[Football] Falling out of love...

[southstandandy]

Maybe it's just us fans 'of a certain generation' who are feeling it.

Saying that I we went down to watch Newhaven at the weekend. Entertaining 2-2 draw, great laugh, couple of pints and some chips, and when a goal is scored its just a goal. No f**king about for 5 minutes afterwards.

So maybe it's the Premier League I am growing tired of.

Exactly the same for me too. The VAR stuff is killing football for me and I now never watch any other games on Sky other than our own for entirely this reason.

For me the saving grace has been my new found love of the County football scene. Have been going to several Shoreham games this season and really enjoyed the experience. Players playing for the love of the game (not for the money), being able to stand and support my real local side, cheering a goal and not waiting for a couple of minutes to find out if it will stand, the reduced cost of a fiver for entry, and the beauty of being able to walk home after the game (usually via a pub).

Sadly for me, however much I will continue to follow the Albion, I genuinely feel this will be my last season as a ST holder (which I've had for 35 of the last 37 seasons).Not all technological advancements are positive and VAR and it's effects of killing the spontaniety of celebrating a goal for me has been the final nail in the coffin.

 

[Vankleek Hill Seagull]

I was expecting a synopsis of [MENTION=2647]gripper stebson[/MENTION]'s new romantic comedy. Now I'm gutted.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Inevitable thread for today, sadly.

Last night would have been fun enough if we'd won. But, as the saying goes, "if" is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. How many league games have we won since December two years ago?

 

[Dave the OAP]

I have been like this for a few years now.

I will think very carefully about renewing. Most of you who know me knows the sort of fan I was, home and away for many years from the goldstone, gillingham, withdean and falmer. I am really struggling to justify renewing my season ticket from the end of this year. I am not convinced that we will get back to full houses for a few years yet and the dictat from the club suggesting that you would only be allowed back in your seat once full houses could be made. That means, my main reason for going these last few years, since losing Tony( woodingdean seagull) of meeting up with people around for a chat, cup of tea and a bit of banter has gone.

After the half time whistle yesterday, we turned over and started watching the poor souls in the Hospital on BBC. I only switched back over to the football as my mrs fell asleep ( as people of our age tend to do with a glass of wine, and a warm fire and light of Christmas decs) and watched till the end.

I do prefer playing golf now and missed a few home games when TV moved them and clashed with games I had at the GC.

So in answer to the OP, no, you are not alone and I have probably seen my last game at home in Feb this year.

 

[zefarelly]

I'm with you Gripper

I slipped away 2005/6, let my ST go, just kept an eye out and watched odd games on TV, got back into it about 2010 . . . but only occaisionally go to games. I just can't be bothered and don't actually enjoy it as much as I used to.

No terracing, a ball ache to get to stadium don't help . . . . The PL is a double edged sword, VAR has killed it further IMO. I've been more tempted by non league . . . . but happy enough just watching a few games on TV. Last night seriously made me consider if it was a waste of time watching, may as well just wait for the result watch the low lights and do something useful instead.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Really good thread

When we conceded ‘that’ penalty last night I wasn’t shocked, angry or frustrated. I would have been livid last season. It’s just last night I was always expecting it. Every game we have is over shadowed by controversy. It’s like a pantomime I don’t want to watch. I grew out of watching American wrestling but now each match feels like it has an outside influence that can ruin the natural flow of the game.

The biggest concern for me is that I really don’t see my view changing. So it’s all very sad.

I was at the ground and a ssoon as the review went over the 1 minute mark, I knew i was going to be given.
Went for a slash while they deliberated and was back in my seat for kick off.

There are too many penalties being given,
We've benefitted and lost out because of it.

The authorities need to rewrite the rules to allow for the technology.

 

[gripper stebson]

* another little VAR sidenote. The deliberation for the pen took 4 minutes last night.

Added time was 4 minutes in a half that also included a goal and five subs.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

While it's sad reading this thread, it's reassuring in a way that so many other people are feeling it.

Even the great results at Villa and v Liverpool didn't give much of the normal euphoria winning a game.

Hoping for a resurgence next season post-vaccine but hard to imagine it if VAR continues to rip apart the game.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Pavilionaire]

I am losing my passion for the game. This has been caused by two things:

1. Players cheating.
2. VAR.

Now we have a situation where we're in a vicious circle where VAR leads to more cheating which leads to more VAR, and all this while the commentators look on and 'normalise' the cheating by constantly reminding us if you don't go down you won't get a penalty. The lunatics have taken over the asylum.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Feel exactly the same this morning.
If you had have told me 15 years ago where we would be today and showed me a picture of the stadium we would be playing in I would have died of excitement but here I am totally deflated with it.

I've just read that Jonathan Moss is on VAR for the Leicester game. We all know now what will happen.

 

[Nobby]

I gave up my season ticket in March before lockdown

It was a huge decision for me, as football and the Albion have been a big part of my life for over 55 years

When not renewing, you are asked why not.

I wrote down VAR - it had ruined my enjoyment of watching my team play live.

There are a number of other reasons which may have pushed me into making the decision to quit, but none of them would have ultimately led me to relinquish my ST

I think that VAR was just the final straw that got me realising that us fans don’t really matter.

Us fans who go week in, week out, home and away, spending shed loads of our hard earned cash matter not a jot to the Premier League. In some ways we’re a bit of an embarrassment with our chants and our hand signals and our enthusiasm.

