Just feel sometimes people think football was invented then. Well a shock announcement it wasn't. I support my team through thick and thin. Whether that be League 1 or League 2...Even if we dropped to the National league I would still support them. After 40 years I have no expectations of grandeur! I only said yesterday if our club did not exist I would be up the road to Ebbsfleet. It's not I don't have ambition but like Lincoln and Ebbsfleet have proven, real football exists beyond the glory hunters and 1992 is just a tragic decease of the modern game.
brb It's strange that, as it relates to football, some of us are 'happy' to be given a poor product ! -- especially when better alternatives are available - and without the inconvenience of going out on a freezing cold Tuesday evening and paying far more for the 'privilege.' I think I have asked [you] before if you buy all your groceries at your local shop. I would doubt it - it wouldn't make economic sense.............. so where is your sense of loyalty to your local shopkeeper ? -- I appreciate that you may venture to his/her store occasionally - but like most people, you probably drive to a big supermarket and get all of your needs in a 'comfortable' shopping environment.......................... and the same choices are being made by all who choose to get their football via Sky or BT. It's all about supply and demand. We live in times when choice is much more available - there are numerous price comparison sites where we can buy anything and everything, and to 'switch' provider for all sorts of services -- and we avail ourselves - all without any consideration for loyalty to our current supplier. We live in different times where families have different priorities than when you started to watch football. They do not necessarily have the time or desire to spend their leisure time attending a live football match. Their budget is probably different and may not extend to paying to go to a game - especially as it would probably impact on family life ( whereas, sitting at home, the whole family can be together - sharing the screening of a game for just one payment ) ---- and the payment probably being far less than the cost of one member of the household paying to watch a live match (( before any associated costs -- and not considering the time involved )). Then there is the matter of quality ! If you buy a product from your local shop and it's rubbish ( time and again ) - you would be mad to continue to return to that shop. The sense of loyalty just wouldn't be relevant - so why should it be with football ? The sensible thing to do is look for a better alternative - to provide a premium product and value for money................. just what 'right' does a local football club have to expect blind loyalty for selling rubbish ? Would your boss keep you in his employ if your performance was poor all year ? brb, I may share some of the sentimentality to which you obviously refer - but by and large, there is little room for sentiment in football -- or did you really cry when Millwall were thrashed 6-0 by Spurs today ?
Why does everything have to be quantified by quality....When a Primark shirt does the same job as Ted Baker shirt at a fraction of the price. I go to football to enjoy the experience, memories and passion. We remember products for different reasons, thankfully I will not be around to witness the ultimate outcome of perfection but will always remember the great days of imperfection, the fun days before the pampered greed, the days before glory hunters via Sky TV. I may have had to piss up a wall in them days, but that was far better than the supporter dribble we see these days. When men were men and we didn't cry foul over every tackle. The days when freedom meant freedom and not something judged by a camera other that that in your memory.
brb - So do you live in a rocky cave ? Do you wear animal skins ? Do you go hunting and gathering for your food ? .......... I could go on ! Of course you don't. Times have changed from those days - but surely it's much less of an experience to live in a warm brick building with hot & cold running water ( and clean sanitation ), and to buy our clothes 'ready skinned' and to go to our larder rather than to have to chase and kill our dinner ! Were our ancestors real men compared with us ? You often complain about football being sanitised - the use of technology creating perfection - and depriving the customer of controversy.If you had your way there would be no use of any equipment that would eliminate any mistakes in football -- I hope that you wouldn't expect the same principle if you had to have a surgical procedure ? - or do you still visit the local witch doctor ? ( I could have done with one after the first half performance of yesterday's referee ). brb - I know what you mean and you know what I mean. I am happy to accept that it won't always be the same.
I like this thread, trouble is I can see both points of view, and have some sympathy with both points of view. The one thing I would argue with is the loyalty, or lack of, shown to suppliers, It is the suppliers who are being disloyal to us. All these companies care about is new business, once they have your business it's all about milking you for all they can, how would you like GFC to offer new season ticket holders 50% off for the first year, yet at the same time raise the cost for existing loyal fans. These large suppliers are too thick, if only they would spend halve as much effort looking after existing customers as they do attracting new ones, they could be a lot more successful.
grumpygit I like the point you raise - and, of course introductory discounts are all over the place for any product you can buy - except in football - which expects loyalty regardless of quality. I understand brb's viewpoint about Sky & BT -- but -- even with the ridiculous Premier League ticket prices, most of the clubs in that division have either greatly extended their grounds or are in the process of moving into bigger stadiums to meet demand - WHY - because people like the product and want to experience it at 'first hand.' ( despite the price ) - but look at places like Coventry - big ground, poor product = 'empty' stadium. Although I am loyal to GFC, I cannot say the same for anything else in my life ( except Mrs alwaysright ). I believe that ( although people may like 50% off ), people will always look towards the quality of a product before considering the price. At Gillingham we are generally starved of quality - yet the price is comparatively high compared with what Sky & BT offer. I said earlier that it's only in football that the supplier expects loyalty despite the rubbish on hand. This mindset and behaviour is changing as far as it concerns everything else in our lives - and football has to accept it is not special - we have many more types of leisure at our disposal on which we can choose to spend our money............................... ............... now I'm off to have a wash in my local stream, and see if any rats have been caught in my traps - otherwise I will only eat a few leaves for breakfast.................. Actually that's not true - being the 'real' man that I am - of course I don't wash !
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/39251254 --------- A slightly different twist to the loyalty 'debate' in this thread We have managers being sacked left, right and centre - when their performance is rubbish ( I'd love for Gills to be 10th in the Championship ). Some of the Premier League managers have been sacked when they have only finished second or only won a measly FA Cup that year - or as in Ranieri's case actually whilst the team are the current champions of England ! ............ So if there is no loyalty at the top end of football - how can it expect loyalty from the fans ? (( answers not expected from Tony Pulis or Martin Allen ))
To be honest I have more memories of going to places like Aldershot, Wimbledon rat infested places such as Crawley more than I had the passion for going to Tottenham, I really do hate modern stadiums. Yes, I appreciate the roof over my head, but an old piece of low lying corrugated iron keeps you dryer than the Medway Stand. Imagine having been to places like Newport and Plymouth in the 70's, far memorable days, maybe for some wrong reasons, rather the sterile same old same these days. To be honest going to places like Swindon these days, I might as well go live in a cave, at least you get an echo.
Pubs were great Standing was brill the ground was much the same as any other modern stadium and only the Gills sang aloud and another good point raised pegleg it's the experience that makes the day, and after many a beer a 5-0 battering seems like a win
I must admit the 3000 of us standing and singing our hearts out from stand to finish was great regardless of the result. Having also been to places like Stevenage & AFC Wimbledon which are a lot smaller grounds and don't have similar facilities I have to admit I did prefer White Hart Lane. Then again that could also be down to the amount of bevvies I had before the Spurs game and the other 2 games being hopeless affairs.
