Modern Day Football Fans

[anon 0]

superb article[quote]They''ll only miss us once we''ve gone

What is it that Guinness advert proclaims? "All good things come to

those who wait". Well the Footballing Authorities may not have to wait

too much longer until their transition of the game is complete. To rid

the game of the bad and populate it only with the good. No more rowdy

behaviour, no more rebels of society daring to stand up and make their

feelings known, no more problems.

Their ideals consist of fans turning up every week, queuing to gain

entry in an orderly fashion, having booked their tickets 3 months in

advance. Entering the stadium and taking their seats, rising only to

applaud goals where they dance along to carefully selected music over

the PA, before clearing up their litter and disappearing into the

countryside until the following weekend. No hassle, no passion, no

noise.

"They''ll only miss us once we''ve gone"

As the game I know and love becomes more diluted by the passing year, I

often wonder just when the breaking point will come. When will those

authorised with sanitising our game realise the error of their ways? Or

can they not actually see that they are breaking the very foundations

of what has made this sport a success? Pound signs blur their vision,

seen all too often in every walk of life. Greed takes over, people want

more. They''ve exhausted the Premier League "brand" and now have visions

of taking it further afield; the infamous "Game 39". Translated to you

and me, meaning they have milked pretty much every penny they can from

the "consumers" in this country, and now want to tap into the pockets

of those football hungry consumers overseas. All in the name of

expanding the pockets of the shareholders, players and governing bodies

of our sport. Our sport, not theirs.

If I rewind 7 or 8 years; I''m leaving the house on a matchday and

making my way to Anfield. There was no need to ring around in the

morning; I''d just turn up and walk into one of two or three pubs around

the ground, and would bump into people I knew. You knew where everyone

would drink, and had done for years. The same faces, the people that

made this club what it is. I can pop my head into those same pubs now,

and I wouldn''t recognise a soul. Those long standing supporters have

now all but disappeared, replaced by families from all over, decked out

in official replica sportswear and taking pictures of anything that

moves. There''s a smaller crowd of us left and tend to keep out of the

way. We don''t conform. Those areas around the ground have now been

taken over by the new brigade, while the old guard retreat to pastures

further afield.

Year after year, more and more people are dropping away. There''s still

a hardcore of a few hundred that travel everywhere. There''s still

thousands that go to every home game just like they always have. But

it''s becoming harder and harder for these people to carry on.

Supporters being replaced by consumers. Participants being replaced by

spectators. Just how much higher can the bar be raised by the

controlling bodies before they''ve pushed away everyone that gave the

game it''s appeal in the first place? What happens when the passion

disappears for good? You can''t manufacture passion, no matter how hard

some clubs try.

They have mascots running up and down the touchline trying to encourage

the fans. At Bolton they play "I feel good" when they score, with two

young lads running the length of the pitch with big flags. Music played

after goals is now commonplace, as if fans don''t know how to celebrate

a goal by themselves. Is it because they realise the passion is dead

and are trying to hang onto a small semblence of it? Or is it aimed at

manufacturing a friendly atmosphere to suit their agenda?

Manufactured support; I can''t think of anything worse. Handing out

those clappers seems to be the next step this season, with the whole of

St.Andrews clapping along with them before their opening game. This in

a ground that used to be known as one of the most passionate and

hostile in football; now transformed into a childrens play ground with

everybody doing as they are told. Sat down and singing what the club

want them to sing, and clapping when they want them to clap. So sad.

Ticket prices on the increase there every season, and a ground I now

refuse to visit. £40 for an away ticket some 4 years ago. No thanks. It

doesn''t take a genius to work out why they barely fill half of that

ground any more.

Newcastle had their lowest league attendance for nearly a decade at the

weekend, with cash turnstiles in operation, entry for £10 if you bought

a replica shirt and other such promotions, but still had thousands of

empty seats. Manchester United have been contacting everybody on their

mailing lists trying to push season ticket sales again this summer.

