid fan.

Also, and I probably shouldn't say this, since I'll lose all credibility, but... go Liverpool. A great homegrown club that is decent, but doesn't spend huge money like the Manchesters or the London teams.

Ha, supporting Norwich is effectively supporting LUFC turncoats. I will enjoy seeing them relegated again.

I can see good reasons for jumping on the Lpool or Leicester bandwagons. They have great coaches and seem to have bright futures.

Thanks! I'm hesitant to go with one of the huge clubs because I like having consistency in players, and that's what is driving me nuts about Chelsea now. I hate how quickly players move in and out, you can't really develop a "connection" with those players because you know they will be gone so quickly. That's where I want a club that keeps players around and develops them, and I figured that coming here and asking would be a faster learning process than just watching until a team stuck out to me (although I do like that idea too Hellenic Riot).

What are the thoughts on Leicester and their future? I know Putin said he sees them having a bright one, but I can't imagine them contending for the league title every year. Is there a consensus that they may become a mainstay in the Premier League?

Here's the thing. Leicester has done fantastic this season, and no one can seem to beat them. If they do win the league, or at least get into the champions league, then you can be sure they will spend a lot over the off season. So they probably will be good for a couple of years at least. BUT, you never know. Look at Chelsea. That's the beauty of the Premier League.

It's those kinds of story lines that make watching the Premier League so entertaining, and why I want to have a vested interest in a club in England.

JEccles: If you expand your search to Spain, consider Atlético de Madrid, a hard-working team that has proven for several years that it can beat any European team despite being massively outspent.

Atletico are great, that's true.

If you want teams that develop youth and try to keep their players over a number of seasons; Tottenham and Southampton are probably your best bets there. Possibly Everton, too.

The argument that Liverpool don't "spend big like the other clubs" really fell flat in the past couple of years since they sold Luis Suarez and blew everything on so many players. Christian Benteke was £32 million which is hilarious.

Bah if you're going to support a Spanish club support Rayo Vallecano. They are a shining example of decency and humanity in a sport that generally lacks it.

http://www.espnfc.us/spanish-primera-division/15/blog/post/2167286/rayo-vallecano-demonstrate-why-theyre-different-from-the-rest

U. S. ESPN, really?

Complaining about the source, really? It's not as if this hasn't been covered by other sources.

http://www.noticiasespanolas.es/index.php/127617/madrid-soccer-club-steps-in-to-pay-evicted-85-year-olde28099s-rent-in-english/

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/spains-left-wing-club-rayo-vallecano-vows-to-help-elderly-evicted-woman.aspx?pageID=238&nid=74689

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/11/24/sport/football/football-rayo-vallecano-evictions/

http://carloz.newsvine.com/_news/2014/11/22/26669118-madrid-soccer-club-vows-to-help-85yo-widow-evicted-from-home-near-stadium

As for their protesting high ticket prices and monday night matches, here's some non-American sources for you.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/the-simpsons-make-an-appearance-at-rayo-vallecano-as-supporters-protest-against-monday-night-matches-9838604.html

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/04/rayo-vallecano-fans-stage-brilliant-simpsons-themed-protest-against-monday-night-football-4934841/

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/jan/14/rayo-vallecano-la-liga-monday-fixtures

I wasn't asking you to overwhelm us with sources, Putin33. But care to list your source for the lack of humanity in football?

I would say that clubs are in the game to make money. Barcelona FC blazons UNICEF front and center on their jerseys, yet few familiar with the sport would characterize the club as a champion of human decency. Sending consistent messages to fans can help create a culture of investing money in official club merchandise, tickets, etc.

No if you're going to express contempt for a source then prepare to get linkbombed because that's the only way to dignify that dismissal with a reply.

"Barcelona FC blazons UNICEF front and center on their jerseys, yet few familiar with the sport would characterize the club as a champion of human decency."

Good thing my reference to Rayo had absolutely nothing to do with shirt sponsors but had to do with their going out of their way to help the neighborhood population like the evicted 85 year old woman. But you didn't even bother to read what I referenced so forget it.

As to the lack of humanity in football, where to even begin? There have been violent clashes that have led to large numbers of deaths in Egypt. Stampedes in Kenya. Human swastikas in Croatia. Monkey chants all over the place. Fascist banners. Most of the "ultras" in Europe are extreme rightwing xenophobes and bigots. Most of the well known clubs in Europe care about nothing but making money. Look at Liverpool FC and what they're doing to the Anfield area. Buying up houses and leaving them empty. That's just one example.

Top 3 English clubs to support:
1. Rochdale
2. Hull City
3. Leeds United (would be ranked above Hull if their manager and chairman weren't engaged in the asshole of the year world championships)...

Avoid like the plague:
90. Sunderland (1973 still rankles)
91. West Ham (thug supporters)
92. AFC Wimbledon. Vomit-inducingly twee - the hipster beard of football.

Putin33: Helping a single woman avoid eviction is a publicity stunt. It's a nice gesture, but let's be honest with ourselves. I'd be hard-pressed to put Rayo on a higher moral plane because of it.

Working class Madrilenians outside the Vallecas neighborhood have supported Atleti for decades.

I will take all this into consideration and take some time to feel the clubs out. Thanks for all the help!

"I'd be hard-pressed to put Rayo on a higher moral plane because of it."

I'd put them on a moral plane for being anti-fascist and protesting in solidarity with striking workers while Atleti fans shout "we hope your father dies" at children after doing monkey chants at opposing players.

http://www.worldsoccer.com/news/marcelo-344742

Ha ha, no you weren't. You just changed the subject. Actually you changed it to two different subjects.

Not at all, actually. Atletico Madrid is a fascist club. They were closer to the Franco regime than Real Madrid were, as they were joined together with the fascist air force. The only real working class Madrileno club is Rayo Vallecano. They consistently support the working people of their neighborhood and are stridently anti-racist. It's not just the example of the evicted woman there are countless examples of why they're one of the best clubs a progressive could support.

https://thebeautifulworldoffootball.wordpress.com/2013/10/23/fascism-alive-and-well-in-the-estadio-vincente-calderon/