Why Football Has Gone Down The Drain

[baldbloke]

I am almost certain that this season will be the last year I retain my season ticket. I will either rent it out or possibly share it with someone else next year. Please don't bother to make me offers, because I have a waiting list of people already who want to rent it. I thought I would tell you why, and then wait for your insults to come rolling in. I am going to try and put them in order (1 being the most severe reason) but this may be hard.

1) Kick off times. Football was always meant to be 3pm on a Saturday. I can tolerate 4pm Sundays and 5.30 Saturdays, but I can not tell you how much I hate lunch time kick off's. Evening games are also very difficult for me, as I have a 120 mile round trip and have to get up at 5am for work. The F.A are almost certainly going to announce a mid winter break soon, which in turn will mean that 3 or 4 games will then be played mid week when the FA cup replays would have been scheduled.

2) The sterilization of stadiums. No standing, no drinking in view of the pitch, no racism, no sexism, no homophobia, no offensive songs about the oppositions players or manager, and in the case of the MK Don's, the stadium is now a no swearing zone. Football stadiums are being turned into cinemas.  Football used to be a place where working class men went to watch working class men's sons play football. Women and kids were always welcome, but they knew the rules, and didn't complain about the men's behavior. Society and the F.A are now trying to make them into family friendly places, where middle class families can go and have a jolly good day out, rather than to go to the zoo.

3) My hatred of footballers. They are over paid hair dressers that wouldn't p155 on the average supporter if he was on fire. I remember taking my son to a signing. There were 6 players and only one made eye contact with my boy. They are spoiled and  ignorant and have no idea how lucky they are. They have so much time on their hands, they find is necessary to make a big thing about another player or indeed referee calling them a name. In the average work place you can call another bloke what you want, and in 5 seconds it is all forgotten about. In the football world, you dare use the word black in the wrong context and players are in risk of losing their career. The so called men I pay to go and watch have turned into a bunch of wimps.

4) The money. In the last 14 years my season ticket has more than doubled, whilst my wages have risen by about 15%. Train fairs have doubled and fuel has about trebled. It's starting to become a sport for the rich, and the atmosphere in the stadium confirms this.

5) The management. I am fully aware that there are many supporters that may disagree with this statement. I despise Levy and think AVB has no idea what he is doing. Our chairman's only concern is making money. We have been so close to real success in the last few years it has been unbelievable, however levy wouldn't spend that extra 20/30 million pound we needed. Instead he has been intent on making money from the transfer market, which he does done very well may I add. He even tried to move us to East London, and would still do so given the chance. I don't dislike AVB, he just reminds me of a rabbit stuck in the headlights of car without a clue what to do next. Fortunately he has been very lucky up to now, but it won't last, BELIEVE ME !!

The supporter has become very much a second class citizen, and the clubs and authorities refuse to give them a seconds thought. The last few seasons for me have become more about meeting up with my friends and having a beer, rather than the football. Now I don't like the style of football AVB has Spurs playing, the balance of my dedication is withering. I know I have a reputation of being a little negative at times on various forums, but surely most of you can see what I am saying has a lot of truth behind it

Your comments please !!

[Metalanimal]

Why not become a supporter of Ice Hockey....... THFC and others, I doubt would miss you.

To be fair you have some valid points much of which are to do with changing times, look at many aspects of day to day life and it has changed hugely in the last 10 years becoming more PC, fluffy and of course we are in the age of suing.

Many of your points to do with the stadium atmosphere are a reflection on the direction that society has moved in, give it a few years and we will be like the future depicted in demolition man lol.

As for match kick of times well this is something which is dictated by the business of football and TV deals, again nothing you or I can do about it, many people ready and willing to take your spot as a season ticket holder who actually love the club too!

Footballers yes they do get paid way way too much and at their age of course it will change them!  Its all down to us though if we didnt follow and support teams there would not be the revenue streams to pay daft wages.

I cant be arsed to comment on the levy hate section as I remember the Alan Sugar days and compared to that and with todays mega rich clubs we do ok!