Whereas Old Trafford used to be like Fort Knox when it came to getting

in, they''re now closer to resembling one of the happy hour bars in

Benidorm, with teenagers stood outside handing out cards with

promotional offers to encourage trade. What was once a closed shop, is

now opening it''s doors and trying to drag people in off the streets.

Is the football bubble about to burst? I hope so.

On Monday night, Portsmouth''s most famous fan, the bell ringer with the

blue hair, or less commonly known as "John", was approached by the

ground staff at Fratton Park and asked to keep the noise down. I''m sure

it''s not only me that''s absolutely staggered by that. Asked to stop

ringing his bell and keep the noise down, in a football ground! The

mind boggles. But it''s another notch on the many that have been made

previously, in slowly sanitising the way we support our teams.

We are told we''re not allowed to stand up as it''s unsafe; yet rugby

sides play in exactly the same stadia and those rules don''t apply.

Apparently it''s safe for rugby fans to stand in those same seated

areas, but not football fans (the reasons for that I could write a book

on, and will address again). It''s madness. They''re also allowed to

drink in their seats while watching the game. I know of a fan that was

facing a 3 year football banning after peering over the exits at White

Hart Lane to catch a goal he''d missed when coming down early at half

time. He''d walked down the steps, was handed a pint by a friend, and

heard the roar from the stands. He went halfway back up the steps to

see what had happened, when two officers arrested him for consuming

alcohol in view of the playing surface. It defies belief. But I''m told

we''re different. As our friend from Portsmouth has pointed out this

week; would this sort of discrimination be accepted anywhere else, or

by anyone else, but football fans?

I was on a final warning in my old season ticket seat for foul and

abusive language. I was reported by fellow fans for swearing, and

risked losing my season ticket. Now in that seat, I was reserved, very

reserved. It was on the halfway line and not a noise was made all

season by anyone. They were spectators, I''m a participant, or like to

be. I want to go to the game and let off some steam. I go to work to

pay the bills, put a roof over the family heads, and to enjoy myself

during my time off. I choose to do that at the football, something I''ve

grown up with. It''s always been a part of who I am. But in that seat, I

had to control myself and just sit and watch the game, conforming to

those around me for over 7 years. I must have sworn a handful of times

in that entire period, when telling the referee where to go or some

other trivial slip of the tongue. Yet I faced losing my season ticket

and not being able to support my side over it. I was one swear word

away from walking away from the game for good. If this was in a family

enclosure I''d understand. I know when swearing is unacceptable, and in

my view, a football ground is one of those places where it fits.

When I go to the match, I want to stand with fellow fans, my friends. I

want to participate in the game, I want to support the side. I want to

shout and I want to sing. I want to do the things that made me fall in

love with the game and going to the match. But one by one, the

authorities are trying to take all those things out of our game. To

have us sat in silence, only singing when they want us to sing, and

singing the songs they want us to sing. Blaring music over the PA

system we are supposed to dance along to. We''re unable to create an

atmosphere ourselves it seems. For the future, see American sports for

how it will go. Club issue foam hands can already be seen, dancing

girls have been tried, the list goes on.

Keep sanitising; you''ll soon be wondering where it all went wrong, when

the very people that made this game what it is, have all long since

disappeared. There''s not many of us left. Soon there will be none.

Enjoy modern football. Enjoy scratching your heads in some plush office

arguing with each other about who''s to blame when the crowds start to

stay away. I''ll be long past the caring stage. You''ll have brought it

upon yourselves and destroyed a game loved by millions in the process.

I hope it''s worth it.[/quote]

[PKC 0]

I agree - anyone know where this article originally appeared?

[Beauseant 0]

[quote user="PKC"]I agree - anyone know where this article originally appeared?[/quote]

 

It was written by a Liverpool fan (Paul Jones) in the Times Online back in August and has been widely quoted since.

[Bury Green 0]

A very worthwhile read and as you say, it’s been well quoted since it first appeared. 

