I no longer like football

[Stat Brother]

Admittedly I did come to this conclusion whilst tending to my epileptic dog, at 2am, today. But nevertheless, I think it still stands.

I love The Albion, because I just do, all ways will do, it's part of me. (like the rest of us).
I'm there for competitive England, I guess that's just an extention of BHA, but that is it.

I don't watch MoTD, et al, follow 'newspaper' football, or sadly go to Withdean. Time, money, and family commitments stop me going away.
When asked about Villa I half heartedly mumbled 'well if it's moved to the Sunday...'. Which I was quite shocked about.

I bet 95% of my football posts here, are droning on about how sh*te the premiership is, money this, far removed that.

I'm stuck in my own heyday, 80/90's, hence enjoying Danny Baker, Ramble etc.

I guess I'm just hoping Falmer, my son will be 7, will 'save me'.

Please tell me I'm not alone.

 

[Beach Hut]

I like the Albion and home and away games but can rarely be bothered to watch any games on the TV.

Also I think watching the Albion live plus one of either Junior or Mini in their games every weekend means any football on the TV is just boring except possibly England games.

I also only watch the BHAFC highlights on the web.

 

[dougdeep]

I'm at an all time low as well. Hopefully a change in our form or progress at the stadium will buck me up a bit.

 

[Cheeky Chappie]

Started going in 1976, and I was a season ticket holder for several years, but due to work commitments I don't go as I often as I used to.
Have to say that it's not as much fun as it used to be. Perhaps it's my age!
Can't abide most of the crap that's written in the papers and the fact that MotD and others think that football started in 1992.
I'll always support the Albion and get along to a good few games but it's not the same. The Villa will be a good day out, but they're not bothered about the FA Cup which does take the edge off the game.

 

[Uncle C]

Started going in 1976, and I was a season ticket holder for several years, but due to work commitments I don't go as I often as I used to.
Have to say that it's not as much fun as it used to be. Perhaps it's my age!
Can't abide most of the crap that's written in the papers and the fact that MotD and others think that football started in 1992.
I'll always support the Albion and get along to a good few games but it's not the same. The Villa will be a good day out, but they're not bothered about the FA Cup which does take the edge off the game.

I would just say I've gone off the over-paid prima donnas in the premiership and that fat self opinionated Andy Gray.

 

[Stat Brother]

Well I'm strangely finding this all very comforting.

I think it's the premiership that has killed it off for me, I just see so many examples of lies lies and more lies.

The latest, I couldn't even be bothered to moan about here, being the 50 yard goal.

Banner headline in The Sunday Times '1 in a million'.
Which it obviously wasn't as the other fella did it to. grrrr.

 

[algie]

Admittedly I did come to this conclusion whilst tending to my epileptic dog, at 2am, today. But nevertheless, I think it still stands.

I love The Albion, because I just do, all ways will do, it's part of me. (like the rest of us).
I'm there for competitive England, I guess that's just an extention of BHA, but that is it.

I don't watch MoTD, et al, follow 'newspaper' football, or sadly go to Withdean. Time, money, and family commitments stop me going away.
When asked about Villa I half heartedly mumbled 'well if it's moved to the Sunday...'. Which I was quite shocked about.

I bet 95% of my football posts here, are droning on about how sh*te the premiership is, money this, far removed that.

I'm stuck in my own heyday, 80/90's, hence enjoying Danny Baker, Ramble etc.

I guess I'm just hoping Falmer, my son will be 7, will 'save me'.

Please tell me I'm not alone.

I know what you are saying pal.I hardly ever go now and when i do get the option of going i simply don't.Alot of it is the shit we have seen year after year and Withdean.I hate how much it costs as well.Now i just tune into the radio and do other things on saturdays.I'm just hoping Falmer and a decent level of football will ignite the fire again.the flame is there but it's been burning low for a while.
I'm happy to listen to the Villa game on the radio and never even planned to go.Doubt i will go again this season either unless we need a win or something on the last day to stay up.

 

[Cheeky Chappie]

Have swapped notes with fans from other clubs over the last year or so. They said that they thought along the same lines too.
Is everyone over the age of 40 just going to games out of habit!?

 

[Notters]

Barely a day goes by without me feeling pissed off about the lack of terraces, that's the crux of the problem for me. I know people older than me, including my dad, met many friends on the terraces at the Goldstone and that just can't happen at the withdean. I think I'm probably at the worst age for this terrace-sickness as I experienced the Goldstone as a kid but not, unfortunately, as an adult. Have dug out by "Football Ground Guide" from 1992, one of the last seasons with all grounds having terraces... How times have changed.

I am looking forward to Falmer, I really hope enjoyment of home matches will return, because at withdean it's been limited to the odd exceptional game such as the 4-1 win over Wolves and the obvious Swindon and Cheaterfraud games.

 

[algie]

Just to add another personnel thing as well.Football died when terrarcing vanished.I don't get a buzz no more and doubt i ever will.People will only understand this if they experienced years of standing in the northstand at the Goldtone ground.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I think it is a direct correlation between amount of games seen, and the enjoyment you can get from reading reports and looking at highlights. I have seen one game since the loss of Slade, which we lost in a depressing manner. I too am not exactly in love with football at the moment either, but the only way to recover is to actually watch it, and in this case the Albion.

 

[wellquickwoody]

Admittedly I did come to this conclusion whilst tending to my epileptic dog, at 2am, today. But nevertheless, I think it still stands.

I love The Albion, because I just do, all ways will do, it's part of me. (like the rest of us).
I'm there for competitive England, I guess that's just an extention of BHA, but that is it.

