Is it time to finally buy that new armchair?

[Andy @ Allerton]

I never, ever thought that I'd give my season ticket up and 'retire' from what is a big part of my life - Football Supporting. Over the years it's given me many happy memories, heartaches, euphoria and upset - but it's always been there and it's always been good.

 

It seems, however, nowadays that I seem to be threatening to jack in my season ticket and stop going every other day - how can this be? For something that 2 years ago I couldn't even contemplate - what has brought me to these thoughts?

 

We all know there is just too much money in football nowadays, too many stupid kick off times, too little passion, too much guff, too much hype, too many multi-millionaire players that fans can barely relate to any more (With a few exceptions), too much foreign investment and too little listening to what the fans think and what the fans want.

 

Things keep appearing now that when you add them all together just show that the Clubs and the League really couldn't give two figs about any of the fans. Most of them talk about this, that and the other - but after concern at the way my club is going with these new people in charge - and then added to that almost immediately this idea of farming out the game to foreign soils 'Only one game' - no doubt some people will cry - but sadly we all know that isn't going to be the case. Once the stable door is open and the horse has bolted - there will be no catching up with it. It'll have gone and it'll have gone for good.

 

I was listening with mounting fury to the radio yesterday where complacent Chairman excitedly talked about their plans to rake in even more money. That in itself wasn't too bad - that's what they do. But then the way he casually said that "This doesn't affect season ticket holders - it's an extra game - it's got nothing to do with them" and then followed that up with "I think it'll be good for fans - they'll get a chance to have an extra holiday" - well. After that - you just know they are taking the mickey and you know they really, really couldn't care less what the fans think.

 

This probably goes double for the likes of the Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United boards - these clubs have been treating their fans like s*** for years now - but really - why should they care? What are the fans going to do eh? Stop going? (You can hear the cynical laughter from the boardrooms now).

 

When they chatted to a key figure in the FA about whether he was going to consult with the fans - he just sniggered.

 

I'm going to make the decision over the summer whether to renew my season ticket - it'll be a difficult choice to make - but really, for me, once the games start increasingly to be played away from Anfield and even England in the English League - then surely - that really has to be the end of English football? Hasn't it?

 

I'm sure my Love affair with Football will continue - you can't turn a telly on nowadays without seeing a game being played - you've got English, Spanish, Dutch, Italian and German leagues to watch and sometimes even South American leagues. With LFCTV - I can watch every minute of every game we ever play. Do they really need some old fogey at the ground that feels down when he watches where football is going? Is it time to hand the reins to younger fans that will embrace this Brave New World we'll find ourselves in?

 

Perhaps.

 

Perhaps this is the same process that has been going on for years - we all know family and friends that went for years - and then one day stopped. Did the game change in this marked way for them? Did the sheer arrogance and uncaring attitude of their club and their league push them over the edge? Probably. I now know what they mean.

 

Ah well - it's probably time for that armchair to be occupied. Maybe one of those lazy boys with a little cup holder for my beer.

[D.Boon]

Fairweather fan

[RP]

I'm a bit ahead of you, Andy. Only been to a handful of games this season - and I'm not going again this season.

 

Can't imagine when I'll go again, to be honest.

[Tyler]

when you stop going would you watch the games on tv/watch highlights/listen to five live

 

difficult to stop caring/supporting

[DanielS]

I think Vic's first "I don't care about this crap anymore" post was about 3 years ago on this forum. Been agreeing more and more with that view ever since. Have to say I'm with RP on this one too Andy - unless things radically change.

What could force a change in the near future is beyond me, but hopefully there will be something left to go back to once this big business, fashionable crap collapses.

[nvdm]

The super-fan is replaced by the super-unfan.

[Mike]

maybe you're just growing out of it..

[Red]

While football the world over is being homogenised and converted into increasingly bland and over-edited "bite-sized chunks" in order that it should appeal to a remote pay-channel-surfing public unaware of it's history and traditions, some of us still cling to the hope there is one part of the game nobody will commandeer.

 

The 90, or so, minutes from the first to the final whistle.

[Will]

Will you (RP, Andy, whoever) actually give up your ST or just stop using it yourself?

[Cunny]

I don't plan to stop going just yet. I plan to give the new stadium a couple of seasons, if it ever gets built.

However, my heart is not in it as much as it used to be, that's for sure.

Whether that is due to my age (36), length of service (25 years worth of regular attendance), over commercialisation of the game in general or just the whole off the pitch farce of LFC in particular is hard to say.

Probably all of the above.

[Guest Ant]

I'll have any of your season tickets.

[RP]

Will you (RP, Andy, whoever) actually give up your ST or just stop using it yourself?

 

 

Theoretically speaking - what if someone had a season ticket that a mate used already, i.e. he bought it off the registered holder at the beginning of the season? What would be the point of giving it back to the Club?

