What's racist? The far eastern fans DO spend much of the game snapping away rather than supporting the team and they rarely go to more than one game. Money aside, they contribute nothing, unlike the Irish who actually make some noise. As for the Rooney comment, what a load of ****. United have been the best supported side in England since the war (even when in division 2) and were buying the best players in Britain long before the daytrippers started coming to OT (and Anfield, the Emirates etc). So even if we were still as rich as were in the 70s and 80s we'd have still bought Rooney because he'd have been a lot cheaper
As much as we might look favourably at the nostalgic elements I think we over-state the negative aspects. The stands used to be absolutely filled with kids, sneaking in under the turnstyles for one - the missus never went along but that wasn't such a bad thing. The last place I worked (big sports betting company) sponsored two Premier League teams - every week the PR guys were wandering around the office chucking tickets at us. People went to games just for the free booze in the lounge even though they didn't give a flying **** about the teams that were playing. I got my step-father-in-law two tickets for the Chelsea v Portsmouth FA Cup Final off the company a few years back. He brought my mother in law to Wembley with him, a woman who has as much interest in football as I do in Katy Price's love life was in Wembley to watch the FA Cup Final while thousands of hardcore fans couldn't dream of a ticket - all because it's more profitable for the clubs to accommodate businesses than their own bread and butter fans.
the camera-wielding daytrippers from the other side of the world that irritate me. That was racist as is the far eastern comment. I assume you are not a regular attendee at OT. Because if you were I think you would find that MOST fans in attendence are snapping away or even filming these days. The advent of mobile phones might have more to do with that than nationality. But I suppose that most be a foreigners fault depending on make and model of phone? As for Rooney, we are not in the 70's and 80's now, thank the lord. Bet you didnt know that in terms of revenue/sponsorship Park is probaby ahead of rooney Also there is a reason why pre season tours take place in those parts of the world The Irish fans used to get this stick initially, now the chinese etc. If you followed the journey in time and finance for some of these who come to watch UTD games you would see who are the biggest fans and who put the coin into our club
That's not racist at all - are you not allowed to point out that a lot of foreign tourists are replacing every day fans in the stadium?
A lot of that (going for booze and not giving a ****) went on even in the past. It just seems to be swept under the carpet. I personally like the multi ethnic/gender at football matches today. The biggest plus for me is the hooligan element that has been virtually priced out They werent there to watch the football in my opinion, rather just there to cause trouble. Each to their own in the end, for me the chinese guy with his camera is more of a fan than the guys who got us banned in europe
It is if you pick out one set of people when literally ALL are doing the same thing. Why is a a camera-weilding daytripper from the otherside of the world more irritating than one from Manchester? And who says the foreign tourists are not everyday fans?
Watch those sikh guys with the turbans. Always at games always trying to get things going. To the point the 'locals' get annoyed with them, usually because they get in the way of the mobile phone camera's
Please. You think the fact greedy pigs like Rooney can earn 200k a week is a GOOD THING? That the working man has been priced out of the game which revolves around him? What a supine specimen you are. Firstly, what's wrong with football being cheap? Lower prices means more fans, more passion and more interest. Not to mention more loyalty and respect from the players who will be paid far more sensible wages. Secondly, I've never been involved in football violence, but what's wrong with consenting adults having a fight as long as they don't damage other people's property or attack innocents? Look at Russia, say, where they have 200 beekcakes kicking the **** out of each other in a park and have paid-up medics at hand if things go too far. I also think the link you make between cheap prices and violence of the wrong kind is a bit thick of you. The fact they take, what, 30% of their home attendances to away games suggests they are hardcore fans. Certainly their anti modern football banners and atmospheres suggest they are. Don't tell me Leeds fans in the 70s and Liverpool fans in the 80s got bored when they were playing ****e opposition. It's about having balls, and English fans don't have any any more. Not that it's our fault as supporters - mainly that of government, police and media, but there's still certain clubs whose fans have taken it more willingly than others. I don't think most of our hardcore fans have stuck at Elland Road. That's the point I was making. Thousands of Leeds fans who were there for every home game in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and even 00s have now decided to stop attending thanks to Bates, the average teams and the insane pricing. But still, the fans who have replaced them make an effort - certainly more than the Stretford do. Do they even stand up for 90 minutes any more? As is the Kop at Leeds. The fact it's the cheapest end suggests it's where the louder fans will go. They're both the traditional singing stands of the two Uniteds, so it works as a like-for-like comparison. So it's odd that even when it's more likely Leeds fans will get priced out by our more expensive seats, the cheaper Stretford End is still worse. You can probably say the same of every other stand at the two stadia if you compare them, although I expect your side stands are more expensive. This is true.
Man Utd's stadium atmosphere is ****e, we are discussing why that is so. I think pointing out foreign tourists and corporate packages is a fair point on why the atmosphere has degraded.
Personally dont think it is as ****e as people make out corporate packages have always existed as have foreign tourists To be irritated by a foreigner with a camera but not all those around him doing exactly the same thing is ludicrous
The difference is that the Oriental fans ONLY take photos. Other fans might take photos, but they'll join in with the songs too. But like I said, we would've still been able to get Rooney, which was your contention. Unless you're talking about some strange world where all the other English teams have moved with the times, but United are still stuck in the 70s/80s? These people AREN'T the biggest fans. Going to OT once and buying £50's worth of merchandise doesn't make you a great fan. As a group, the far eastern fans may be a very profitable fan base, but each individual fan isn't particularly loyal. I'm sure when Park's retired and the next top Korean player is at City or Barcelona, we'll see the far eastern revenues drop off a little.
I blame foreigners for the poor atmosphere at games. I was at the Arsenal-Villa game on Saturday, and there were foreigners everywhere, none of them sang, none of them chanted, it was depressing. It was like they'd got lost, some how got hold of tickets and randomly turned up to the game.
To me, the best fans are those who follow the club through thick and thin. When you hammered us earlier this season, a lot of plastic fans probably jumped ship, and i thank you for that.
For what it's worth, there were about 30 Chinese at Elland Road for the West Ham game the other week. They actually joined in with the chants and didn't take snaps all game. I've no doubt there are a few Far Eastern Man U fans who are the same. It's when the clubs, spotting a quick buck, start selling these tickets en masse to tourists that it becomes a problem. Luckily, that's one of the few things my club's board don't do wrong. Man U are the worst for that though. Didn't they sell 1,000 away tickets to Norwegian fans recently or something, and only get 1,500 for their own fans as a result? Shocking. You'd think the priced-out fans would cause more of a fuss about it.
You would hope they made a fuss. If Manchester Utd are selling out, then you can be assured every club will want to take a piece of that pie. I'm waiting for the day when i'll be unable to ever attend an Arsenal match, because i'm not big in a foreign market. The only reason we signed Park Chu Young was to become big in Korea.
TBH, at least the hooligans add some interest. I hate being at/watching a game with no atmosphere, it's one of the most depressing things in the world.
The things aren't directly linked, silly. Do they have huge hooliganism problems in Germany? Do they buggery. Do they have top atmospheres most weeks? Absolutely. That's because they have fans from the top of their clubs to the bottom and don't label people 'hooligans' or 'undesirables'. They are bottom-up organizations rather than the dictatorial top-down approach we see in England from clubs, the FA, the government and the press, as swallowed by people like you. I bet you've never seen hooliganism in England in your life, have you?
