Tribalism over capitalism

My supporting Chelsea elicited this response on Facebook. Football's a funny old game.

"Good to see you support a team built upon the exploitation of working people, comrade."

https://www.facebook.com/bob.williamsfindlay?hc_location=stream

What a load of patent bollocks, Bob!

I've been supporting Chelsea since I was a small child, just as, no doubt, you've been a Baggy by dint of geography. People from the part of London in which I grew up in, Stockwell, have traditionally supported either Chelsea, Crystal Palace or Millwall. At around the age of 5 or 6 I plumped for Chelsea (coming from an Irish family there was no real affiliation to any English team). My choosing Chelsea probably had something to do with the tribalism and peer pressure that, particularly, young boys are susceptible.

The idea of a Russian oligarch owning (or more correctly running) my football club is an affront to my socialist ideals. But then, where to turn? You may agree Bob, or not, that dirty filthy lucre has pretty much tainted the game at its higher levels. Doubtlessly West Bromwich Albion, given the opportunity, would sell out to an adventurist capitalist tomorrow; and fuck what the fans think.

Abramovich in the thick of it lapping up the players' adulation after winning the 2012 Champions League 

I can't believe you've gone away to build a case against Abramovich. Is it to beat me up with? Is it to inform me of what a nasty capitalist he is?

Bob, I'm fairly au fait with Roman Abramovich's history. Your resorting to throwing it into my face as though I'm complicit in rise to obscene wealth by supporting another of his acquisitions is not very nice. I also shop at Sainsbury's; my bank is probably involved in all sorts of nefarious goings-on; Lambeth Life, the ALMO, my proxy landlord is most likely up to no good; my gas, electricity and water suppliers are all vampiric companies squeezing the life blood from me, and the nation

...but my biggest crime is that I'm still embroiled in the tribalism of my youth by supporting a football team owned by a rampant capitalist. Now there's a fucking novelty.