Why are we, the supporters, so apathetic?
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Don't agree with that especially... I reckon its because weve just been looking pretty shit.
It's always quiet in the ground against shit teams. I'm quiet, I just sit there and watch it. I don't give a fuck.
Ultimately, in 1985 when I was about 12 it was £3 for a kid to get in the kop and if you could get there early enough you'd get in. Now the retail price index difference between now and then is 251%. So that cost now would be £7.50. Me and all my mates would go, and weird as it might seem now if we weren't going to aways we'd sometimes go to Everton. If it was 7.50 now there's no doubt that loads of kids would be finishing playing their Saturday morning games and heading straight to the match as we did.
Imagine it was £7.50 to get in the kop for under sixteens, £15 for adults, everyone could smuggle hip flasks in, and loads of people got there at about 1pm because it was gonna take ages to queue up and it might even fill up by 2 if you were playing someone decent. The docks and factories were massive employers and they shut down at noon on Saturday. Loads of dudes would finish up, nail a few pints and head to the game.
I'm not moaning about any of that or being nostalgic, times have changed... but it's pretty obvious why people don't sing as much anymore. You don't get nearly as many lunatics at the match. You don't get nearly as much drunkenness. And the tradition of gangs of mates from all over the city heading up to the ground fizzing with excitement is over.
The reason Palace and Stoke etc have noisier fans is because the pool of them hasn't been watered down by tourists, glory hunters and day trippers... and both the clubs are based in shitholes with plenty of lunatics. Good luck to them. I'd still rather be us.
Ultimately, in 1985 when I was about 12 it was £3 for a kid to get in the kop and if you could get there early enough you'd get in. Now the retail price index difference between now and then is 251%. So that cost now would be £7.50. Me and all my mates would go, and weird as it might seem now if we weren't going to aways we'd sometimes go to Everton. If it was 7.50 now there's no doubt that loads of kids would be finishing playing their Saturday morning games and heading straight to the match as we did.
Imagine it was £7.50 to get in the kop for under sixteens, £15 for adults, everyone could smuggle hip flasks in, and loads of people got there at about 1pm because it was gonna take ages to queue up and it might even fill up by 2 if you were playing someone decent. The docks and factories were massive employers and they shut down at noon on Saturday. Loads of dudes would finish up, nail a few pints and head to the game.
I'm not moaning about any of that or being nostalgic, times have changed... but it's pretty obvious why people don't sing as much anymore. You don't get nearly as many lunatics at the match. You don't get nearly as much drunkenness. And the tradition of gangs of mates from all over the city heading up to the ground fizzing with excitement is over.
The reason Palace and Stoke etc have noisier fans is because the pool of them hasn't been watered down by tourists, glory hunters and day trippers... and both the clubs are based in shitholes with plenty of lunatics. Good luck to them. I'd still rather be us.
And while I'm on the subject... I'd rather it was like that then and I'd rather it was like this now.
I loved it then, but there's no fucking way I'd queue up for hours to go and watch footy now. But the flip side is that my kids aren't really interested. They like it, they like to go a few times a season, but it's not special and it's not a group act shared between their peers. Thing is, going to the football 20 odd years ago felt like an act of rebellion, now it's the opposite, it's totally establishment. Kids have loads more other outlets for their frustrations these days and the most rebellious kids now hate football. I reckon teenage me would have laughed at how fucking daft football has become. I wouldn't have been saving up 50 quid for a ticket to fund these motherfucking bellend's idiotic lives.
I loved it then, but there's no fucking way I'd queue up for hours to go and watch footy now. But the flip side is that my kids aren't really interested. They like it, they like to go a few times a season, but it's not special and it's not a group act shared between their peers. Thing is, going to the football 20 odd years ago felt like an act of rebellion, now it's the opposite, it's totally establishment. Kids have loads more other outlets for their frustrations these days and the most rebellious kids now hate football. I reckon teenage me would have laughed at how fucking daft football has become. I wouldn't have been saving up 50 quid for a ticket to fund these motherfucking bellend's idiotic lives.