In the context of our own club I’d be interested to know whether, if like me, you have seen the return of our genuine support the further we have fallen?  The numbers through the gates home and away might not have changed but the overall makeup of the support seems to. 

Last week at Wycombe being a perfect example, no irritating woman telling you to sit down or to mind her little Timmies sensibilities, just lots of Yellas out for the day, singing, being their normal humorous and abusive self and supporting the boys plain and simple. 

One thing that has really impressed me over the last few months are the numbers of young lads now coming along on away games, not Stone Island clad Wannabes but very much the next generation of support and surely a great advert for the clubs policies of getting kids into FCR whilst they are still young. 

A scarf wig does not and nor will it ever make you a supporter

[bjg123 0]

That bell ringer is fucking annoying though, if A fan next to me did that I''d tell them where they could stick their bell.

[Woman in the Stands (WITS) 0]

Bury Green - it''s not always women wanting people to sit down you know. I''ve heard blokes say it too!

As a not very tall person, I can see better when everyone''s sitting but standing just adds to the atmosphere. I''m 1 of the first to stand up where I sit when the action gets exciting!

Great article. I totally empathise with the writer. How often have we referred to the prawn sandwich brigade and made light of it? It is very worrying that matchday atmospheres are being slowly eroded.

[nutty nigel 7,509]

It''s an interesting point Bury Green because I have noticed more youngsters going to the away games this season too. I guess cheaper match tickets could have something to do with it. But if we get back to the Championship we will be back to Championship prices. Likewise if we ever get back to the Premier League. Five years ago we were regularly paying between £30 and £40 for Premier tickets and I don''t suppose they''re cheaper now. As a regular away fan I can tell you that as much as I would like us to get back to the Prem if we did I would do very few away games. I expect I''m not alone in wishing we could get back to the old First Division instead.

But as for home games, I do struggle to understand the deal about these "new fans". Do you go with different people than you used to? I do to a degree because some of the people I go with weren''t old enough to go in the 80''s and early 90''s. Being too young to remember how football was is not their fault though.

 

[gazzathegreat 0]

A wonderful article, well written - should be dispensed with the season ticket brochure instead of the usual spin we get.

[William Darby 0]

Obviously the article is written by some old Socialist[:D]  It''s a typical back in my day argument.  We used to do half a day in the factory,  pile into to pub to get half cut.  Bowl down to the match and not a woman in sight.  Seriously times have changed, yes, pick the bones out of Sky and stupid CEs coughing up ridiculous wages to pampered players.  But why the need to moan about fellow supporters who still turn up while the general trend is, supporting numbers are falling.  Like Nutty said in effect, if you weren''t born back in the day.  WTF can you do about it.

[Chelmsford Canary 0]

Went to Castlegate Sports Bar after the game on Sat, there was a bloke in there watching the Brum Vs United game who gave football fans a bad name - complete moron! surprised no one lumped him one!

[Bury Green 0]

[quote user="Tunica Molesta"]Obviously the article is written by some old Socialist[:D]  It''s a typical back in my day argument.  We used to do half a day in the factory,  pile into to pub to get half cut.  Bowl down to the match and not a woman in sight. 
Seriously times have changed, yes, pick the bones out of Sky and stupid CEs coughing up ridiculous wages to pampered players.  But why the need to moan about fellow supporters who still turn up while the general trend is, supporting numbers are falling.  Like Nutty said in effect, if you weren''t born back in the day.  WTF can you do about it.
[/quote]

You miss the point, on a tube down to Stamford Bridge a few seasons ago I actually had to tell some supposed Chelsea fans about the Dave Beasent incident and the fact they bought Flecky of us. 

Now rest assured these ‘fans’ were more than old enough to remember and of course had the obligatory scarf worn at a  jaunty angle, its just a  crushing indictment of the modern game that they know ---- all about the team they supposedly support and that’s the point of the article in part. 

