This fascination with friendlies

[Poyningsgull]

I remember in my youth that nobody gave a rats arse about friendlies. Now you have people travelling to all sorts of god forsaken places to watch a team full of under 18's or development squad triallists or such like. Is it really such a long close season or boring summer or what.
Having said all that I have my Sevilla ticket and can't wait for the whole circus to start all over again.

Up the Albion

 

[Gazwag]

I like friendlies as the moaning buggers tend not to bother going.

 

[The_Viper]

It's a holiday somewhere new for most people, an excuse to go somewhere sunny AND includes football in the off season. It's a no brainer if you have the option.

 

[8ace]

It's a piss-up with the lads somewhere different, except the football is even less important than usual.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I remember in my youth that nobody gave a rats arse about friendlies. Now you have people travelling to all sorts of god forsaken places to watch a team full of under 18's or development squad triallists or such like. Is it really such a long close season or boring summer or what.
Having said all that I have my Sevilla ticket and can't wait for the whole circus to start all over again.

Up the Albion

Ive never thought Lewes was that bad

 

[Justice]

Ive never thought Lewes was that bad

Really?

 

[Foul Play Rocks]

It's just an excuse to have a few beers, watch some new players and not worry about results.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

God forsaken places such as Le Havre, Albufeira & Marbella. Yes the sunshine was great, the food good and the football enjoyable.

 

[el punal]

I remember in my youth that nobody gave a rats arse about friendlies. Now you have people travelling to all sorts of god forsaken places to watch a team full of under 18's or development squad triallists or such like. Is it really such a long close season or boring summer or what.
Having said all that I have my Sevilla ticket and can't wait for the whole circus to start all over again.

Up the Albion

Always a good insight as to how the team will perform in the forthcoming season. Although I wasn't at the game, the Southampton friendly last year, reports suggest that we were completely outplayed from start to finish. The portents were right - we struggled all season. Hopefully, for the Sevilla match, things will be more successful.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Always a good insight as to how the team will perform in the forthcoming season. Although I wasn't at the game, the Southampton friendly last year, reports suggest that we were completely outplayed from start to finish. The portents were right - we struggled all season. Hopefully, for the Sevilla match, things will be more successful.

This.

Friendlies are an important gauge of where the team is at in terms of fitness and obviously provide match sharpness.

The only thing you are unlikely to see are tackles flying in knee height, well, other than Crawley away, if last season is anything to go by.

I like them and will go to as many as I can.

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

Gotta admit I don't really do friendlies any more, although I did enjoy LeHarve, sitting outside that cafe, morning sunshine, flags hanging on the fence, early beers, I dreamt for a minute it was a UEFA cup match in Prague or Naples or wherever

 

[Gazwag]

Gotta admit I don't really do friendlies any more, although I did enjoy LeHarve, sitting outside that cafe, morning sunshine, flags hanging on the fence, early beers, I dreamt for a minute it was a UEFA cup match in Prague or Naples or wherever

What's not to like

 

[BigBod]

I enjoy a good friendly, my first game at the Amex was Brighton v Chelsea. I was in the West upper that day with the Chelsea, had a great day out.

One of my best football weekends ever was a pre season friendly, Glasgow Rangers v Chelsea, that was a long drive from Littlehampton...lol...but well worth it. Seems to be a big affiliation between Chelsea and Rangers. Was a complete sell out and it was amazing in the ground with both sets of fans singing the same songs at the same time...best stadium atmosphere I have ever experienced.

Looking forward to the Seville game on the 2nd, will be at Chelsea on the 5th for a pre season friendly, back at the Amex on the 7th for first game of the season and up to Chelsea on the 8th for their first game of the season.....Roll on August.

 

[BensGrandad]

I generally dont go to friendlies but having said that a couple of years ago we drove through France and went to the matches in The Algarve as it was a different holiday driving home through Spain and France from Seville and was very enjoyable.

 

[SAC]

Most are glorified training matches, good for the management but often poor viewing for the public. Local away matches at a ground with terracing are good to take children for the first time.

 

[BensGrandad]

I always went to the friendly at Worthing just to help them out with gate money etc but now it seems they are out of favour. Which is rather surprising taking into account the previous Bloom connections with David and Arthur or was it Alfie, playing for Worthing.

 

[rool]

Always a good insight as to how the team will perform in the forthcoming season. Although I wasn't at the game, the Southampton friendly last year, reports suggest that we were completely outplayed from start to finish. The portents were right - we struggled all season. Hopefully, for the Sevilla match, things will be more successful.

It's a valid point for me. I was at that Southampton game and also the friendly at Athlone Town under Micky Adams part II and both matches were a very good measure of how the season ahead was going to go. It wasn't about the results it was just obvious that there was no creativity or quality in those teams.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I always went to the friendly at Worthing just to help them out with gate money etc but now it seems they are out of favour. Which is rather surprising taking into account the previous Bloom connections with David and Arthur or was it Alfie, playing for Worthing.

We played a friendly at Worthing in return for letting our reserves play their games there. That arrangement finished a long time ago.

 

[BlockDpete]

I'm generally not one for friendlies, though I did the trip to Meyhrin at the weekend and really enjoyed it.
Yes its a weekend in Geneva too. Guess the match was a bit meaningless, but with a couple of hundred Albion fans, we did seem to be a bit closer to the players, which made it a nice atmosphere.

And I can say I've seen the Albion play in Europe now ☺

 

[el punal]

Back at the start of our glory days, in August 1977 to be precise, my girlfriend and I went to a pre-season friendly at Griffin Park to watch the mighty Albion play Brentford. We had just been promoted from the old Division 3 so we were all on a high and looking forward to the new season.

A couple of things stood out about the occasion, apart from the team looking really good. Firstly, it was the public unveiling of the new Bukta blue and white striped kit complete with the new seagull badge, and in my opinion still the best Albion strip of all time.

Secondly, and unfortunately, the sign of football watching to come. We were standing behind the goal watching the game and minding our own business when a local copper asked us to move for our own safety. It turned out that about 20 Brentford/Chelsea fans were planning to kick the crap out of us at the first opportunity - we took his advice. Amazing really, it was a friendly match and there were probably only a few hundred fans present.

Anyway we survived and the team went from strength to strength, and as they say the rest is history.