Leaving in droves is mainly because we have a Main Stand filled with cockneys and people from East Anglia. Reticence in the face of early success is mainly due to the fact that so many fans have realised that the hope hurts more than the despair.
I don't mind our glory hunters, I'm not making a value judgement. You tend to have a better laugh with them then miserable old bastards like me. But they should be breathalised on the way in and if they haven't had eight pints of stella or equivalent they should be kindly led away from the kop into the main stand behind the directors box.
Wow! I see and hear more locals leaving earlier than those with longer journeys.
Sorry but that is ridiculous and not true - And I might add - A little offensive.
I don't see why. The hope/despair isn't ridiculous or offensive. And whenever I've had the misfortune to be in the Main Stand that's what I've seen, I might as well have been in Northampton. And those fans do have to leave early - big deal. It's hardly a criticism. It's a long journey. I don't see the reason to reach for the hankie.
I'm not 'reaching for the hankie' - Your post seemed to suggest that OOT's (for want of a better word) do not support the team as much as local Kop going die hards. Which, as I'm sure you understand, would fuck me off. If I misunderstood and you simply meant that these 'type' of people had to leave early due to the length of their journey home then I apologise.
The noisiest dudes in the stands at the side are normally the Irish and the Scandos, because they're normally drunk as fuck.
The away game principle applies. All away crowds are noisier because generally people have got on the lash from the minute they got out of bed until kick off, it's a big day out. Likewise it's a big day out for the Irish and Scandos at home games. It's a big day out for others in England but loads of them drive, so they don't get pissed and they leg it early to beat the traffic.
I should write a thesis on this shit.
The away game principle applies. All away crowds are noisier because generally people have got on the lash from the minute they got out of bed until kick off, it's a big day out. Likewise it's a big day out for the Irish and Scandos at home games. It's a big day out for others in England but loads of them drive, so they don't get pissed and they leg it early to beat the traffic.
I should write a thesis on this shit.
Fair enough - I haven't had my Sunday dinner yet so I'm blaming my grumpyness on that 🙂
There have always been people who leave early irrespective of the scoreline. When I was at University we had a laugh when somebody asked one of our bunch why he always left the match 10 minutes before the end. He replied: "So that I can see the football results on the TV."
In the 08/09 season I sat next to this dude from London who left on 82 mins all the time. Torres scored about 9000 late goals that season. I recall him missing two late ones that changed the game against Middlesborough, a winner against Chelsea (I think) plus quite a few less important ones.
Did make me wonder why you'd come all that way prepared to miss so much. Mind you he did these massive steak and kidney pie and beer farts all the time so I was always glad when he fucked off.
Did make me wonder why you'd come all that way prepared to miss so much. Mind you he did these massive steak and kidney pie and beer farts all the time so I was always glad when he fucked off.
These days you need to have been at a classic match to make up for being stuck in traffic for ages after the game with perhaps a long train journey or a long motorway drive once you finally escape. It's fine when you can stay and amble off for a drink, so I don't see what the problem is. It's not like Geordies shuffling out after 60 minutes whenever they're not winning - THAT'S the sign of crap fans, completely in contrast to their ludicrous 'best fans in the world' image.
I can't imagine ever leaving the game early regardless of traffic and stuff. I mean a trip to Anfield for me (including train fare and a few bevvies in the Harry) can cost close to £200 - Why the fuck would you leave early.
The weirdest thing I saw recently was just before Steven Gerrard's testimonial, when I saw fans leave BEFORE the match. My first ever time in the Centenary Stand. About four of them sat down, opened these Bacofoil packs of sandwiches, sausages and pies, ate them, then got up and left. Never to be seen again!
I meant that there's not much glory to hunt these days. Thus few glory hunters supporting us.
I think most would call it cautious optimism.
We've apathetic because if we were signing and dancing about being top of the league after 7 games then we would be a collection of small-time knobheads.
We've had a fortunate fixture list which we've done well to exploit, but there's an awful long way to go yet and we're going to need to improve to maintain a top four spot.
We've had a fortunate fixture list which we've done well to exploit, but there's an awful long way to go yet and we're going to need to improve to maintain a top four spot.
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