I wasn’t there for the 1959 cup run either but I can still tell you what the team was without resorting to Wikiwhatsit 

Now this is a slight reworking of another Chelsea inspired classic  

 

Carefree wherever you may be 

We are the nouveau City FC 

So please sit down 

So my wife can see 

I’ve been coming here since 2003

 

[nutty nigel 7,509]

Maybe I missed the point too Bury. Because I remember when we played Chelsea in the Premier League listening to a group of fans my age discussing how it was the first time they had been to Carrow Road. Obviously the cup game a couple of seasons before had been off their radar. And there was certainly a difference between the fans who came to Carrow Road on those two occasions. These "new" Chelsea fans have been the butt of a longstanding joke between me and my son. I took him to Stamford Bridge for his first away game in 1986 when he was 7 so he well understood the joke. It was the first game of the season in the old First Division and there were less than 20,000 at "The Bridge"

Maybe we have these new type fans too, I suppose we must do because our gates are 10,000 more than they were at that time. But I don''t see them around me. Where I am in the Lower Barclay it seems to be older long-standing fans and newer younger fans who were born too late to go in the 80''s.

Where do you sit Bury? Chuck it in and come and stand with us. Nobody will tell you to sit down.

 

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Their has always been happy clappers goign back to the days before executive boxes and corporate areas, bringing back standing areas would help matters by splitting up the hardcore form the manufactored lot!

They should never of been taken away in the 1st place!

I do feel with clubs close to going under and others like King''s Lynn already gone, the bubble may be about to burst bigtime and football gets back into the real world and spending accordingly!

[Nexus_Canary 1,016]

Now take off the Rose coloured glasses.......

Nice nostalgic article but this is 2010 , not 1910. Im affraid the days the writer talks about are long gone never to be seen again !

[jammis 0]

I understand the general feeling in the article, but don''t agree. There''s room in the stands for all types of fans, be they the old guard, the families or the young ones coming through. What people should be looking at is the increase in executive seats, they are the real killer. People more interested in what free food is on offer than what''s happening on the pitch.

Out of interest why should people be embarrassed about wearing their colours, be it a shirt, a wig or bloomin'' cape for that matter, it''s all part of the fun?

[Bury Green 0]

[quote user="jammis"]

I understand the general feeling in the article, but don''t agree. There''s room in the stands for all types of fans, be they the old guard, the families or the young ones coming through. What people should be looking at is the increase in executive seats, they are the real killer. People more interested in what free food is on offer than what''s happening on the pitch.

Out of interest why should people be embarrassed about wearing their colours, be it a shirt, a wig or bloomin'' cape for that matter, it''s all part of the fun?

[/quote]

A hat scarf or green and yellow wig does not make you a supporter, you are just somebody that went and bought a hat scarf or green and yellow wig.  

Of course there are thousands of our died in the wool supporters who go home and away that ‘scarf it up’ and fair play to them, it’s their choice but its not for me and for other elements of our clubs support.  

Had we have been playing tomorrow night I’d have probably dragged myself off to the Midlands to watch it, I did the first time only to spin on my heels and come home again. There you have it, its actions not syrups that make you a supporter as ‘Over land and sea’ is far more than just a song regardless of whether you have a green and yellow cape. 

It’s not the wearing off all the gear that I have an issue with, its ours, its income and its valuable but somehow I always look upon some of it with a cynical eye.  Somewhere beneath the foam hand and syrup is somebody trying to validate their support whereas in reality it’s far more about walking out of The Valley in our darkest hour with your head held high than ram raiding the club ship on a home game.

 

[William Darby 0]

[quote user="Bury Green"]

[quote user="Tunica Molesta"]Obviously the article is written by some old Socialist[:D]  It''s a typical back in my day argument.  We used to do half a day in the factory,  pile into to pub to get half cut.  Bowl down to the match and not a woman in sight.  Seriously times have changed, yes, pick the bones out of Sky and stupid CEs coughing up ridiculous wages to pampered players.  But why the need to moan about fellow supporters who still turn up while the general trend is, supporting numbers are falling.  Like Nutty said in effect, if you weren''t born back in the day.  WTF can you do about it.[/quote]

You miss the point, on a tube down to Stamford Bridge a few seasons ago I actually had to tell some supposed Chelsea fans about the Dave Beasent incident and the fact they bought Flecky of us. 

