[Albion] My Footballing World, I’m Missing It

[el punal]

All geared up ready for the Arsenal game at the Amex on Saturday 14th March, then wallop, the Coronavirus strikes big time and lockdown starts. Five months have gone by and in normal circumstances the new season would have started, and of course it won’t until the 12th September and again behind closed doors. There is a possibility that some fans may be able to attend matches in October but with severe restrictions in place.

Would I want to go under those conditions? The answer is no. My footballing world is going on the train with Albion friends drinking a few tinnies, getting to Brighton straight into the pub(s), enjoying the banter and discussion, chatting with decent away fans, joining the queue for the train to the Amex and finally arriving at our wonderful stadium. Up to the West Upper concourse seeing the same, old familiar faces, then sitting in the same seat since our first season in 2011/12 surrounded by the same duffers that have also been there from the start!

Watching the game, always hoping for a win or a draw if we’re losing in the last minutes. The match is over, with a celebratory three points or one, or sometimes sod all. No matter, a few more beers, train home discussing the relevant aspects of the game with other friends and fans and eventually arriving home knackered, a bit pissed, and elated or disappointed dependant on the result. Then, ready to do it all over again.

THAT is my footballing world, and please, I want it back soon.

 

[zefarelly]

I think that sums it up for a lot of us . . . WHilst not an ST man any more I still do similar when I can go, or even a similar ritual watching at home on the TV

 

[blue-shifted]

All geared up ready for the Arsenal game at the Amex on Saturday 14th March, then wallop, the Coronavirus strikes big time and lockdown starts. Five months have gone by and in normal circumstances the new season would have started, and of course it won’t until the 12th September and again behind closed doors. There is a possibility that some fans may be able to attend matches in October but with severe restrictions in place.

Would I want to go under those conditions? The answer is no. My footballing world is going on the train with Albion friends drinking a few tinnies, getting to Brighton straight into the pub(s), enjoying the banter and discussion, chatting with decent away fans, joining the queue for the train to the Amex and finally arriving at our wonderful stadium. Up to the West Upper concourse seeing the same, old familiar faces, then sitting in the same seat since our first season in 2011/12 surrounded by the same duffers that have also been there from the start!

Watching the game, always hoping for a win or a draw if we’re losing in the last minutes. The match is over, with a celebratory three points or one, or sometimes sod all. No matter, a few more beers, train home discussing the relevant aspects of the game with other friends and fans and eventually arriving home knackered, a bit pissed, and elated or disappointed dependant on the result. Then, ready to do it all over again.

THAT is my footballing world, and please, I want it back soon.

Same. I don't miss the football as much as the matchday sights, smells and rituals. I miss giving people the dubious benefit of my drunken post match expert analysis outside the Evening Star and I miss inflicting my horrendous singing voice on a bunch of strangers

 

[NogansRun]

Same here too. Just not interested in this pale imitation being proposed.

 

[BeHereNow]

It’s not for me.

There could be about 9,000 fans rattling about in our 30,000+ stadium and, if some newspaper stories are to be believed, no one will be allowed to sing either. The whole thing will be a poor imitation of what watching The Albion should be. Do you think they’d allow the Norther Standers to stand like they normally do? I really doubt it. Singing and standing is an absolutely massive part of going to the games for me. Sure, some people will love sitting in silence, but it isn’t for me and that’s not what I paid for.

Seeing fans saying ‘we’ll just have to put up with it for now’ is quite disheartening really. We don’t even know how long this will go on for, this could go on for a whole season. Do you think people will renew if it did? I bloody wouldn’t and (up until this season) I’d only missed 1 home game in about 10 years. This could go on indefinitely unless us fans and our clubs take a stand against these ridiculous restrictions by this government. At some point, we’ll going to need to see if we can get back to a full stadium again, I’d rather do that at the start of autumn than the middle of the flu season where every cough or sniffle will diagnosed as a new Covid case.

What do you think would happen if all our fans decided they weren’t going to go?

 

[BN41Albion]

Your post has really reminded me what we're all missing

 

[ATFC Seagull]

I've realised that once you take football out of the equation, I don't really have many hobbies and/or friends.

Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk

 

[Madafwo]

The one thing that gets me is that this season I moved my ST from the ESU to the WSU and I haven't had chance to say goodbye to the people I've sat with the last 7 and a half years.

I don't know any of them apart from being at football matches together but there is a tinge of sadness I won't have chance to say farewell.