I'm a Leicester fan who posts here occasionally, and over the past 3 years I've often winced when other fans come onto this forum. As you seem like a decent chap and I like the dutch, here's a couple of hints if you want to stay.
1. Remember whose forum it is, and that nobody invited you onto it. Should you survive the initial onslaught you can find yourself having a perfectly friendly exchange with posters who are ripping your club apart in the post below. Which is entirely reasonable as it's their place to say whatever they like. You just have to let it go.
2. Don't assume this is like other forums. The members are extremely aggressive, and relish an argument (or cunt-off, as it's known). They particularly like someone new to argue with as for a brief period it gives them the chance to pause their arguments with each other. "I come in peace" won't get you very far, quite the reverse. They don't care if you come in peace, or in anger, or at all.
3. The general rule is that they all hate every other club, everyone who plays for every other club, and everyone who supports every other club. I think this comes from the rather surprising fact that every other big club in London hates them more than each other, and this has given them a "get the first punch in" mentality.
4. Knowing when to fuck off is very important. It's unlikely they will want to exchange pleasantries with other fans when they've just been beaten by West Ham, for example. At these times they really want to abuse each other as horribly as possible. I still remember Joe Clash giving me this advice on one occasion and have looked back on this several times and wondered at how polite he was, given that I've never known anyone who has managed to find so many unique ways to tell someone to fuck off.
5. Don't get involved in a feud. These guys are top-level feuders, who would make the McCoys and Hatfields look like amateurs.
However.....if you do manage to stay the course, I would say without hesitation that this is the best football forum out there. The majority of posters are bright, self-aware, and can be blindingly funny. Extreme views are welcomed, but intelligent ones are better received. I don't post on any other forums, and not much on here, but I read it frequently because it's engaging and never fails to make me laugh. Despite the aggression, and the jaw-droppingly awful things that are said at times, I've seem members of this forum help each other through some terribly times with enormous humanity and sensitivity. The one (I think) regular female member (the delightful Mrs Perryman) is treated with huge respect but never condescended to. And most of them know their football and are happy to engage once they trust that you're not here to take the piss or waste their time.
So, if you want to stick around and have a decent exchange of views, follow the advice above and that's what you'll get, eventually (!). But trust me, it's worth it.