Now rest assured these ‘fans’ were more than old enough to remember and of course had the obligatory scarf worn at a  jaunty angle, its just a  crushing indictment of the modern game that they know ---- all about the team they supposedly support and that’s the point of the article in part. 

I wasn’t there for the 1959 cup run either but I can still tell you what the team was without resorting to Wikiwhatsit 

Now this is a slight reworking of another Chelsea inspired classic  

 

Carefree wherever you may be 

We are the nouveau City FC 

So please sit down 

So my wife can see 

I’ve been coming here since 2003

 

[/quote]I''m saying you''re wrong, it''s just an opinion, but many fans generally know their club''s history, a the point of when they first started attending games.  If you read everything and absorb every historical fact that''s cool,  but if a fan don''t, they are still as much as a fan as the next if they pay money and attend.  Personally, imo, every club should be allowed to have a section reverted back to terracing, it''d solve many problems like this.

[. 0]

Sums it all up perfectly for me. Thanks for sharing it.... although it makes depressing reading.

I''m glad I at least know how much fun matchdays were before they buggered it all up.

 

[dreamteam 0]

Agree with the point re executive boxes/corpoprate spectators.

I have been invited to watch from one of the new boxes a few times by business contacts.

Its a surreal experience.

Many of those present plainly had no interest in NCFC or even any football team, its just a jolly with meal and drinks included.

On one occassion , one Guy spent most of his time on the phone in the box, and hardly ventured to watch the game at all.

[Andy Larkin 15]

Having vacated the Upper Barclay after giving up my season ticket, I find myself sitting in the South Stand (in the most part) to watch the games at Carra Rud. Amazed by the number of people that scowl at me and my mates when we lustily join in with OTBC… or give out some stick to the away fans. To me, it is part of going to the match and being a fan… always has and always will be.FFS it is a football stadium not a kindergarten and if l''il Timmy''s ears get offended then I''m afraid it is up to his Dad (or whoever is his guardian at the time) to explain to him (or her) that such goings on occur in football stadia and that is why the ground is a ''''magical place''''. It is where ''grown ups'' go to ''let off steam after a hard week at work'' and children are ''very, very lucky'' to be able to join them in this pursuit.Sadly the new generation of fans have missed out on this birthright and it is up to us more ''advanced'' fans to show them how it should be. Judging by some of the noise from around me in the South Stand actually being heard in some other parts of the ground, I''d say that some of the young ''uns are warming to the task.

[Mr.Carrow 376]

[quote user="Andy Larkin"]Having vacated the Upper Barclay after giving up my season ticket, I find myself sitting in the South Stand (in the most part) to watch the games at Carra Rud.

Amazed by the number of people that scowl at me and my mates when we lustily join in with OTBC… or give out some stick to the away fans.

To me, it is part of going to the match and being a fan… always has and always will be.

FFS it is a football stadium not a kindergarten and if l''il Timmy''s ears get offended then I''m afraid it is up to his Dad (or whoever is his guardian at the time) to explain to him (or her) that such goings on occur in football stadia and that is why the ground is a ''''magical place''''. It is where ''grown ups'' go to ''let off steam after a hard week at work'' and children are ''very, very lucky'' to be able to join them in this pursuit.

Sadly the new generation of fans have missed out on this birthright and it is up to us more ''advanced'' fans to show them how it should be. Judging by some of the noise from around me in the South Stand actually being heard in some other parts of the ground, I''d say that some of the young ''uns are warming to the task.


[/quote]

I tend to be in the South more often than not these days and it can be incredibly frustrating.  One thing i`ll say in their defence though is that me and several of my mates can get a bit loud and sweary in there at times and there`s been no complaints, so fair play.

On colours, it always strikes me that the more colours people wear, the less noise they seem to make......Each to their own though and all that.