TV revenue is king, so VAR it is, stuff you Mr Supporter, you’re not important to us.

And in amongst all that, my own club has joined the elite. Utterly fantastic and what a couple of seasons we went through to get here.
But now we’re here its all become a bit meh and I’ve realised that the club doesn’t really give a jot about me personally, it’s all a bit corporate and nice.

Albion in the Community is an incredible spin off of all of this - one beacon in amongst the billions

But after all is said and done, football from a fans point of view is all about that one moment - as you see your striker smash one in from 25 yards - that moment of silence as the ball is in the air and the swish as it hits the net in front of you - Ecstasy. Quick look at the linesman - goal!!!

Not any more, no point getting excited, there’s a chance it might just be disallowed for a reason no one has a clue about
All because the Top clubs want just that bit of extra revenue as they know they will benefit in the long run

I’ll be back at the Amex to see mates at some stage, but the football will be incidental probably - unfortunately

Anyway, sorry about the monologue- Up the Albion

 

[Hamilton]

The way Sky Walker-Peters took off after gently brushing against Solly near the penalty area was truly something to behold. The absolute ridiculousness of his action double downed with Mr Magoo’ s decision at Bletchley Park (headquarters of the evil V.A.R) or wherever the secret lair happens to be just about finished me off (and not in a good way) last night.

I think the word is “incredulous”.

Anyway Sheffield United next week.

It was hilarious wasn't it. It was like Walker Peters was trying to score a touchdown.

What riles me is not VAR, but the idiotic rules and the God-like attitude of poor officiating in the VAR studio and on the pitch. They should mic the refs up so that everyone can hear what they are saying to one another and ultimately, it's the ref on the pitch that should decide based upon what they see and not what someone is telling them from Heathrow. It's a Video Assistant Referee, the clue is in the name.

 

[Wellesley]

Jeeeeesus! What a load of miserable old fockers on here. Unfortunately though, I feel exactly the same. I'm in prime position for a Sheffield United ticket and will be going I'm sure, but that's more for not letting down the people I go with that are as keen as ever to attend. I'll see how I feel but I'm starting to wonder if it's worth the outlay to line the pockets of hugely overpaid players anymore. I've been attending for 46 years so it would feel weird not being there and I probably wouldn't last long, but for the first time I'm seriously questioning it.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Maybe it's just us fans 'of a certain generation' who are feeling it.

Saying that I we went down to watch Newhaven at the weekend. Entertaining 2-2 draw, great laugh, couple of pints and some chips, and when a goal is scored its just a goal. No f**king about for 5 minutes afterwards.

So maybe it's the Premier League I am growing tired of.

I love watching Jnr Bobkin's games - more entertaining than a lot of PL stuff. It was great to be back on the sidelines again at the weekend – and I was so chuffed for them to be back playing as they'd clearly missed it.

No VAR or contentious decisions in sight either – well, not too many

 

[lost in london]

Good points made above and I share a lot of them, but don't forget this is the morning after the night before.

If we had tucked away our chances VAR would have been a side note and we'd have all been looking onwards upwards.

I know from how I felt after the Man U game that I'm still in this for the long haul despite the utter shambles that is VAR.

 

[zefarelly]

Jeeeeesus! What a load of miserable old fockers on here. Unfortunately though, I feel exactly the same.

The thing is, I'm not miserable about it, old focker maybe! just seems like more hassle than its worth and to end up feeling crap, pissed off, angry, incredulous, bemused, or all 5 is just not worth it.

we've watched plenty of crap football, thats not the problem, its the fact the whole landscape has changed, and for the worse.

 

[elwheelio]

Agree with a lot of the sentiment here. It's a death by a thousand cuts for me. So many things about the game that I don't like now. Having said that, I took the kids to the park on Sunday and watched half of a Sunday league match from the sidelines. I really enjoyed it. It was fun (and funny) but it was people enjoying their football and I can genuinely say I enjoyed it more than pretty much any Albion performance I've seen in ages.

 

[Wellesley]

The thing is, I'm not miserable about it, old focker maybe! just seems like more hassle than its worth and to end up feeling crap, pissed off, angry, incredulous, bemused, or all 5 is just not worth it.

we've watched plenty of crap football, thats not the problem, its the fact the whole landscape has changed, and for the worse.

I agree. Maybe you are a 'Leaver' after all.

 

[JBizzle]

I know what you mean. Once the penalty was given, I just turned ot off and played on the Xbox for a bit. I've been more frustrated today to be honest.

The weird thing about VAR isn't that I don't celebrate goals, it's that I don't expect anything to go the way I think it should. The Spurs game was the perfect example, once the foul on Lallana was reviewed, I fully expected a free kick. Then a pen was given and I just couldn't perform the logic gymnastics needed to engineer that result. Similarly, I fully expected Solly's foul in the build up to our goal to be given so when it wasn't (the wrong call IMO), I was just a bit "Meh".

In general, I'm supportive of VAR, but my issue is that I just cannot understand the decisions being given by those implementing it. So many decisions are literally baffling - that's what is killing it for me. Giving a penalty because there was a foul and the ref missed it was the dream, giving a pen because a player was fouled out of the box and fell into the box (Kane/KWP) wasn't what I expected

 

[Wellesley]

It's just as well this forum isn't about football most of the time!