[Gunga Din]

Football for me has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. Having played it at a decent level through from schoolboy level and my teens, to moving from Ireland to England because of my support of Liverpool FC, it has dominated huge parts of my day to day life. However, this season, I have become completely disillusioned with it all, and that has little to do with the football being played, but more to do with what has gone on behind the scenes. The way G&H have conducted themselves, the move from I relatively family owned club with close ties to the fans and the community, to what is now a corporate money making machine, fleecing fans to line the pockets of two c**** who don’t care about the club one jot, has left me wondering why I should be handing over my hard earned to line their pockets. I’m lucky in many ways, I have a season ticket, I get to go to watch them away and in Europe, I live local. However, I don’t think I could ever walk away. I’m looking forward to the close season this year for the first time I can remember, simply so I can forget about it for a while, but I wont stop going to the game. Its not just the 90 minutes of the game, it’s the whole social side of it with my mates, pints in the oakie and in town, having a laugh and getting drunk. I wont give up going, because I’ll miss that side of things too much, and I know if I did give up my season ticket and stop going, sooner or later I’d regret it.

[Gunga Din]

Theoretically speaking - what if someone had a season ticket that a mate used already, i.e. he bought it off the registered holder at the beginning of the season? What would be the point of giving it back to the Club?

 

none. if, and its a big if, i ever gave mine up, i'd sell it to a mate.

[Mike]

I don't plan to stop going just yet. I plan to give the new stadium a couple of seasons, if it ever gets built.

However, my heart is not in it as much as it used to be, that's for sure.

Whether that is due to my age (36), length of service (25 years worth of regular attendance), over commercialisation of the game in general or just the whole off the pitch farce of LFC in particular is hard to say.

Probably all of the above.

 

exactly the same as me. same age as well

cant see me giving up the st though

Edited February 8, 2008 by Mike

[matty]

I think Andy's was a good post, and for those who go every week to be feeling like this, something's wrong.

 

When people realised that there was a lot of money to be made out of the game (1990, to be precise), the rot started. Everything that has happened since then has been about screwing more and more money out of the game.

 

Still, there's always been some issue with football, it was hooliganism before that. But it's harder to really care when you're being kicked up the a*** by someone and being billed for the pleasure. For the matchgoers, it must be gut-wrenching.

[Guest Snorky]

Where I am and what I do and never ever thought that going to the game would become un-enjoyable, would become less lookingforwardtoit kind of thing. But this season it has, and as everyone says, it's not to do with what's on the pitch (although that has a bearing) but it's more to do with the depressive atmosphere off it.

[Dan]

I'm feeling pretty dissolusioned with it all at the moment. I think i will renew my PTS at the end of the year though and see how i feel next season.

 

I've found myself taking a much bigger interest in the lower leagues this year as well.

[sutty]

In answer to the title, I think it depends on the state of the existing armchair, and any decor changes that you may have made.

 

Have you thought about just recovering the old armchair?

 

On the general point, I said this yesterday when I was talking about the mancs auto cup scheme. Where is the breakpoint? At what point do fans who are being treated so badly start looking at all this from a consumers perspective rather than a football supporters point of view. Because as a consumer, would you take this from any other industry?

[Will]

Theoretically speaking - what if someone had a season ticket that a mate used already, i.e. he bought it off the registered holder at the beginning of the season? What would be the point of giving it back to the Club?

Theoretically speaking indeed

 

No point other than general fairness I guess. But then life isn't fair

 

Surely "giving it up" as was originally positioned is a "no way back" position, whereas selling it on gives you the right to change your mind next season

[johngibo YPC]

didn't i read on here that a season ticket hasn't been returned for 3 years?

[sutty]

didn't i read on here that a season ticket hasn't been returned for 3 years?

 

If only there wa some sort of lottery system for giving them up...

[RP]

Theoretically speaking indeed

 

No point other than general fairness I guess. But then life isn't fair

 

Surely "giving it up" as was originally positioned is a "no way back" position, whereas selling it on gives you the right to change your mind next season

 

You're right, of course, about it leaving the door open for a possible future huge change of heart.

 

But using this hypothetical situation again, let's imagine someone who we'll call PR has a season ticket and a mate buys the ST off PR at the beginning of every season and uses it for all home games, including Cup games covered by the Auto Cup scheme. PR's attitude towards the footy is irrelevant - just because PR loses interest almost entirely, why would he give the ticket back? It would be nothing more than a spiteful act, in my opinion, as PR's mate would (quite rightly in my opinion) think "why the hell have you done that?"

[RP]

If only there wa some sort of lottery system for giving them up...

 

The Club has a record for how long people have held their STs - they should just go through that list and take them back off people, starting with those who have had it the longest. They have had their turn, time to let someone newer have their turn.

[sutty]

The Club has a record for how long people have held their STs - they should just go through that list and take them back off people, starting with those who have had it the longest. They have had their turn, time to let someone newer have their turn.

 

That's the only fair way