[BBFF 0]

When the Smiths took over they decided the restaurant had to be rebuilt in the Barclay. It took longer than scheduled and would not be open it time for the start of the season so they asked the league if we could play the first game of the season away.

That in my mind was the first time the Smiths made it clear that football was not going to be the most important thing at Carrow Rd or the normal every day supporter. The matchday dinner has ruled ever since.

 

FOOTBALL MUST COME FIRST

[Beauseant 0]

I think that for way too many people football support is recreational rather than truly passionate. A clear manifestation of this is the number of people who claim to support several teams. How does that work? I have a soft spot for a few clubs, but nothing could match my passion for City.

Football has become so sanitised since I first stood on the River End terraces that it''s almost unrecognisable as the same game, a trend which, sadly, the likes of Blatter and Platini seem intent on continuing.

[Buncey 1]

It does certainly feel that the atmosphere is different to that of 10 years ago, when we would have 5,000+ seats empty. But today you see far more older fans, women and fathers and their children. Do I think my father would have taken me to see football games in the 80''s? Maybe, but certainly since the mid-late 90''s, with a more family friendly atmosphere and cheaper prices for children we have gathered more families. Probably families that loss track of Norwich because they had children or married, and even though some of those fans now annoy me (probably just like I annoyed fans back then when I didn''t get what Fleck or Milligan had done in the past), but we are seeing the rewards of those scheme. We have an impressively large young fan base despite the Man United-era of football, and that despite the lack of success on the pitch. We boast gates that premiership teams can only dream of and I see that only as a good thing.

[Bury Green 0]

[quote user="Andy Larkin"]Having vacated the Upper Barclay after giving up my season ticket, I find myself sitting in the South Stand (in the most part) to watch the games at Carra Rud.

Amazed by the number of people that scowl at me and my mates when we lustily join in with OTBC… or give out some stick to the away fans.

To me, it is part of going to the match and being a fan… always has and always will be.

FFS it is a football stadium not a kindergarten and if l''il Timmy''s ears get offended then I''m afraid it is up to his Dad (or whoever is his guardian at the time) to explain to him (or her) that such goings on occur in football stadia and that is why the ground is a ''''magical place''''. It is where ''grown ups'' go to ''let off steam after a hard week at work'' and children are ''very, very lucky'' to be able to join them in this pursuit.

Sadly the new generation of fans have missed out on this birthright and it is up to us more ''advanced'' fans to show them how it should be. Judging by some of the noise from around me in the South Stand actually being heard in some other parts of the ground, I''d say that some of the young ''uns are warming to the task.

[/quote]

Ah you have migrated as well, move along a little bit as you’ll have no such problem with my own Congregation! 

Congratulations on actually spelling Timmy’s correctly unlike certain other illiterate cretins who had got themselves all wound up last night ahead of ‘I can’t believe its not Binner’ this weekend.

Points duly noted, engaging with the away was, is and evermore shall be an integral part of the afternoons entertainment and let’s face it if like me you remember watching the running battles in the Barclay as a lad it’s no surprise.

 

[nutty nigel 7,509]

My first game was in 1967 when we played Sheffield Wednesday in the cup. There were 42,000 that day and I went with my neighbour and his dad. I was 10 and had never been before because I had nobody to take me. Most kids that age then only went if their dad''s or older brothers took them. Football wasn''t really the place for mums or nans! But now kids go with their mums or their dads or even nans and grandads.

In the late 60''s even at 11 or 12 years old I would go on my own. I''d get a "half to the Lame Dog" then walk to the ground and meet my mates. But society has changed and kids of that age don''t have the same freedoms now. And even if they did it''s not possible to pay two bob on the gate on the day like we did. Now you need tickets in advance anyway.

I started taking my son when he was five but he would have been a lot older than 10 before he would have been allowed to go without adult supervision. My daughter was older when I took her, probably about 13. Three of my grandchildren have already been, Ryan making his "Barclay debut" at two years old. That would not have been possible in the 70''s and 80''s that''s for sure.