I don't watch MoTD, et al, follow 'newspaper' football, or sadly go to Withdean. Time, money, and family commitments stop me going away.
When asked about Villa I half heartedly mumbled 'well if it's moved to the Sunday...'. Which I was quite shocked about.

I bet 95% of my football posts here, are droning on about how sh*te the premiership is, money this, far removed that.

I'm stuck in my own heyday, 80/90's, hence enjoying Danny Baker, Ramble etc.

I guess I'm just hoping Falmer, my son will be 7, will 'save me'.

Please tell me I'm not alone.

Not quite, but......

The first point is age..... We all get a little less excited by life as time goes by.

Maybe you remember your first ever shag, maybe a munter, but now it needs Angelina Jolie or Aleisha Dixon to even start the mental juices flowing.

Or you went to the semi-final at Highbury? Now it just fades into the past.

Plus Withdean itself is shit. I know that we need to grateful etc. but it is crap. Then you add on the boredom that has come with the sanitisation of football, seating, less trouble, less swearing and it really doesn't get the adrenaline flowing anymore does it?

I don't hate football, but I get my kicks on away days. These involve a 'good boys day out', drinking, singing and gawping at totty etc., but as the march of time advances I'm sure even this won't be the draw it once was.

I am dreaming that Falmer will change all this, but I think I may be disappointed.

But I will always, always hate Palace.

 

[Jamie]

Just to add another personnel thing as well.Football died when terrarcing vanished.I don't get a buzz no more and doubt i ever will.People will only understand this if they experienced years of standing in the northstand at the Goldtone ground.

totally agree. Its weird why football clubs are determined to not listen to its customers and fail to give terracing which was one of the best things about their product. Soshort sighted to try and tel a customer what they want istead of asking the customer and then delivering it.

 

[NMH]

For all our chortling about the Sweaty Socks and how their Premier League is 3rd Division - the English league and England team are not actually as great as we like to believe they are. Thrilling football with top stars who could slalom through defences and score brilliant goals are no longer - they get stifled or the talent trained out of them.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Have swapped notes with fans from other clubs over the last year or so. They said that they thought along the same lines too.
Is everyone over the age of 40 just going to games out of habit!?

I think that is a very good point. Footy on TV has killed the Golden Goose as far as I am concerned.

When i were a Lad, the only live football on TV was the FA Cup final and the European Cup Final. weekly it was Sportsnight with Coleman and match of the day on saturday and Big match Sunday. that was basically it.

for people to see live games, it was going to watch a match or nothing at all..nowadays you even get Blue Square stuff live on telly...its pure overkill.

What really does worry me is the way big clubs dont give a toss these days about cup games ( even celebrating getting in teh Europa Cup and then sending out 10 year olds to play in it!) We even have clubs putting out crap reserve sides against the top sides ( Wolves v manu) as they have a relegation battle the next week......so what is the point?

I do agree that it is a habit.

A few years ago, I wouldnt have thought twice about going to villa instead of singing in a concert, now after initial thoughts, I realise that watching football is not on my list of priorities.

its a shame that it has come to this after 35 years

 

[Brovion]

I find myself agreeing with almost every single word of every single post on this thread. Certainly agree about terracing and the TV overkill. Terracing especially, I HATE sitting in the open air on a plastic chair.

My other gripe is the price. In the old days I never minded about the price - mind you I was only paying for myself. If the game was shit, well it was still a laugh (especially if it was an away game) and it was something to do. Now if it's shit and I've bought four adult tickets I'm thinking: "What an utter and total waste of money that was."

Still love the Albion though and I can't wait for Falmer. Hopefully the younger offspring will be paying for themselves by then - or the ALbion will acknowledge that families aren't just Dad and a couple of young kids.

 

[Brownstuff]

Football was much more fun when Cantona was about

 

[SICKASAGULL]

When the Albion were allowed to drop into Div1 it drove me to Sky, that plus M.O.D. gave me great satisfaction,that has been spoilt to a degree by the referees ignoring the all in wrestling that goes on at corners and free kicks,if they started handing out cards it could be stamped out in weeks. Holding players,taking a grip on their shirts and throwing them to the ground goes unpunished,why has this been allowed?

 

[just in fashion new]

I see what your saying Stat Brother, but I went through the same thing in the 90s (the 1990s, I'm not a centurion !!) I really lost my appetite for football. I regained it the last couple of years we played at Gillingham & havent stopped going since. Although Withdean is utter crap, I still love the crack with my mates on a match day. Away games are special too. I hardly watched or went to a game for 10 years, so hang in there, you never know.....

 

[kingcole]

Totally agree......... As a kid from the late 80's I bearly missed a game - my big day out was the play off final v Notts County. Then for some reason in about 95 I stopped going and started meeting my old man every week in London to watch the Arsenal.

But after a few years watching them suddenly didnt wanna make plans 3 months in advance and spend £100 on a day out, and then in 2000 my 1st lad arrived.

Last year at his school Liam Dickingson came and took a few footy lessons and one day brought 100 or so tickets for the family enclosure for the Hartlepool game.

We went, cudnt beleive I hadnt been for so long, both became hooked and not missed a home game since and only missed 3 away games!

Cant wait for Villa, hate Withdean but am grateful we had it and cant wait for Falmer. Pretty sure we will become STH next year.

The premiership is just .... well I dunno, but I also dont watch MOTD and only now glance to see how Arsenal have done. The real battle is here in the lower leagues.

In 2011 one of our dreams will come true and Im well excited about BHA again!

Having the little one in tow does help.

Really would like terraces back - I know it was the Hillsborough disaster that meant the changes were inevitable, but as in many cases now the reaction was overkill.

Cant see the harm in a small terraced area behind each goal - maybe just 1500-2000? Would restore the atmosphere, give fans what they want and increase the capacity.....