Ho hum obi wan. Ho hum. I smell “new fan”, who’s never stood on a terrace in his life. Got a jester’s hat Obi?
Well at least you won’t have anything to worry your liberal conscience this summer. The “tiny minority” (ie about 25% of Englands travelling support) is staying at home.
What, because he isnt a scum sucking, bottom feeding, hate-monger thug he must be a “new fan”?
fuck off, you don’t support football, and your opinions matter not.
It is possible to be a passionate season ticket holding football fan without wanting to smash the seven bells of shit out of opposing fans each week.
Oh, but I forget, scarfers aren’t ‘real’ fans. :rolleyes:
The English national team (and club sides) have some of the best and most passionate support in the whole world but unfortunately we also have an element who take it too far[sup]1[/sup].
In the next game vs Argentina I want no excuses (for either team), I want to beat them fair-and-square in a full-strength game. They’ve turned us over in the last few games and I’d like the current team to re-address the balance. Such rivalry is good for the game. However, if we lose I am not going to go out and trash Sapporo and any Angentinians I can find (I’ll just whinge about it until the next time the two sides meet :)).
[sup]1[/sup] As do most other nations. The treatment of English football fans and whether they are any worse than fans of other nations could well use another thread. At domestic club level in England the problem seems to be much better than in the late eighties and certainly better than the present situation in Italian club football (cite and cite).
Who is ruining football? I’ll tell you who; it’s new fans and murdoch’s legions of armchair supporters who forced two west london clubs to travel to Birmingham for a 19:00 kick off (which could of gone to extra time) for their convenience. Real fans (even chelsea and fulham have a few) 0, new fans 1.
And like it or not terrace culture is more a part of football’s heritage than the face painted wanabees above.
Incidentally, there has never been any trouble at England v Argentina, and there wouldn’t be in Korea.
I don’t approve of thumping scarfers, never have.
And finally Argentina are going to muller us. Then the french will destroy what’s left.
Nice try. Would you like a second guess as to which trend really did nearly do for football in Britain?
And do I even have to show the stupidity of someone who claims to love a sport, but berates any new fans?
Do me a favour, take up boxing (at least until you get bored of fair fights) and just drop the pretense of liking football.
Sorry, but “armchair supporters” can only watch the match at what ever time its shown at. Lay blame at Murdoch’s door all you want, but dont blame the people who watch the service, who have no imput to the time its shown at.
And the FA decided where to play the match, not the Supporters.
Oh come on! The kick off was decided by TV.
The revenue that “new fan” football depends on is the price that real fans have to pay, be they grimsby fans who have to see their team on Friday nights or Man Utd fans (there are even one or two real fans there) who hardly ever get a Saturday kick-off.
TV pays the piper TV calls the tune. Real fans (that’s one’s that go to games chaps, and take what comes their way) are extras in the background and are paying for the priviledge.
And as regards berating new fans, its not new blood |I object to, my kids are keen fans, as they should be. What I dislike is the whole “gentrification” of the game. What Roy Keane called the “prawn sandwich” mob.
It will get worse. If Wimbledon are allowed to move to Milton Keynes then we might as well have American style franchises.
As I write this it is announced that ten SPL teams have resigned, which will allow Rangers & Celtic a route into England. Great for the armchairs, not so great for a Southampton fan who now has to get to Glasgow on a Sunday on Byers wonderful railways.
You may not like the fact that I do like, and know about football. That is your right. Unfortunately for you I have held a season ticket for 30 years , and I will be there when you fringe fans drift off again.
As far as I am concerned; no season ticket = NO OPINION.
bzzzt! wrong.
I have just as much right to comment on football as a fan as you do. And you claim your kids are “real” fans. will they be getting involved in beating up opposition supporters like you did?
Glasgow isn’t that harder to get to for a Southhampton fan than Newcastle is.
your “No Season Ticket= No Opinion” analogy is bullshit. You are not a fan of the game. And if “Fringe Fans” as you call them drift off, it will be because of scum like you driving them away.
No ST = No opinion. No investment of time, energy, money, emotion and self = New fan with new fan opinions and a lot less right or credibility.
Sorry if we ruin your sky sports coverage with our naughty words and non Guardian reading attitudes.
My kids will make their own mind up, but I’d prefer that they left the Stone Island kit at home.
Fringe fans will drift off because they haven’t committed time, money, emotion and self, and as such have very little to leave behind.
Why stop at Glasgow? Atlantic League any one?
I think WWF is more your level. It’s as credible.