I think most of you on this thread are younger than me and I''d be interested what age you first went and how you first caught the bug. Did you go with family or with mates when you were older? How old would you have had to have been to be "allowed" to go without adult supervision? Maybe it''s not just football that''s been sanitised.

 

[6088m canary 0]

Yep well its all very frustrating isnt it.....Saturday was my first game since Brentford away and the only game ill get since only back in UK one week. No longer possible to get down block D of Lower Barclay but ended up in the Jarrold.  Family area yes, good atmosphre,no. Interest in the goings on? Not really, no!From mums telling their kids "ahhh that little hoolahan looks like hes 12!" (never mind the fact he was the best player on the pitch) to groups of people pissing about on their phones or taking photos to put on facebook.  Of course, once it hit 41 mins everyone ran inside to get to the toilet or get a sausage roll or whatever the hell they sell in there!!?!? Now i for one truly believe there is a difference between a fan and a supporter. A fan is what that article referred to as a consumer....someone who turns up week in week out perhaps, but someone who supports the club financially and shows no real passion. A sheep if you will to those such as Cluck or Smudge etc etc....A supporter does just that. SUPPORTS! There is nothing wrong with standing or making noise.  I wish the authorities would seriously look into terracing and finally give parts of our stadia back to the people that make the game special. Without the atmosphere or banter we may as well go and watch the rugby?!And before people get on their hiugh horses about not having to sing to be a supporter.....i shall give this last example of the weekend game.....84mins. Cruising and the game won (tho if Exeter had a decent strike force it would have been a lot closer!) half of the Jarrold decides it is time to run for their cars.Now i personally find that absolutely disgusting. If these people are supporters or have any passiomn whatsoever they would stand after the final whistle and applaud all eleven City players off the field.  The whole side deserved to be applauded from the field of play and for half the stadium to turn thir backs and not even show their appreciation to the team is mind boggling.As always, respect to all our hardcore that make their way hundreds of miles every year to support our side. Respect to all those that go when they can (finances are of course tough for many a fan).  Respect to anybody that either gets behind the side or can have thir weekend ruined solely by the results from a saturday afternoon.  To all those people that call themselves fans and can walk out before a game is over or not show any form of appreciation to the two sides, the two sets of supporters or anything to do with the game they supposedly just watched then there is always hockey or rugby to watch in silence.I would love to see how man of our 25000sell outs are actually die hard city.  We used to get what 14000? And of those im sure under 50% would regularly hit a few away games a season or make a lot of noise.  Wouldnt it be wonderful if we could set up an Ultras group like they have in italy (no, not a hooligan group). Obviously a radio station like Milan have is a bit far fetched but a decent fanzine, flag, flare or two wouldnt go amiss.....

[. 0]

[quote user="6088m canary"]Yep well its all very frustrating isnt it.....
Saturday was my first game since Brentford away and the only game ill get since only back in UK one week.
 No longer possible to get down block D of Lower Barclay but ended up in the Jarrold. 
Family area yes, good atmosphre,no.
 Interest in the goings on? Not really, no!
From mums telling their kids "ahhh that little hoolahan looks like hes 12!" (never mind the fact he was the best player on the pitch) to groups of people pissing about on their phones or taking photos to put on facebook.  Of course, once it hit 41 mins everyone ran inside to get to the toilet or get a sausage roll or whatever the hell they sell in there!!?!?

Now i for one truly believe there is a difference between a fan and a supporter. A fan is what that article referred to as a consumer....someone who turns up week in week out perhaps, but someone who supports the club financially and shows no real passion. A sheep if you will to those such as Cluck or Smudge etc etc....
A supporter does just that. SUPPORTS! There is nothing wrong with standing or making noise.  I wish the authorities would seriously look into terracing and finally give parts of our stadia back to the people that make the game special. Without the atmosphere or banter we may as well go and watch the rugby?!

