YES!!!
I WANT a toaster that does this! Im annoyed we havent got one
Does the toaster stop working when you get relegated? Mind you, most toasters barely last a f***ing year anyhow.
YES!!!
I WANT a toaster that does this! Im annoyed we havent got one
I don't 100% disagree with you, but I think you're only highlighting the negatives. Before the Premiership and before Sky football was played in slum stadiums in front of crowds that were almost 100% white and almost 100% male. They were also prone to violence and football grounds could be scary places. I say 'crowds', but this was in the era when the big clubs routinely got attendances of less than 20,000 and England internationals were often played in front of a few die-hards rattling around the old rotting Wembley. Football was dying on its arse in the 1980s and was becoming increasingly marginalised. The Sky money changed all that and allowed it to become, well, 'modern'. The downside is, as you say, the arrival of a new breed of fan (often female) who wouldn't have been seen dead in a football ground in the 70s and 80s, and more crucially is happy to pay £50 to sit in a seat and then pay a further £5 for a matchday magazine, which is nothing more than a glossy brochure advertising her club's financial services.
And I don't like it. I miss the days of terraces and tear-ups (ooh, I like that as a title. Maybe I could sell it it to Danny Dyer), and I certainly miss the era of cheap tickets, but football had to change. It's a pity we can't / couldn't follow the German model but there you go. People have always hated money coming into football: professionalism, the abolition of the minimum wage, the abolition of 'Retain and Transfer', the introduction of Freedom of Contract, the arrival of subscription TV, all were opposed as 'the end of football as we know it'.
And as I said earlier, despite being counted as a Sky Sports subscriber I don't watch Premiership football. As far as premium packages go I'm actually a Sky Movies subscriber and for a few extra quid a month (MUCH less than the price of a single Albion ticket) they let me have the sports as well. If you like films you could use that as justification. Much cheaper than renting DVDs!
It's a perfectly valid opinion and likewise I appreciate you taking the time to reply to me. And there is a lot of truth in what you say. Germany manages to have a competitive national league (and a competitive national side) without feeling the need to rob the fans blind. The Sky 'problem' if you like is just symptomatic of the English clubs' greed. Even before the advent of the Prem the big clubs passed a rule that for league games the home club kept all the gate receipts (they used to be shared) This obviously favoured the big clubs over the small ones - and they've kept taking more and more money ever since.....
But, you know, it's just an opinion. I appreciate you taking the time to read and respond so thoughtfully.
You can get tickets for the ROH for £10 - I wish I could buy Albion tickets at that price
That statistic about the Arsenal game is a bit misleading. It may not have sold out but we got over 30,000 at a time when football crowds were much lower. And don't forget that it was in the summer holidays when lots of people are away (it's also wedding season, one of my Albion-going mates got married that day and a lot of his friends went to the ceremony instead of the game). And don't forget that we may not have sold out Arsenal but we did sell out for Tottenham barely a year before.
Since those days, the population of Brighton has increased and football attendances have risen, both of which should make it easier to sell out Falmer.
And why should a large student population not come to games? When I was a student, I went to watch my local team as do thousands of other students. They may not be lifelong supporters but I'm sure we'll get plenty coming along.
We never actually got a 30,000 crowd at the Goldstone in all of the 4 seasons that we were in the top flight. The biggest gate was 29,682 against Liverpool in 1979.
28,800Sure we got a bigger crowd in the FA Cup against Norwich in 83.
We never actually got a 30,000 crowd at the Goldstone in all of the 4 seasons that we were in the top flight. The biggest gate was 29,682 against Liverpool in 1979.
Whilst the population of Brighton has increased, unfortunately seaside towns/cities have a greater fair feckle number of supporters. Many people retire to the coast & have allegiances elsewhere. Yes I know Blackpool have risen to the Premiership, but even their most ardent supporter will know that it will be only for a short period. Some cities that are not seaside resorts seem to perform & have larger crowds, however, in a diversified city like Brighton there are far more attractions for people to part with their cash.