That one sentence sums up your whole argument really. Ever since they tried to stop the violence, brawling, racial chanting and routine mass shit head invasions of towns it’s not been as much fun for you, has it.
Tough fucking shit.
oh god there’s two of them.
What i dont like is that I have to pay £750 pa to be at the beck (no pun intended) and call of new fan armchair idiots who want to tell me what’s what when they have no history and hence absolutely no stake in the game.
Henley or Twickenham should be ok for you. I promise not to throw hoorays in the river if you promise to stop pontificating about something that simply doesn’t concern you. Deal?
Who are you to lecture me on the requirements of being a fan? You’re a self admitted hooligan that has done more to damage football than anything an “armchair” fan could do. You are a coward who hides behind like minded idiots who moan at the state of the game compared to the “good old days”.
Gary has said it better than I could. Football is better off without your “25%”.
Owlstretchingtime, fuck off for trying to make this into a class war. We’re talking about football fans - if it matters to you what section of the populace come from (and please don’t insult our intelligence by pretending you’re not making the inference that you’re a salt-of-the-earth fan and those who don’t think like you must be upper-class twits) then that’s your problem, not football’s.
I don’t like how expensive football is now either, but that’s got fuck-all to do with the integrity of “new fans”. When you started supporting your team (no doubt you’ll claim it was from birth), were you less of a fan than someone who’d been supporting them for 30 years? Did you feel less passionate about it? At what point can one consider themselves a “true” fan? Five years? Ten years?
Or do you just have to be willing to get in a fight over your team?
Who am I to lecture you? Someone with a history of supporting club & country through thick and thin (mainly thin) who’s been attacked and traduced by you and your liberal buddies, who have never got out of the golf club saloon bar.
Whose game has been sold to you front-room “fans” for 30 pieces of silver and is less than impressed by this. That’s who.
Go to games. Get an informed opinion.
Let me guess…Chelsea fan? Well it is handy for the shops.
And that’s retired hooligan if you don’t mind, fringe.
There are many more than that.
What i dont like is that I have to pay £750 pa to be at the beck (no pun intended) and call of new fan armchair idiots who want to tell me what’s what
So how about sharing with the rest of us how exactly you are forced by the “armchair idiots” to pay?
when they have no history and hence absolutely no stake in the game.
This still doesn’t make sense to me. No history = no stake? According to which international law?
**Henley or Twickenham should be ok for you. I promise not to throw hoorays in the river if you promise to stop pontificating about something that simply doesn’t concern you. Deal? **
No deal. Put down that weapon.
Yawn. How original - another twat of a hoolie who views himself as the only true form of football fan, and tries to pass off anyone who disagrees as a toff or a “hooray”.
Well I’ll go with your deal, but seeing as football does concern me you won’t mind if I keep responding to your “pontificating”.
No deal? Tough fucking shit. Now keep up the whining, like a good little child, cos I’m loving it. Good to see the assholes being alienated from the game they almost ruined.
Serious question: for what reason did you “retire” from hooliganism?
Well it does help.
This is a simple issue. I started supporting my teamfrom a very early age because my family did. I have no issue with young fans, what annoy me are the johnny-come-lately primarily middle class fans who have started to go to football as it is “trendy”. You know the type. Loaded readers etc…
They are pricing proper fans out of the game, and restrictin g the numbers of youngsters at games. They will vanish in time when football becomes out of fashion again.
So in short I don’t like people who claim to be fans who went to their first game a few years ago even though they’re 27.
listen, fuckwinkle, the only time I’ve been in a golf club bar was when I was working there serving drinks. Stop trying to make this into a class thing when it is clearly not. I agree that the cost of football has increased but it is not me who is increasing the price.
Get down off the cross, we need the wood.
I go to my local games, where I live. Sorry I cant attend more EPL games but the fact that I DON’T LIVE IN ENGLAND might have something to do with my low attendance of games.
No, Celtic actually. am happy to watch a good game of EPL football when I can. Have only recently been able to afford to attend games in Scotland but will be attending a lot more in future. Still want to class me as a Hooray Henry?
Drop the “30 years, man and boy” act for one fucking minute. I’m as entitled to my opinion about the state of the game as you are. but your “scarfer” attitude dosent make you a “real” fan. Just a dimwit.
I did a thread on this, but I can’t find it can anyone help? It was all in there, together with the same holier than thou stuff from some of our corresponents.
What’s the score in Holland. My mate was just at a Ajax/Utrecht game and said it was like England in the '70s. (He’s not a hoolie retired or otherwise)