Not glorifying the old days and I certainly wouldn't want a day out to be like it was in the 70's, but back in the day, Boro coming in numbers would have given the day an edgy atmosphere instead of looking like giddy school kids on their first day out. I don't mean that as a specific slur to boro, they just highlighted today how sanitised the football experience has become. How do we get the spark back?
As I typed that, Sky sports cut to Hollywell explaining how he'd been threatened with arrest by a Policeman for the words he used to his players. "Oi..Plod...**** off.."
Let's hope the coppers gave their travelling scum an escort all the way back to Teesside- no turn-offs allowed
Same used to be the case when Sheff Utd came - just goes to show how much the old bill now has thing sunder control in and out of grounds now. That "spark" has gone + won't come back I don't think. Maybe the lack of standing on the terraces has something to do with it as well?
Well when I got onto Clive Sully there were coppers escorting quite a lot of buses heading back north, looked like at least one was heading for Market Weighton, the rest were escorted as far as the motorway, and we were counting them all the way along to Ferrybridge...
What did you miss their ****e version of Pigbag with dance moves, Dutchy? The Boxing Day defeat was made worse by their fans doing that ****e chant after Robson's goal. Didn;t half rub it in. I suppose we can;t talk much.
Another team doing that 'You're **** ahh!" Thing for keepers. It's the single gayest thing I've ever seen at a football ground.
Agreed. It's up there with goal music, the announcer on the pitch before the match at the KC and Leicester's drummer.
I liked Boro's logical song choices today: "We'll sing on our own, you're so quiet..." They score and suddenly it becomes: "You're not singing any more..."
The Boro fans were ok today, and that goalkeeper thing is just pathetic, vito should just flip em off
I don't miss the "spark" of being pelted with coins, or finding my car windows put through when I return to it after the match, but it's up to the individual as to what they want from the football experience...
No offence meant Tyler. I suppose I should have considered the possibility that somebody would be logged on that had been blinded by a coin and therefore unable to read the intial post properly.
Nice thoughts. Just recalling previous matches against Boro, some pretty nasty incidents. What spark are you missing then ? Although I admit I was expecting the more "edgy" atmosphere of which you make mention.
I only recall one 'modern' event with boro and even that was many moons ago and was easily avoided by those not wanting to be involved, but that's neither here nor there and adds nothing to the thread. You speak yourself of expecting an edgyness, that's to an extent is the spark. The sanitised nonsense that passes for a football crowd now, like Leicester's drummer, Palace fans and Boro is more like some turgid American Wrestling show. I expect pantomime shouts of 'he's behind you' instead of 'man on' or 'snap his ****ing legs'. So, how can we get that spark?
tigerrev mentioned above about a return to standing terraces - that'll help. But I get the feeling that going to the match has turned more into the kind of way Americans view sports - Large spongie hands/fingers, Hot dogs and meal deals. I too would want to see a return of the spark - but I can't see it, unless there's a happy medium found between the "spongie hands" and the "snap his ****ing legs"... So I think you're right, football has changed, been sanitized. Reasons for going, and the pre-match routines of the fans attending now determine the atmosphere we get at the game.
How many kids go to football without a gameboy now? I was 5 when I started going and I loved my video games, still do, but when I went to football I went to see the bloody match!