And before people get on their hiugh horses about not having to sing to be a supporter.....i shall give this last example of the weekend game.....
84mins. Cruising and the game won (tho if Exeter had a decent strike force it would have been a lot closer!) half of the Jarrold decides it is time to run for their cars.
Now i personally find that absolutely disgusting. If these people are supporters or have any passiomn whatsoever they would stand after the final whistle and applaud all eleven City players off the field.  The whole side deserved to be applauded from the field of play and for half the stadium to turn thir backs and not even show their appreciation to the team is mind boggling.
As always, respect to all our hardcore that make their way hundreds of miles every year to support our side. Respect to all those that go when they can (finances are of course tough for many a fan).  Respect to anybody that either gets behind the side or can have thir weekend ruined solely by the results from a saturday afternoon. 
To all those people that call themselves fans and can walk out before a game is over or not show any form of appreciation to the two sides, the two sets of supporters or anything to do with the game they supposedly just watched then there is always hockey or rugby to watch in silence.

I would love to see how man of our 25000sell outs are actually die hard city.  We used to get what 14000? And of those im sure under 50% would regularly hit a few away games a season or make a lot of noise.  Wouldnt it be wonderful if we could set up an Ultras group like they have in italy (no, not a hooligan group). Obviously a radio station like Milan have is a bit far fetched but a decent fanzine, flag, flare or two wouldnt go amiss.....


[/quote]

I enjoyed that......

Sheep you clearly are not.

 

[nutty nigel 7,509]

So I''m beginning to wonder how many of those 42,000 fans from my first game were die hard City fans. Probably the 16,000 hard core we had left in the late 80''s and early 90''s. And those 16,000 regularly left early in equally large numbers as the fans do now. And the youngsters had to be taken to games by adults back then too.

I guess the difference now is the amount of season tickets which make it difficult for casual fans to get tickets in the areas where they would fit in. So fans like 6088m find themselves sat in the same area as little Timmy who has been crazing his parents to take him. Whereas when I didn''t have a season ticket I could always get in the Barclay which suited me.

I don''t know if there''s an answer to this. Maybe keeping a block in each stand purely for casual ticket sales? Maybe even with unreserved seating? Would that work or be fair?

I don''t think fans have changed that much in the 43 years I''ve been going. The kids still have to start somewhere togged up in their scarves and woolly hats. As they get older they become more vocal, especially after they shake off the adult supervision and become independent. The family man calms down and then introduces his own kids. And us old folk still need a blanket and thermos flask and a good moan. Like I say, because of the seating and ticketing maybe we are all mixed up now.

 

 

[6088m canary 0]

think thats a very fair point from Nutty.There should of course be room for any fan that doesnt want to make noise.  Also, a family enclosure where swearing or severely abusive remarks should be banned.However, there should be a large area where supporters are allowed to build an atmosphere. having been in the Lower Barclay throughout the Rioch and Hamilton years (yep, great era to be based in Norwich that was) i could alwyas get a decent seat somewhere. The ticketing issue is a bit of a problem now though....having enviously looked over to the lower barclay from various other viewpoints within carrow rd over the past 5 years there seems to be huge huge parts of the lower barclay that make as much noise as the River end. Quite why they wanted a seat (not much chance of that in block D?!?!) in an area of the ground where the hardcore fans congregate is beyond me. A gaping gap resulting in that ridiculous were the snake pit/were the barclay posturing. wouldnt it be lovely if the whole bloody end made some noise?!?!?Flat cap wearers in the city stand. Grown up men from lower barclay move up to the upper and join in when they are fired up. Casual/family fans in Jarrold.And those that wish to create an atmosphere from snake pit all the way down to block e lower barclay.Unreserved or open terrace would help that immensely but people from our clubs and stadia need to get up and do something about reintroducing safe standing areas.To the bloke with the punk haircut who was throwing snowballs down the hill to the ground and who joined in with the exeter fans immense celebrations when they won a throw in.......keep it up :)[even the mums in the jarrold enjoyed your show :P]