[Glenn R]

I am almost certain that this season will be the last year I retain my season ticket. I will either rent it out or possibly share it with someone else next year. Please don't bother to make me offers, because I have a waiting list of people already who want to rent it. I thought I would tell you why, and then wait for your insults to come rolling in. I am going to try and put them in order (1 being the most severe reason) but this may be hard.

1) Kick off times. Football was always meant to be 3pm on a Saturday. I can tolerate 4pm Sundays and 5.30 Saturdays, but I can not tell you how much I hate lunch time kick off's. Evening games are also very difficult for me, as I have a 120 mile round trip and have to get up at 5am for work. The F.A are almost certainly going to announce a mid winter break soon, which in turn will mean that 3 or 4 games will then be played mid week when the FA cup replays would have been scheduled.

2) The sterilization of stadiums. No standing, no drinking in view of the pitch, no racism, no sexism, no homophobia, no offensive songs about the oppositions players or manager, and in the case of the MK Don's, the stadium is now a no swearing zone. Football stadiums are being turned into cinemas.  Football used to be a place where working class men went to watch working class men's sons play football. Women and kids were always welcome, but they knew the rules, and didn't complain about the men's behavior. Society and the F.A are now trying to make them into family friendly places, where middle class families can go and have a jolly good day out, rather than to go to the zoo.

3) My hatred of footballers. They are over paid hair dressers that wouldn't p155 on the average supporter if he was on fire. I remember taking my son to a signing. There were 6 players and only one made eye contact with my boy. They are spoiled and  ignorant and have no idea how lucky they are. They have so much time on their hands, they find is necessary to make a big thing about another player or indeed referee calling them a name. In the average work place you can call another bloke what you want, and in 5 seconds it is all forgotten about. In the football world, you dare use the word black in the wrong context and players are in risk of losing their career. The so called men I pay to go and watch have turned into a bunch of wimps.

4) The money. In the last 14 years my season ticket has more than doubled, whilst my wages have risen by about 15%. Train fairs have doubled and fuel has about trebled. It's starting to become a sport for the rich, and the atmosphere in the stadium confirms this.

5) The management. I am fully aware that there are many supporters that may disagree with this statement. I despise Levy and think AVB has no idea what he is doing. Our chairman's only concern is making money. We have been so close to real success in the last few years it has been unbelievable, however levy wouldn't spend that extra 20/30 million pound we needed. Instead he has been intent on making money from the transfer market, which he does done very well may I add. He even tried to move us to East London, and would still do so given the chance. I don't dislike AVB, he just reminds me of a rabbit stuck in the headlights of car without a clue what to do next. Fortunately he has been very lucky up to now, but it won't last, BELIEVE ME !!

The supporter has become very much a second class citizen, and the clubs and authorities refuse to give them a seconds thought. The last few seasons for me have become more about meeting up with my friends and having a beer, rather than the football. Now I don't like the style of football AVB has Spurs playing, the balance of my dedication is withering. I know I have a reputation of being a little negative at times on various forums, but surely most of you can see what I am saying has a lot of truth behind it

Your comments please !!

Reading what you wrote I would imagine  you are an old timer. You do make good points but football has changed and we ain't going back. I am interested in Spurs history but I don't want to go back to those days.

[Yiddite]

Found myself agreeing with a lot of this post but then I got to point 5).
Then the hate Levy campaign started in yet another thread.

[DC76]

Why not become a supporter of Ice Hockey....... THFC and others, I doubt would miss you.

Just as long as he doesn't start supporting the Vancouver Canucks. 

In seriousness, I agree wholly with 1, 3, and 4, and partially with 2. I think there's a line to be drawn, though. Taking the piss based on someone's proven actions is perfectly fine. I would heckle Sol Campbell up the ying-yang for being Judas scum, Milan Baroš would get it with both barrels from me for being a diving motormouth with 'tude issues, and so forth. I don't, however, approve of racism, sexism, or homophobia. I figure the players give the fans enough ammo just by how they act, unless they're a true class act like Ledley King. Hell, you could take the piss out of them just based on what was said in #3.   (Take Cristiano Ronaldo, "oh, the fans whistle me because I'm rich, good-looking, and talented" - uhh, that might be true, but you're also arrogant, greedy, narcissistic, a cheat, and completely deprived of even a picogram of humility. Gimp. )